Alexander Bedward

**Alexander Bedward** (born 1848 insyd Saint Andrew Parish, north of Kingston, Jamaica - he die 8 November 1930) na he be de founder of Bedwardism. Na he be one of de most successful preachers of Jamaican Revivalism. Along plus Joseph Robert Love, na Bedward be one of de forerunners of Marcus Garvey den ein brand of pan-Africanism.

## Early life

Insyd ein twenties, na Bedward work on de construction of de Panama Canal. Na Jamaican labourers be subjected to harsh working conditions, before dem be boarded up at night insyd shoddy, disease-ridden shacks. Insyd addition, na dem dey pay white American workers significantly more dan dema black counterparts. Na dis experience go get a profound effect on Bedward ein later life.

Na Bedward get charisma, an acute sense of theatre, a scorching sense of injustice, den unshakeable faith insyd de righteousness of ein words den deeds.

## Native Baptist Preacher

After he spend time insyd Panama, he returned to Jamaica wey na dem baptized am by a local Baptist preacher. Na he no be no merely leader of a Revival branch buh he cam be of a new movement, de Bedwardites. Na white den mixed-race Jamaicans worry about de African influences on dese Native Baptist interpretations of Christianity.

Insyd de 1880s, na he start dey gather large groups of followers by conducting services wich na include reports of mass healings. Na he identify einself plus Paul Bogle, de Baptist leader of de Morant Bay rebellion, wey na he stress de need for changes to de inequalities insyd race relations insyd Jamaican society. Na he reportedly say: “Brethren! Hell go be your position if you no rise up den crush de white man. De time dey cam! Der be a white wall den a black wall. Wey na de white wall dey close around de black wall: buh now de black wall cam turn bigger dan de white.”

Na chaw Afro-Jamaican Christian churches spring up insyd de aftermath of Emancipation. Insyd 1889, na Bedward cam be de leader of one of dem, de Jamaica Native Baptist Free Church. Na he minister to ein flock by Hope River, wey na ein congregation grow large den thrive. Na he warn dat na de government of de Colony of Jamaica dey pass laws make dem oppress black people, wey na dem dey rob dem of dema money den dema bread.

By 1894, na de Native Baptist Free Church so dey thrive dat na ebe able to commission a temple on de banks of de river, a confirmation insyd stone den slate dat na de Great Revival produce genuine competition to de traditional centres of community power.

Insyd 1895, na dem arrest Bedward for sedition, buh na critics within de government succeed in dem have am sectioned insyd a mental asylum. Plus de help of a sympathetic lawyer, na Bedward secure ein freedom. On release na he continue ein role as a Revival healer den preacher. Na he urge ein followers to be self-sufficient den for ein height na de movement gather about 30,000 followers. Na he tell ein followers to sell dema possessions wey dey include owned land den give am all de profits. Na sam of dese followers do just dat.

Over de next quarter century, na Bedward cam be an antiestablishment hero, wey dey preach a message of black power. Na de crowds at Hope River grow larger, wey na de increasing numbers commit to ein regime of fasting den temperance. Na events such as de First World War fit into ein message say na God dey punish dr white Western world for hundreds of years of avarice, corruption den brutality.

## Ascension claim den later life

Later, na Bedward proclaim say he be a reincarnation of Jesus den dat, like Elijah, he go ascend into Heaven insyd a flaming chariot. Na he then expect make he rain down fire on those wey na dem no follow am, destroying de whole world. Na he den 800 followers march into Kingston "to do battle plus ein enemies."

On New Year's Eve, insyd 1920, now an older man, na Bedward tell ein followers dat na de Lord call am make he fly up to Heaven. Na he promise ein followers ein ascent go hasten de Rapture; before na de sun go set, he go be gone, wey dem go be free.

Na dem report say na thousands of ein followers den critics turn up to see if na ein ascension go occur. Na he take to ein chariot—a chair dem balance insyd a tree—wey na he declare say na ein ascension go occur at ten o'clock dat morning. Na he later revise de time of ein ascension to three insyd de afternoon den ten insyd de evening. Na no ascension take place.

