1971 was the year I, Shirley, my late husband Donald Frederick, my son Mark and my daughter Claudia moved from Paget Parish to “Cedarwylde” Hamilton Parish. The farm on Radnor Road was owned by Mr. Leander Borden Hollis. Borden ran a cassava business and he was looking for tenants or an assistant to help him as he had lost one leg to diabetes. A friend had told Fred of this farm, so off we went.
Borden hired numerous men and women of Hamilton Parish to help with the great task of producing fresh cassava root. Our family got to know many hard working men and women of Hamilton Parish and they made us feel so welcomed and some became as close as family. The house was the perfect place to accommodate our family of four, our horses, donkey, dogs, cats, goats etc.
In 1977 Fred purchased the farm from Borden. We started renovations in the kitchen as Borden had told us the fire place and coal bread oven had been plastered over. Soon new brick was put up and we were excited to find the original coals still in the bread oven.
Borden passed peacefully in his sleep in 1978 in his 88th year and sadly he didn’t get to see the renovations. 1989 we asked Doris, Borden’s sister-in-law, to come to our home and have a fire lightning ceremony.
Sharing family and home history we can also recognize 400 years of our Stailey Home. In 1897 a gentleman from Hamilton Parish purchased house and land from a sea Captain; we know the Captain lived here for many years. In 1939 Thaddeus Adolphus Hollis, Borden’s father, became the new owner. Stories told and registered Deeds, we can say in a span of 400 years there have only been five owners of this property. My grown children and I still reside at “Cedarwylde”
Fred purchased a family grave from the Holy Trinity Church as Borden did many years before.I find peace that both my late husband Donald Frederick Stailey and Leander Borden Hollis were both laid to rest at this magnificent church.
