In 1853, James Malcolm claimed ownership of lands which contained: Whitfield’s Road, now called Soldier Road; and Bannard’s Road, now respelled as Bernard Road; and Wolf’s Road, now rewritten as Wulff Road were located.
Malcolm petitioned the House of Assembly for compensation. He claimed, that these roads were all created or made a public access road without his consent and without payment.
Whitfield’s Road or Soldier’s Road created in 1830 by Governor Sir James Carmichael Smyth
According to James Malcolm’s 1853 petition, he noted that in 1830, Governor James Carmichael Smyth had applied to Malcolm for permission to construct a public road which which would run through his land. Malcolm says he refused, unless he was paid for it.
Malcolm claimed that Governor Carmichael Smyth proceeded to construct the road anyway.
Whitfield’s Road or Soldier’s Road would connect Baillou Hill Road to the “Village.” The “Village” would eventually become the Village Road area.
Malcolm further claimed in his petition that the Colony had no money at the time, in 1830, to pay him, which he surmises was the only reason why he wasn’t paid for his land.
Bannard’s Road leading from “the Village Road to “Sandilands” was originally a private road constructed in the year 1806
Bannard’s Road would later on in Bahamian history, be respelled into Bernard Road.
Wolf’s Road constructed in the year 1846
Wolf’s Road would later on in Bahamian history respelled into Wulff Road. It was originally constructed by the Government of the Colony to connect Grant’s Town with “the Village” and “ Sandilands.”
1854 – House of Assembly votes £200 to compensate James Malcolm for land trespass
In the end, the House of Assembly acknowledged James Malcolm’s claim. In February 1854, they voted to pay Malcolm £200 for compensation for land trespass.
Of interest is that we see a newspaper print mistake in the spelling of Wolf’s Road. They mistakenly typed ‘U’ instead of an ‘O.’ This may have lead to the eventual spelling we know today – Wulff Road.
1863 – James Malcolm warns trespassers off of his vast acreages of land
James Malcolm’s country seat, in New Providence, was the estate called Mount Airy. In 1863, a notice he posted, in order to warn trespassers off his land, offers some idea of the vast amounts of land Malcolm owned.
