Susan Agnes Bernard
'She was known as a lady of charming personality, with a courageous and happy disposition. She had the faculty of making and holding friendships, and was a true helpmeet to her husband.'
Until 2006 I had never heard of Susan Agnes Bernard, or Baroness Macdonald of Earnscliffe, let alone that she had any connection with Jamaica. Then I read a most curious item in a Gleaner from 1892, and 'the game was afoot'. Who was 'Monkey' Bernard and how had his daughter come to be Baroness Macdonald of Earnscliffe?
Daily Gleaner, June 22, 1892
A Queer Jamaica Story
AS TOLD BY AN EX-PLANTER
I was talking with an old West Indian planter, a man not long past his threescore years and ten who left Jamaica somewhere in the 50's says a writer in the Louisville Commercial, (U S A)
"I see," said he,"that there is some talk of raising Sir John McDonald's widow to the peerage If it should prove true she will be the first native West Indian to come in for such an honor, at least in a great number of years. Indeed, I do not remember that the thing has ever happened before, although Cowan [Cowen], the composer who received a baronetcy some time ago was, like Lady McDonald, a native of Jamaica.
" Yes," he continued " I remember her father well “Monkey Bernard” they used to call him, and probably no white man except Charles Darwin himself the apostle of the monkey ancestral gospel, ever more closely resembled an ape in the face.
"There was a young buck, however, who had a narrow escape from paying early for his laugh at Bernard's physiognomy.
"John X (that was not his name, but it will do as well as any other), was walking along Port Royal street, Kingston, one fine morning, when a crowd of idle Negroes attracted his attention. The centre of amusement proved to be a good sized ape which a Spanish sailor held by a rope fastened around his body.
" X was at once struck by the likeness - so he told me afterwards - to Bernard, and the result was that he then and there handed over two gold doubloons to the sailor and became the proprietor of this living caricature.
"Bernard was a large planter and a man of some wealth, and held a major's commission in the Jamaica militia. The fates so willed it that there was a grand inspection of the militia appointed to be held within a few weeks after the zoological investment of X's , and the father of the mischief prompted him to avail himself of the occasion for an act of the most outrageous devilment.
"He had the ape fitted with a complete suit of regimentals, as worn by the major in the Jamaica militia, bought a little tin sword, and spent hours in training the brute to walk upright with the drawn sword in his right hand.
A Queer Jamaica Story
AS TOLD BY AN EX-PLANTER
I was talking with an old West Indian planter, a man not long past his threescore years and ten who left Jamaica somewhere in the 50's says a writer in the Louisville Commercial, (U S A)
"I see," said he,"that there is some talk of raising Sir John McDonald's widow to the peerage If it should prove true she will be the first native West Indian to come in for such an honor, at least in a great number of years. Indeed, I do not remember that the thing has ever happened before, although Cowan [Cowen], the composer who received a baronetcy some time ago was, like Lady McDonald, a native of Jamaica.
" Yes," he continued " I remember her father well “Monkey Bernard” they used to call him, and probably no white man except Charles Darwin himself the apostle of the monkey ancestral gospel, ever more closely resembled an ape in the face.
"There was a young buck, however, who had a narrow escape from paying early for his laugh at Bernard's physiognomy.
"John X (that was not his name, but it will do as well as any other), was walking along Port Royal street, Kingston, one fine morning, when a crowd of idle Negroes attracted his attention. The centre of amusement proved to be a good sized ape which a Spanish sailor held by a rope fastened around his body.
" X was at once struck by the likeness - so he told me afterwards - to Bernard, and the result was that he then and there handed over two gold doubloons to the sailor and became the proprietor of this living caricature.
"Bernard was a large planter and a man of some wealth, and held a major's commission in the Jamaica militia. The fates so willed it that there was a grand inspection of the militia appointed to be held within a few weeks after the zoological investment of X's , and the father of the mischief prompted him to avail himself of the occasion for an act of the most outrageous devilment.
"He had the ape fitted with a complete suit of regimentals, as worn by the major in the Jamaica militia, bought a little tin sword, and spent hours in training the brute to walk upright with the drawn sword in his right hand.
The secret was well kept until the day of the review. Crowd of negroes surrounded the race course just outside of Kingston, where the troops were to march past. Presently Bernard’s regiment marched on the ground and wheeled into line. At the same moment there was a shout from hundreds of lusty negro throats, Lookoo, Monkey Bernard and X 's ape, brilliant in scarlet and white, with its tin sword well shouldered, strutted out towards the ranks.
I suppose that, with the exception of Bernard himself, there was not a man on that ground who was not convulsed with laughter The military evolutions had to wait until the ape had been captured by X's groom.
The duel had not quite gone out of fashion in those days, or, at any rate, not in Jamaica. Of course apology would have been ridiculous, so X had to accept Bernard's challenge, The weapon, as was usual with us, was the old-fashioned single barrelled duelling pistol. The principal had the right of reserving their fire - that is, though they might not fire until the word was given, either of them might take time after the word was given to aim more deliberately.
X was an accomplished duellist, but I suppose he saw the enormity of first laboriously insulting an unoffending man and then shooting him. Otherwise I can’t account for his missing Bernard as he did, for, if I remember right, the distance was only twenty paces.
Bernard reserved his fire. Then, with his pistol still pointing to the ground, he said to X. who was quietly awaiting the event "Young man, I am not going to take your life, but I will teach you what I could do if I felt inclined."
X was standing close to a tree on which a ripe lime fruit hung within a yard of his head. Bernard raised his pistol and with the bullet cut that fruit from the branch it hung on.
If any one ever deserved to bear the motto, Handsome is that handsome does, it was Monkey Bernard, and I think from and after that day he and all his family ought to have been proud of his nickname.
What became of the ape ? I asked.
"I forget what befel that famous ape" said my old friend, but the pistols they used - a pair - have found their way, I believe, like Bernard's daughter, to Canada."
I suppose that, with the exception of Bernard himself, there was not a man on that ground who was not convulsed with laughter The military evolutions had to wait until the ape had been captured by X's groom.
The duel had not quite gone out of fashion in those days, or, at any rate, not in Jamaica. Of course apology would have been ridiculous, so X had to accept Bernard's challenge, The weapon, as was usual with us, was the old-fashioned single barrelled duelling pistol. The principal had the right of reserving their fire - that is, though they might not fire until the word was given, either of them might take time after the word was given to aim more deliberately.
X was an accomplished duellist, but I suppose he saw the enormity of first laboriously insulting an unoffending man and then shooting him. Otherwise I can’t account for his missing Bernard as he did, for, if I remember right, the distance was only twenty paces.
Bernard reserved his fire. Then, with his pistol still pointing to the ground, he said to X. who was quietly awaiting the event "Young man, I am not going to take your life, but I will teach you what I could do if I felt inclined."
X was standing close to a tree on which a ripe lime fruit hung within a yard of his head. Bernard raised his pistol and with the bullet cut that fruit from the branch it hung on.
If any one ever deserved to bear the motto, Handsome is that handsome does, it was Monkey Bernard, and I think from and after that day he and all his family ought to have been proud of his nickname.
What became of the ape ? I asked.
"I forget what befel that famous ape" said my old friend, but the pistols they used - a pair - have found their way, I believe, like Bernard's daughter, to Canada."
I soon discovered that Canada knew quite a bit about the story, and Jamaica practically nothing. With invaluable help from the Internet, and some inexpensive purchases from Amazon, I have been able to get a reasonable idea of what is indeed a very remarkable story.