Historical: First Grandfather & Grandson as VI Chief Minister & Premier!
The late Hubert Robinson O’Neal ultimately lost his life in 1971 carrying furniture to the school in North Sound, Virgin Gorda that bears his name. His son, former legislator Dr Hubert O’Neal followed some forty-five years later and won a seat under the National Democratic Party banner and served from 2015-2019.
They became the first father and son to be elected to Parliament in the Virgin Islands (VI), albeit years apart taking into account the Parliament/House of Assemblies from 1950 to current.
Top job - grandfather & grandson
However, history has been made for the second time at a different level in 2022. Today in the Virgin Islands (VI), we have a new Premier in the person of Dr. the Honourable Natalio D. Wheatley (R7) sworn in on May 5, 2022, whose grandfather the late Dr Willard Wheatley MBE, LLD was a Chief Minister and the First Minister of Finance.
The former Chief Minister Wheatley served from 1971-1986 representing what is today the 8th District. He also served as Chief Minister and Minister of Finance for two consecutive terms from 1971-1979.
Today his grandson also known as ‘Sowande’ is the fourth Premier of the Territory.
His late grandfather was the one that took the VI out of grant-in-aid in 1978, a programme where the VI had to depend on the colonial master the United Kingdom for money to fund the Budget.
The grandfather and grandson combination is another historical moment for the British Overseas Territory of some 30,000 people.
Other families in the House from 1950 to current
While other siblings of Chief Ministers have run for office, like the son of the Late H. Lavity Stoutt - Preston P. Stoutt and the daughter of the late Cyril B. Romney- Joann R. Romney; they have not been successful.
There were two brothers who served in the Parliament, former Legislator Earl P. Fraser (1983-1986) and current Representative Hon Julian Fraser RA (R3) (1999-current) and Lavity Stoutt (1967-1995) and his brother Prince M. Stoutt (1977-1983, 1990-1995)
Over the years in the HoA, there were continued combinations of first cousins, uncles, aunts and nephews/nieces as well as in-laws serving in elective office because of the small population.
However, in the VI’s political history in the HoA of 1950 to current, only one combination of father and son and one of grandfather and grandson to date have held the highest office.
Editor’s note: Local historians in the Virgin Islands noted that before 1950 there was a House of Assembly going back to 1713 to around 1902 before it was suspended. They said free coloured slaves served, and in particular, there was one by the name of William Agrippa O’Neal, elected 1836 who served and was the grandfather of the late First Premier of the Virgin Islands, Ralph T. O’Neal OBE.
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25 Responses to “Historical: First Grandfather & Grandson as VI Chief Minister & Premier! ”
However, I would rather like to say ( and I stand to be corrected) he is the 7th leader of the territory from the 7th district!!!
Perfect !!!
Here it’s around 10
our people strive from back then until now without any handouts from united kingdom
1975-2022
In the 2019 General Elections, Sylvia Romney-Moses, grand daughter of Joseph E. Romney, was one of two candidates against Andrew Fahie.
I wish showing the family ties between our leaders was a good sign, or maybe just a consequense of our small population, but I am afraid it really shows how our goverment is run by a small group of individuals leeching from power.
All we are seeing in the last 20 or 30 years of goverment in the BVI is how our MINI oligarchs have risen into positions of power and alternated in power.
We should fight fpr a real representative democracy and stop our dependency on rusty professional politicians, crooked businessmen seeking their own advantage, money and powee greedy clergymen, and the newst power form of democracy rapers: social commentators.
Do not let our 20 or 30 self entitled people tell us what to do.
Goverment is createated to represent us, we should be the one telling them what we want.
ACTIONS HAS NO INTEGRITY , SO WE ALREADY SEEN THROUGH YOU ALL PUBLICITY STUNTS , THEATRICS OR WHATEVER YOU ALL COMING WITH