Sir Alexander Bustamante, K.B., O.N.H., Ll.D (Hon.)
Alexander Bustamante was born William Alexander Clarke, in Blenheim, Hanover, on February 24, 1884. His parents were Robert Clarke, an Irish-descended book-keeper and Mary Clarke, nee Wilson, a small farmer. Poverty ruled out any significant amount of schooling for this young man. Very early, after completing primary school at Cacoon, William started to work as a Clerk under Alexander James, grandfather to P. J. (Percival James) Patterson.
In 1905 he travelled across Latin America and the Mediterranean, beginning at that point his trade union involvement. When he returned to Jamaica in 1934, he had a new name: Alejandro Bustamante. That name, however, was in 1944 changed to Alexander Bustamante by way of deed poll.
Between 1934 and 1938, Sir Alexander Bustamante swamped the press with letters denouncing the social conditions of Jamaica and demanded a better deal for poor and under-privileged people. In 1937, he became treasurer of the Jamaica Workers and Tradesmen's Union, led by future legislator, Allan George St. Claver Coombs.
In 1938, there were stages of unrest in Kingston as angry workers who began to follow Bustamante took to various strike actions. These incidents culminated into Bustamante, on May 24, being refused permission to stage any meeting in Kingston. Later that same afternoon he and Sir William Grant were arrested and charged with inciting people to unlawful assembly. They were sent to jail without bail and a state of emergency was declared by the Governor.
In September 8, 1940 Bustamante entered detention camp where he spent the next 17 months. On his release he resumed full control of his Union and continued to organize labour. On July 8, 1943, he launched the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), while holding a meeting at the Ward Theatre in Kingston.
Shortly after the passage of universal adult suffrage in May 1944, Bustamante took the young JLP to the general elections where the Party won 22 of the 32 seats. In 1949, Governor Sir Hugh foot put forward proposals which meant slight advances in self rule. Bustamante accepted these proposals. The JLP won the elections of that year for the second time. By 1953 Bustamante was named Chief Minister.
Sir Alexander Bustamante became the first Prime Minister of Jamaica in 1962. He retired from active politics in 1967 and died on August 6, 1977 at the age of 93.
