Land Ownership
When was the Law of governing land registration passed and ratified?
In 1850 and 1865
Did the Caymanians welcome a Crown Colony Status like the Bay Islands?
No
What was the majority view of the Magistrates?
Magistrates sought a greater degree of imperial or Jamaican control, as they believed it would bring progress and assistance.
When did Jamaica really begin to take an interest in the Cayman Islands?
The 1880s
What was the Jamaican legislators view of Cayman as a formal dependency status?
It was acceptable to Jamaican legislators as long as it did not prove to be a financial burden.
Why couldn’t the informal system of land ownership survive long enough?
Because of the expanding population, a cash economy, or the changes that followed emancipation.
Why didn’t the Caymanians welcome Crown Colony Status like the Bay Islands?
Poverty, Isolation from Jamaica and the mother country, effects of emigration, etc.
How was Cayman depicted in the Magistrate’s written plea in January 1854?
Cayman was underdeveloped, lacked funds, and was inefficient.
What was the outcome of Jamaican and imperial neglect?
This spurred them to develop a country based on self-reliance, nurturing themselves into a unique society.
What did settling the "dependency question" mean?
Settling the “dependency question” meant a resolution of constitutional, administrative, and legal tangles without a complete loss of autonomy
What was the traditional Caymanian method of acquiring land ownership?
Apart from the 5 land grants, the traditional Caymanian method of acquiring land ownership had been to claim, mark, work, and build on any unused tract, which became the norm in the 1700s
When did Cayman face a disastrous hurricane?
1846
What did the Magistrate’s written plea lead to?
It led to the Magistrates asking the Governor to appoint a resident superintendent, that tonnage duties paid by Caymanians to Jamaica be returned, and that the steamship postal service be extended to Grand Cayman.
Within 50 years, by how much did the population increase?
It tripled
What happened to local legislature later on?
Later on the local legislature in Cayman was finally recognized, even though certain powers were reserved to Jamaica. However, the legislature was made responsible for a wide variety of tasks.
What was the chief motive for the passage of the original Land Registration Act in September 1850?
It was in everyone’s interest to have a better system of governing land registration.
What was happening to the Caymanian Fisherman in the south Cuban Cays?
There were Cuban attacks against Caymanian fishermen in the south Cuban Cays
Who carried the written plea?
William Eden and John Wood (2 Magistrates)
In what aspects was progress in Cayman stagnant?
There were few notable events and hardly any growth in administration, the economy, social services, or Industrialization.
What advantages came from Cayman’s formal dependency status?
Cayman vessels would no longer pay tonnage dues when entering Jamaican ports, greater change that Jamaican investment might be attracted, along with professionals, there was a resolution of constitutional, administrative, and legal tangles without a complete loss of autonomy.
What did Registration include?
Reaching an agreement with their neighbors about boundaries, registering was to be opened to public inspection at request, registry for 5 years was “to be deemed a good title against all complaints whatsoever”, and a special form was now proof of exactly who owned what and where.
When was the Cayman Islands made a formal dependency of Jamaica?
Between June 1863 and March 1865
What did the plea state was the island's only form of economic engagement of the time?
The people only could build boats, fish, and engage in subsistence farming
What happened when the people of Cayman sent pleas and complaints to England or Jamaica?
They were often ignored
What did the Act of Government of the Cayman Islands becoming law on June 22, 1863 mean for Cayman?
It made all British Acts that were in Jamaica also apply to the Cayman Islands.