New episodes: House on James Street

Before Sarah Ann Gill became a National Hero, she was a free woman in Bridgetown — navigating a society built on the brutal logic of slavery. In this episode, we step into her world to explore the precarious, complex lives of free coloured women in early 19th-century Barbados.The late historian Professor Pedro Welch unpacked the strategies these women — tavern owners, property holders, and political actors—used to carve out autonomy in a discriminatory society. From the political courage of Alexander Gill’s 1811 petition to the extraordinary, behind-the-scenes influence of Betty Goodwin in the Governor’s residence, we examine how wealth, negotiation, and survival paved the way for Sarah Ann Gill’s future defiance.House on James Street - a radio documentary series only on Radio Bimshire - explores the contradictions of love, power, and property — and set the stage for the moment one house on James Street would change history.Produced and presented by Julius Gittens