Scrapbook about WWII Jamaican Laborers
1944 – 1946 (Date manufactured/created)
This scrapbook was likely kept by John Milton Burrall who was the Assistant Director of Employee Relations at Scovill Manufacturing Company during WWII in Waterbury, CT. During the war, Scovill petitioned the government to allow them to bring laborers from Jamaica to Waterbury to fill open factory positions. This was not uncommon - several other Waterbury factories did this as well. The scrapbook documents the Jamaican worker's time in Waterbury through correspondence, photographs, and a play that was written by an unidentified worker.
In 1944, 63 Jamaican workers came to Waterbury to work in the Casting Shop, Extruded Rod, East Rolling, and North Rolling Mill. Because it was war time, Scovill was open 24 hours a day and ran 3 shifts. Jamaican workers were assigned to all 3 shifts - though largely the first and second shift. On February 6, 1945 the following men arrived in New Jersey and were sent to Waterbury for working in Scovill: Percival Samulels, Leslie Crawford, Alfred Riley, Justin Rose, Horace Wallace, Willie Courtney, John Tomlin, Winston Artry, Gilbert Smith, William Hendricks, Zephaniah Passley, Bertram Barnett, Felix Guthriv, Ernest Johnson, Harry Goodall, Euan Purcell, Leslie Holgate, Archibald Knight, Cyprian Davis, Hayden Lyons, Joseph Whervin, Sydney Burgher, Levi Esson, Sherman Brown, Aston Bryan, Terrence Brown, Lester Morgan, Benjamin Williams, Dudley Carvalho, Robert Davis, Stanford Hernandez, Leonard Lee, Wellesley Strachn, Neville Aldridge, Gerald Harris, Noel Reid, Leonard Morgan, Lorenzo Jones, Sydney Downes, Stanford Sammon, Louis Jacobs, Frederick Montague, Alexander Lazarus, Alexander Francis, Orrel Douglas, Claude Maitland, George Anderson, William Brown, Zephaniah Williams, Roy Davis, Leslie Sutherland, Estiman Clue, Lindon White, John Shepard, Ivan Wallen, Leonard Gay, Daniel Thompson, Verley Valentine, George Grossett, Harold Gorman, and Ivan Graham. The men each worked 48 hour weeks.
While there is a general narrative of Waterbury being a harmonious melting pot of various ethnicities during this time period - this scrapbook challenges that narrative. The Jamaican workers were not allowed to live in Waterbury's apartments after members of the community complained. They could only live in Scovill housing - in Meriden- which was bunk house style. The company housing only allowed guests on Sundays, and room and board was docked from their pay. The workers were given heavy lifting and dangerous jobs that could not be filled by Waterburians. In order to get to the factory, they had to take a bus which was often not on time, which they got docked for. They were not given access to adequate food or clothing. All of their meals were given to them - they had very little control over their lives. Clothing could also be purchased through Scovill - again, docking their pay. Complaints raised by the workers were dismissed and very few workers continued to work at Scovill after their first contract ended due to these concerns.
In the play that was written by an unknown Jamaican worker, the final scene is set in 1995 and the 3 Scovill administrators Burrall, Rockwell, and Jarvis arrive in Jamaica to visit their "friends." It's alluded that the workers murder them - their screams are the ending.
In 1944, 63 Jamaican workers came to Waterbury to work in the Casting Shop, Extruded Rod, East Rolling, and North Rolling Mill. Because it was war time, Scovill was open 24 hours a day and ran 3 shifts. Jamaican workers were assigned to all 3 shifts - though largely the first and second shift. On February 6, 1945 the following men arrived in New Jersey and were sent to Waterbury for working in Scovill: Percival Samulels, Leslie Crawford, Alfred Riley, Justin Rose, Horace Wallace, Willie Courtney, John Tomlin, Winston Artry, Gilbert Smith, William Hendricks, Zephaniah Passley, Bertram Barnett, Felix Guthriv, Ernest Johnson, Harry Goodall, Euan Purcell, Leslie Holgate, Archibald Knight, Cyprian Davis, Hayden Lyons, Joseph Whervin, Sydney Burgher, Levi Esson, Sherman Brown, Aston Bryan, Terrence Brown, Lester Morgan, Benjamin Williams, Dudley Carvalho, Robert Davis, Stanford Hernandez, Leonard Lee, Wellesley Strachn, Neville Aldridge, Gerald Harris, Noel Reid, Leonard Morgan, Lorenzo Jones, Sydney Downes, Stanford Sammon, Louis Jacobs, Frederick Montague, Alexander Lazarus, Alexander Francis, Orrel Douglas, Claude Maitland, George Anderson, William Brown, Zephaniah Williams, Roy Davis, Leslie Sutherland, Estiman Clue, Lindon White, John Shepard, Ivan Wallen, Leonard Gay, Daniel Thompson, Verley Valentine, George Grossett, Harold Gorman, and Ivan Graham. The men each worked 48 hour weeks.
While there is a general narrative of Waterbury being a harmonious melting pot of various ethnicities during this time period - this scrapbook challenges that narrative. The Jamaican workers were not allowed to live in Waterbury's apartments after members of the community complained. They could only live in Scovill housing - in Meriden- which was bunk house style. The company housing only allowed guests on Sundays, and room and board was docked from their pay. The workers were given heavy lifting and dangerous jobs that could not be filled by Waterburians. In order to get to the factory, they had to take a bus which was often not on time, which they got docked for. They were not given access to adequate food or clothing. All of their meals were given to them - they had very little control over their lives. Clothing could also be purchased through Scovill - again, docking their pay. Complaints raised by the workers were dismissed and very few workers continued to work at Scovill after their first contract ended due to these concerns.
In the play that was written by an unknown Jamaican worker, the final scene is set in 1995 and the 3 Scovill administrators Burrall, Rockwell, and Jarvis arrive in Jamaica to visit their "friends." It's alluded that the workers murder them - their screams are the ending.
Scrapbook Collection. M-38. Max R. Traurig Library and Archive, Mattatuck Museum.
M38.Scovill.002