Cyrus Prudhomme David facts for kids

Cyrus Prudhomme David (1867–1923) was an important lawyer and reformer from Trinidad and Tobago. He was born in Cedros and later studied at Queen's Royal College in Port of Spain. David was one of the first non-white students to win a special scholarship, which allowed him to study law in Britain.

After becoming a lawyer in 1889, David returned to Trinidad. There, he practiced law and became a key member of the Legislative Reform Committee. He later joined the Legislative Council, where he worked to improve local government and opposed the system of bringing in workers from India.

Growing Up and Learning

Cyrus David was born in Cedros, in southwest Trinidad, in November 1867. When he was young, an author named John Jacob Thomas became his mentor. Thomas took David with him to Port of Spain, where David started attending Queen's Royal College in 1882.

In 1885, David won an "Island Scholarship." This was a special award that allowed him to continue his education abroad. At that time, only four such scholarships were given out each year. Very few non-white students had received this scholarship before David. He traveled to Britain and studied law at Gray's Inn. He became a lawyer in 1889 and then came back to Trinidad to work.

Working for Change

After returning from Britain, David became involved with the Legislative Reform Committee. This group wanted the government to be elected by the people. David served as the secretary of this organization between 1892 and 1895.

At this time, some British officials, like James Anthony Froude and Joseph Chamberlain, believed that people in the West Indies, especially non-white people, were not able to govern themselves. These ideas made it harder for local people to have a say in their own government.

In 1898, the government changed the Legislative Council. This change gave more power to officials who were appointed by the government, rather than to local citizens. In 1899, the elected Port of Spain Borough Council was even replaced by a board whose members were appointed.

David and other young lawyers, like Emmanuel Mzumbo Lazare and Edgar Maresse-Smith, fought against these changes. In 1902, David wrote that if Britain only saw its colonies as places to get resources, then any show of loyalty from the people there was "a hollow mockery."

In 1903, a plan to install water meters and raise water prices led to the 1903 Water Riots. During these riots, several people died, and the Red House, which was the government building, burned down. After the riots, a special committee suggested that the government should appoint more Black people to important positions.

The governor, Cornelius Alfred Moloney, suggested David for a judge's position in Couva. He described David as a respected lawyer with strong character. However, officials in Britain disagreed. They felt it was wrong to appoint another Black man to a legal job, since the Attorney General, Vincent Brown, was already Black.

Joining the Legislative Council

Even though David was not appointed as a judge, Governor Moloney successfully appointed him as a member of the Legislative Council in 1904. This appointment was also seen as a way for the British Colonial Office to make up for not giving David the judge's job earlier.

On the Legislative Council, David played an important role. He spoke out about the system of bringing in workers from India and pushed for local government reform.

Indian Indentureship

David was against the system of bringing in workers from India, known as indentured labor. He believed this system caused wages to be very low for local workers. Even though only a few large sugar plantation owners benefited from this system, the government paid for one-third of the cost of bringing in these workers.

In a council debate in 1904, David pointed out that while sugar planters claimed there was a shortage of workers, other industries did not have this problem. David suggested that the sugar planters should pay the full cost of bringing in workers themselves. Or, he said, the government money should be given to all planters so they could pay higher wages to their workers. David did not get much support for his ideas on the council. However, he continued to campaign against the government paying for indentured labor until he left the council in 1911.

Later Life

David remained on the Legislative Council until 1911. That year, he was appointed Commissioner of the Port of Spain Petty Civil Court. In 1920, he resigned from his government job due to health reasons. Cyrus David passed away in October 1923.

Legacy

When his mentor, John Jacob Thomas, died in England in 1889 without much money, David helped make sure he received a proper burial. This act showed how David and a younger generation of legal activists were taking over from Thomas in the fight for justice.

David was a reformer who worked to represent the interests of the Black population. However, some historians believe that David and other reformers did not fully connect with the working class. This was partly because they sometimes saw working-class people as "irresponsible" or "uneducated."

David himself was educated in a system that focused on European culture. He often spoke about the importance of British culture in Trinidad. He believed that aspects of African and Asian culture should be replaced with British ways.

David also mentored Charles Henry Pierre, who later became the mayor of Port of Spain in the 1920s. Pierre was also one of the first people elected to the Legislative Council in 1925.