Lillian ‘Lilli’ Azevedo, Jack Kent Cooke Graduate Scholar and archaeologist, has been living on Anguilla since 2009. Her PhD thesis on heritage and heritage management in Anguilla at the University of Southampton will be submitted in May 2012 and her current headquarters are at the Anguilla Heritage Trail Headquarters at Historic Wallblake House in The Valley. During her time onAnguilla, she has led an underwater archaeological survey to identify historic shipwrecks (2009) and spearheaded the Anguilla Heritage Trail (2010).
The following article is the first in a series which showcases Anguilla’s heritage, arranged by topic. We begin our journey into the past with the ‘Sea.’
‘The Sea is in our blood’
From the earliest Amerindians to the present and into the future, the sea has definedAnguilla, enabling life to continue where it would otherwise be impossible. From maritime industries including salt picking and fishing to transportation, trade and tourism,Anguillahas come to rely on the sea when other industries failed. Today, the sea is celebrated in festivals and celebrations, including Festival del Mar inIslandHarbourand August Monday in Sandy Ground. The sea is a natural part of life onAnguillaand, until recently, fish the dominant protein. Anguillians have an undeniable and intangible connection with the ocean. As more than one Anguillian explains ‘The sea is in our blood’.
Surrounded by reefs, poorly charted and sitting close to the Anegada Passage,Anguillacan boast a surprising number of shipwrecks. The descendants in Island Harbour trace their roots to an Irish ship, perhaps named The Lepricon. In the early 1700s the survivors (including the ship’s dachshund) allegedly settled in Island Harbour and East End. Today, theIsland’s Harrigans and Websters trace their ancestry here although, unfortunately, no primary sources survive. Other recorded wrecks include Spanish merchant ships, an English slaver, American and Canadian traders, and more than two dozen named ships. Maritime archaeologists believe that Anguilla has a likely resource of 100-150 shipwrecks, with many more around Sombrero and the off-lying cays.
In addition to these accidental shipwrecks, nine artificial reefs were created in 1990 to provide underwater fish habitats and clear several unsightly hulks from Anguilla’s coast. While Anguilla does not have any laws preventing the exploration of shipwrecks by divers, it is illegal to sell or take artefacts off-island.
Next about the Sea: Artificial Reefs, Marine Archaeology, Treasure Hunting. Lillian’s work has been possible through support by the Government of Anguilla and Non-Governmental Organizations including the Anguilla National Trust and the Anguilla Archaeological and Historical Society.
