Claudette enjoys sharing new stories about our heritage and culture. Discover a glimpse into Barbadian heritage in the articles below.
Latest articles
- THE 1823 DESTRUCTION OF THE HOUSE OF GOD IN BRIDGETOWN
In the year 1823, the horrific story of religious intolerance against the Methodist congregation, played out on consecutive Sunday evenings across a three-week period over October 5th, 12th, and 19th. The situation concluded on Sunday evening October 19th with the total destruction of the Methodist Chapel at Chapel Street in the capital of Bridgetown. The… Read more: THE 1823 DESTRUCTION OF THE HOUSE OF GOD IN BRIDGETOWN - THE TRAGIC STORY OF REYNOLD ALLEYNE ELLCOCK
A brutal, sinister plot of crime and violence reared its ugly head in Barbados in the year 1821, when at Mount Wilton Plantation in the parish of St. Thomas, the owner Reynold Alleyne Ellcock was viciously murdered. The horror of this murder was described in the newspapers of the day as, “barbarous … unparalleled in… Read more: THE TRAGIC STORY OF REYNOLD ALLEYNE ELLCOCK - HURRICANE JANET: A TIME TO REMEMBER – September 22, 1955
Hurricanes, hurricanes, hurricanes – These systems are the norm for the Caribbean and are known to beat a seasonal track across the Atlantic Ocean during the months of June to November. The path of these events usually span the Caribbean region from the Greater Antilles in the area of Jamaica, south to the islands of… Read more: HURRICANE JANET: A TIME TO REMEMBER – September 22, 1955 - ‘SEASON OF EMANCIPATION’
August is the month in which we celebrate the ‘Season of Emancipation.’ This season encompasses the end of chattel slavery in the year 1838 and the traditional end of the crop festivities. The British colonization of Barbados instituted chattel slavery to satisfy the need for a large labour source, which was paramount to the cultivation,… Read more: ‘SEASON OF EMANCIPATION’ - THE BARBADOS – LIBERIA CONNECTION: THE RETURN
During the past week of May 7th – 12th 2024, Barbados hosted and welcomed home a contingent of Liberians for a time of celebration and exchange, in honour of the shared ancestral past. It was a poignant, soul-searching, reflective time as people conversed with each other, explored the island, engaged with the stories, embraced the… Read more: THE BARBADOS – LIBERIA CONNECTION: THE RETURN
“Hello, I’m Claudette Levi-Farnum, a trained Historian and your tour guide at Discover Heritage Tours.”
Starting in Secondary School I’ve always had a love for history and storytelling and so I read and learned history facts as stories. This love led me to pursue a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and History and a Master of Arts in History from the University of the West Indies at Cave Hill campus in Barbados.
Today, in the delivery of the history of Barbados, I still combine my love for history and storytelling, conveying historical information in story form, spiked with a little drama. This makes it exciting and very palatable.
My goal in forming Discover Heritage Tours is to acquaint Barbadians and the world one tour at a time, about the rich history of our island home Barbados. I also look forward to engaging young Barbadian minds to impress on them the knowledge and pride of this country and its vast ancestral heritage.