OUR HISTORY
Before the arrival of Europeans in the early 1600’s, the district of Laborie had been home to different groups of Amerindians, as evidenced by artifacts found in various locations. Arawak artifacts such as zemis and pottery have been found in the Black Bay area and there are intriguing rock basins and petroglyphs in some inland locations. The deep bays of the district with their reef-protected shores provided attractive locations for human habitation.
It is likely that the first European settlers of the village now known as Laborie were the French, in the 1700's. In 1763, under the French old regime, there were perhaps a dozen houses in the small community known as "L'Islet à Caret", nestled along a sheltered bay on the south west corner of St Lucia.
The name was French for 'Turtle Island', so named after the loggerhead turtle (Caretta Caretta) that came to nest on the beaches and the sandy, reefy island that once existed in the bay. Shortly after, sugarcane was introduced in addition to the existing crops of cocoa, coffee and cotton.
Laborie became an independent parish in 1765. By 1775 more houses had appeared along with the first church and 81 estates throughout the quarter had been aloted to French settlers, some of whose names live on in the names of the small communities such as Augier, Banse, etc.
The population in 1769 was listed as 91 whites, 12 'free coloureds', and 609 Negroes (these figures do not include women or children). In those days, 'free coloureds' people referred to 'gens de couleur', or the offspring of mixed-race relationships. In Creole, they were called 'mestif'. 'Gens de couleur' could own property, such as slaves.
By 1780, Laborie was one of the main settlements in Saint Lucia, supporting the second largest population after Soufriere. The descendents of some of these first settlers still live here including members of the Roland, Joyeux, Alexander and Carasco families.
In October 1780, a devastating hurricane hit Saint Lucia and destroyed most of the buildings and crops on the island. That hurricane, thought to be the worst in Saint Lucia’s recorded history, also swept away the little island in the bay but the Kwéyòl name and identity of Anse Kawet (Bay of the Turtles) is still alive in the culture and lore of the area.
By 1789, the village was renamed Laborie in honor of Baron Jean Zénon André de Véron de Laborie, French Governor of Saint Lucia from 1784 to his death in 1789, for his efforts on behalf of the white residents to reinstate Laborie as a separate parish, and for the restauration of its church.
The village briefly had one other name, ‘La Patriote’, in 1796-7. This was during the turbulent months when the French Revolution reached the Caribbean sea. During that time former slaves/freedom fighters known as ‘nèg mawon’ - Maroons (or Brigands) - along with their French Republican allies, controlled much of Saint Lucia from secret hideouts around the island until the British finally crushed the rebellion and returned the island to slavery for another three decades.
As with many things, this period in time has been viewed very differently depending on the perspective. Some labelled that period "The Reign of Terror", and historian Rev. C. Jesse referred to the Brigands as "slaves, demagogues, virulent Republicans". But historian and author Robert Devaux wrote: "I see the Brigand as a true freedom fighter –a guerrilla warrior- and I would like to convert the derogatory label "Brigand" into an honourable and proud word and, if possible, remove the stigma historians have attached to the "Nèg mawon" ("black maroons") of our story."
Throughout the 1800's and early 1900's daily life in the district didn't see great changes. Most people lived inland, ‘in the country’ on the land where they farmed, and came down into Laborie Village on the weekends for market day and church.
The other main activity revolved around fishing. Many Laborians went abroad in search of education and/or work to destinations such as the UK, Panama, Cayenne and British Guiana, Canada or the United States. Roads were either non-existent or difficult so most travel and commerce to other communities or to the capital of Castries took place by boat.
The Beanfield Air Force Base, an airfield built during the second World War, was staffed with soldiers and airmen from the United States and brought temporarily some employment and prosperity to the Laborie and Vieux Fort arean (the old airfield was enventually transformed, in the 1970's, into Saint Lucia's Hewanorra International airport).
Some of the infrastructures built during that time still survive, such as some concrete pillboxes along the coast between Vieux Fort and Laborie, roads and some buildings. The former public hospital in the south, in Black Bay, was initially built during that time. Yet, by the end of the second World War, Laborie was still not connected to any electricity grid, and neither did it received pipe-borne water.
In the 1950's, United States' Forces based in the Caribbean built a radar station at Morne Le Blanc, in Laborie. In order to supply their radar station, they also built and improved infrastructures, such as improved road access, from Vieux Fort to Laborie, and up to the Morne (the former radar station is now a park, managed by Laborie's ECHO-Lab, and open to all).
By now, while much remain to do, Laborie is a modern village. Most have piped water and electricity, many have cable TV and the Internet. Just like anywhere else in the world, you'll notice many teenagers that can barely be distracted away from there smartphones.
