As hard as it may be to believe, even the party-hardened islanders of Trinidad need to take a break from life in a tropical paradise.These days that means jetting off to our sister island, Tobago. Over a century ago, Tobago had not as yet even realised its own tourism potential and was still an agrarian economy of failing sugar estates and small peasant food-crop farmer-fishermen.Thus, for the ideal escape, there were the Islands. These were known as the "Five Islands" (actually six) just off the Port-of-Spain Harbour: Nelson, Rock, Craig, Lenagan, Caledonia and Pelican.Nelson's island was a quarantine depot for the thousands of indentured Indian labourers who began arriving in the colony as a workforce for the sugar plantations in 1845, but the others were largely holiday resorts.Daniel Hart describes them in 1865 as follows:"These are situated about six miles west of Port-of-Spain, and about two miles from the village of Carenage on the North shore, one-and-a-half mile from Hart's Cut, and a similar distance from the island of Gasparillo to the westward. They originally belonged to the Crown, but a few years ago grants of them were made to different persons; the first being that now called 'Caledonia,' but whose original name was Marlin Spike Hall which was granted to the late Lieut Herbert Mackworth, RN, then Marshal of Trinidad. The second is that known as Lenagan's Island; the third, now Stevenson's, was first granted to Doctor Thomas Neilson who gave it the name of 'Bel Air'; the fourth is the 'Pelican Island,' and was granted to C Hobson, but belongs now to Revell; the fifth is the 'Rock' granted to TF Johnston, who disposed of it to Dr R Mercer, and the latter made it a present to Master Thomas Laughlin, to whom it now belongs."The 'Craig' is part and parcel of 'Caledonia,' a narrow separation having of late been made by the sea. The dwelling house stands on a large rock which formed the West part of the island. At the departure of Lieut Mackworth from the island, Marlin Spike Hall was purchased by the late Mr Caldwell who gave it the name of Caledonia, and sometime after he built the Craig for his own private use."
Honeymooners in particular found the islands to be suited to newfound matrimonial happiness since the holiday homes on these rocky outcrops were often booked far in advance of nuptials. Thus even the great Lord Harris (governor of Trinidad 1846-53) chose these islands as the place to be with his young bride Sarah, the daughter of Archdeacon Cummins and from an old, established family of gentry. The house where Lord Harris spent his honeymoon (Sarah died after the birth of their second child in 1853, less than three years after her marriage) can still be seen and was mentioned by Hart in the continuation of his 1865 account."There are dwelling houses on the Craig, Pelican, Lenagan's, the Rock and Stevenson's; the latter is the most commodious and roomy. The original dwelling house on Caledonia (in which Lord Harris passed his honeymoon) having been permitted to fall to decay, no other house has since been erected. Caledonia is about 100 yards from Pelican, 40 yards from Lenagan's and 300 yards from the Stevenson's and the Rock. These islands are frequently resorted to (especially by newly married couples) for seabathing and the sea air."
Not only were these islets in vogue with newlyweds but even more so with the wealthier families of the colony who could afford the rentals and also the considerable subsidiary expenses of transportation, food and entertainment. So popular were these islands that they became known as the "Brighton of Trinidad."A holiday on the islands required basically all the necessities of life to be provided by the holiday-makers. Hams, live poultry to slaughter, fresh produce, 300lb cakes ice-bagged in tubs of sawdust, cases of soda water and sometimes even a cow to provide milk for young children were taken along.Of course the uppercrust of the islands alone were the vacationers, who often took along an army of servants to see to their needs.Though occasionally used for recreational purposes right into the 1940s and 1950s, the once vibrant resort buildings of the Five Islands are now largely abandoned to ruin, a sad and silent memorial of a happier time long since vanished.