Jewish Settlers in Nevis

 In our tour of Nevis, our guide took us to the Jewish Cemetery in Nevis. Apparently in the 1700s, the people of Nevis started up the sugar plantations. Well, the best people to set these up were Jewish people who had settled in Brazil and had experience. Whether this is a convenient fiction or not is anyone guess.

Our guide told us that the Jewish fled Spain during the inquisition. Cut one smart-ass guy said that wasn't when the inquisition was. I looked it up and the Spanish inquisition actually began in the 1480s. He was incorrect.

But melding these two stories together, I think I have it. These were probably Jews from Portugal.  fThe start of the Portuguese Inquisition was set up by the Pope in 1536. This would make that entire immigration of Jewish people to Brazil make sense.

One of the gravestones with both English and Hebrew. And yes some were in Portuguese.

See, Portuguese

Next onto the buildings. Their houses all followed a style that this new building has. PER THE GUIDE (which I think might have made up stories like my dad), they were brick on the bottom to guard against storms.

But then there are earthquakes, and the a second stone story crushes you. So on top of that they built a wooden second floor.

So if the storm is coming, head downstairs. If it is an earthquake, bun upstairs (because outside is, what, too far?).

Like I said, the more I listened to the guide the funnier and more full of shit he was.

Now I question if this really was where Hamilton lived.