Profiles: Heroes, Role Models and Pioneers of Trinidad and Tobago - by Nasser Khan

5 Colonial Governors ANTONIO DE BERRIO (1520-1597) T he Spanish governor of Trinidad from 1592 to 1597 during which time he established St. Joseph as our first capital. His son Fernando de Berrio (1578-1622) was the governor of Trinidad from 1597-1612, and 1619-1622 during which time he developed Trinidad’s first overseas trade, supplying Europe with tobacco. JOSE MARIA CHACON (1749-1833) H e was the last Spanish Governor of Trinidad from 1783-1797, who had instructions from Spain to put in place measures for the economic development of Trinidad. His first ten years have been called the Golden Age of Spanish rule in Trinidad where land use was approved for agriculture and the St. Ann’s River diverted (now the Dry River). The protection of slaves was also on his list of ‘to do’. During his rule, Trinidad did well economically and the population increased. RALPH JAMES WOODFORD (1784-1828) T he fifteen years Woodford spent here (1813-1828) is the longest by any of the British Governors. Under him, a number of land reclamations took place and continued after his time. He also bought the abandoned sugar estate, Paradise Estate, that is now the Queen’s Park Savannah and laid it out “for the recreation of the townsfolk and for the pasturage of cattle.” He went to live on the neighbouring Hollandais Estate, which he bought the same year, 1817, renovating the estate house, which he called St Ann’s Cottage. On the