Eventually, na he climb down from de tree wey na he go home. Na ein supporters be disappointed, buh na critics react plus glee wey na dem ridicule am.

Insyd 1921, na dem arrest Bedward den ein followers, wey na dem send go a mental asylum for de second time, wer na he remain to de end of ein life. Insyd 1930, na he die insyd ein cell from natural causes.

## Legacy den Garveyism

Na ein contemporary, Robert Love, de inspirational advocate of racial uplift via education den political engagement, always think Bedward be nothing more dan a skilled showman wey na a hysterical establishment manage to turn am into a martyr.

Na Bedwardism plant a seed from wich a culture of racial consciousness grow, wey na e found ein most emphatic form insyd Marcus Garvey den ein Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA). Plus Garvey ein rise to prominence insyd de 1910s, na Bedward cam be convinced say na God only ever intend for am to be one of a sequence of prophets rada dan a messiah — Aaron to Garvey ein Moses be how na he term am — dey pave de way for de younger man to deliver ein people into de Promised Land. Na he lead ein followers into Garveyism by finding de charismatic metaphor: one de high priest, de oda prophet, both dey lead de kiddies of Israel out of exile.

Na ein impact be say chaw of ein followers cam be Garveyites den Rastafari, wey dey bring plus dem de experience of resisting de system den dey demand changes of de colonial oppression den de white oppression. Na Rastafari take de idea of Garvey as a prophet, while dem sanso dey cast am insyd de role of John the Baptist, by virtue of ein "voice insyd de wilderness" call wey dem take as heralding dema expected Messiah, "Look to Africa wer na dem go crown a black king."

Na Kei Miller wrep a novel about Bedward he entitle *Augustown*, dem publish insyd Britain insyd 2016.

Na one of de followers of Bedwardism be Robert Hinds, de second-in-command to Leonard Howell ein nascent Rastafari.

## Songs

Bedward be mentioned insyd an early Trinidadian recording of Jamaican mento classic Sly Mongoose by Sam Manning, wey record am insyd December 1925 for de Okeh label (na de song be recorded by chaw artists plus lyrics wey dey change).  He be mentioned insyd Jamaican reggae artist Etana's "I Am Not Afraid." He sanso be mentioned insyd de Jamaican folk classic "Dip Dem," wich na be recorded by Louise Bennett for ein 1954 album *Jamaican Folk Songs*. De famous refrain from de Jamaican folk went: “*Dip dem, Bedward, dip dem / Dip dem in the healing stream / Dip dem deep, but not too deep / dip dem fi cure bad feeling*.”

"*Bedward the Flying Preacher*" by Singers & Players wey dey feature Prince Far I dey appear on de 1983 album *Staggering Heights*, den de 1985 compilation *Pay It All Back Vol. 1*, both on Britain ein On-U Sound label.  Na dis sanso be released as a 7" single on de On-U Sound offshoot Sound Boy insyd 2003, dem credit to Prince Far I, plus a dub version on de B-side. Na Prince Pompadoe release a 7" 45 dem call "Dip them Bedward" wey dem issue insyd Jamaica on de Prophet label insyd 1976 wey na dem reissue on de UK ein Pressure Sounds record label. Na de song be produced by Vivian 'Yabby You' Jackson. Na dem reissue am on de CD Deeper Roots, a compilation of Yabby You productions.

Na Jamaican singer Paul Hamilton sanso release a 45' dem entitle "Who Say Bedward Fly?"

## References


## External links

* Jack A. Johnson- Hill, *I-Sight: the world of Rastafari: An Interpretive Sociological Account of Rastafarian Ethics*, Scarecrow Press, London (1995)
* Barry Chevannes, *Rastafari : roots and ideology*, Syracuse Univ. Press, New York (1994)
* ''Rise Up: Alexander Bedward’s mythical powers of flight.''
* ''Ahead of their Time'' www.jamaicans.com