Library

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Library

This is a library of documents and reports about Bermuda's history that are not otherwise on-line. They are either scans of paper reports, or transcriptions, and as such may have a few errors. I have performed OCR on the scans so that they should be searchable.

Am I Being Used (1967)

Dr. Clarence James's 1967 speech outlined why he joined the UBP, despite having originally joined the PLP, and why he felt the UBP was more sincere about addressing race relations. Dr. James was a well-known black Bermudian surgeon who served as Finance Minister under the UBP.

Wooding Report (1969)

In 1968 there were a series of riots after an incident at the annual Floral Pageant. A Commission of Inquiry was appointed by the Governor, and chaired by Sir Hugh Wooding. This is their report into the causes of the riots.

Clark Report (1978)

In 1977 (before the riots) the UBP Government commissioned this report from Clark, Phipps, Clark & Harris, Inc. to help Bermuda "to achieve a more meaningful integration of the races and more equitable distribution of the wealth of the community." Project leader Dr. Kenneth B. Clark was a notable African-American psychologist who had served as an expert witness in the Brown v. Board of Education desegregation case in the U.S., and was well known for his work around race. The report made many suggestions, including what became the Bermuda Small Business Development Corporation.

Gov. Ramsbotham's Report (1978)

This is the previously confidential report on the riots written by Governor Sir Peter Ramsbotham. I originally saw this report on someone else's blog, but cannot remember who for credit. The report has a slightly condescending colonial viewpoint, not always in sync with the Pitt report's conclusions, and suggests that the Government mistakenly believed the death sentences for Burrows and Tacklyn would be commuted. The end of this interview with Ramsbotham in 2001 (mirror), provides interesting colour around the events; he refers to the UBP rule while the commonwealth vote was in effect as a "one-party dictatorship". There is also this interview with him in a 1978 People Magazine (mirror).

Pitt Report (1978)

After the 1977 riots a bipartisan Royal Commission was formed to investigate the underlying causes. It was chaired by Lord Pitt, the only black member of the House of Lords. It provides an in-depth picture of Bermuda's social, political, and economic issues at that time, which is still informative today. The report also recaps the Wooding Commission's conclusions from the 1968 riots. The report is recorded in the UK Parliament Hansard at the time.

Bermudian Politics in Transition, Frank E. Manning (1978)

Frank E. Manning's 1978 book about Bermudian politics following the 1976 election. The book was based on interviews and surveys about voting, party preference, and public opinion.

History of the UBP (1987)

A 1987 booklet detailing the history of the UBP up until that time. It includes names and pictures of many of the UBP party officers, MPs, and candidates. It also includes brief play-by-plays for some key elections.

Tumin Report (1992)

The 1992 report on the criminal justice system, which led to among other things a softening by the police against traffic violations.

Bermuda and the next Millenium (Kit Astwood) (1997)

A think piece by J. Christopher "Kit" Astwood, OBE, JP. He lays out questions about the future of Bermuda, using a few bits of data to provoke thought. It's interesting to see how many of today's issues were starting to take root in 1997. View the accompanying data in a spreadsheet. He also wrote a follow-up piece in 2000: The Mid-Atantic Economic Miracle: Bermuda. Both documents Copyright J. Christopher Astwood and posted with his permission.

Bermuda Entrustment (1968, 2005, and 2009)

The Bermuda Entrustment (sometimes called the Deed or Letter of Entrustment) is the memo that describes what powers the UK Government has delegated to the Government of Bermuda. Bermuda is a dependent territory of the UK (formerly known as a colony), and as such, the UK is in charge of all of our external relations. However, when the current constitution was created in 1968, the UK delegated certain authority to the Bermuda Government, mostly around trade and commercial agreements. This download includes the original 1968 version, the 2005 amendment, and the latest version of 2009. (More details on FreshieBlog). These documents were provided by the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), and are made available on this site under the UK Open Government License.

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