November 18, 2015. University of Calgary Room ES 443. 7:30pm
Dr. Tamara Varney, Lakehead University
Nearly two decades of investigation of two burying grounds that were associated with the Royal Naval Dockyard at English Harbour, Antigua, West Indies has revealed some interesting insight into what life was like for Naval personnel posted to the West Indies. Sometimes referred to as the ‘Graveyard of Englishman’, the West Indies posting included many challenges such as tropical disease and lead poisoning. Both regular and enslaved personnel are represented in one of the cemeteries that was associated with a former Naval Hospital, while the other site appears to have been a less formal expedient burial ground allowing for a nice representation of lower ranking personnel.