A contingent from the Royal Anguilla Police Force bore the body of the late Atlin Harrigan, OBE, shoulder height into the House of Assembly Chambers and three officers leaned head bowed over their rifles on Friday, February 18th, 2005. That was the moving scene as the Government paid tribute to a fallen hero who was in the forefront of the island’s 1967 revolution.

Police bearing Atlin Harrigan’s casket into the House of Assembly

Mr. Harrigan, who had a long battle with cancer of the esophagus, subsequently lost his voice and vision. He died on February 2nd at his Sandy Hill residence.

The mahogany casket containing the body of this “good Anguillian” and “humble giant,” was draped with the island’s official flag. His body lay in state from 10 am to 6.00 pm at the House of Assembly where he once served as Speaker. Following that, his remains were handed back to his family and Rey’s Funeral Home for the funeral and Thanksgiving Service the next day, February 19 at St. Augustine’s Anglican Church.

Mourners file pass Mr. Harrigan’s casket in the House of Assembly

The House of Assembly Chambers was filled with a number of invited officials in the public and private sectors, members of the general citizenry, family and friends. Also present were members of the media, recording the passing of Mr. Harrigan who, as Editor of the Beacon newspaper, organ of the revolution, was a local pioneer in the field of journalism.

Rev. Joseph Lloyd

Chaplin of the House of Assembly, Methodist Minister, Reverend Joseph Lloyd, began the ceremony with the opening prayer which stated in part: “We recall with thanksgiving and gratitude our departed brother, Atlin. As a patriot he gave himself devotedly and sacrificially for the liberation of our beloved country and people by offering unstintingly his various gifts and abilities without counting any costs or seeking any material reward.

“Thank you, O God, for the inspiration and motivation with which he imbued the indifferent and enlisted their service for a great cause. Give us we beseech you, the courage, wisdom and the will to seek to emulate such a noble and worthy example. Grant that in due course, we too, having served our day and generation with faithfulness and honour, may with the stalwarts who have gone before, become partakers of your eternal Kingdom and may receive your welcome and commendation, “Well done, good and faithful servant enter into the joy of your Lord.”

Chief Minister Osbourne Fleming described Mr. Harigan as “a humble giant in Anguilla’s story. He noted that without him “there may never have been that awakening in our people to the full consciousness of deciding to control our own destiny.”

Mr. Osbourne Fleming

Mr. Fleming’s went on: “But for him, there may never have been a May 30th and a revolution. But for him, we may never have set a course to build a new Anguilla. He was the intellectual force behind those momentous days in 1967. He was the conscience of our collective will. He was our Tom Paine, rallying the people through his leadership and the pages of his insightful newspaper, The Beacon, urging them to hold strain, to keep the faith and to remain steadfast in their goal of separation from St. Kitts-Nevis.

“Although he made a living working with his hands as an electrician, Atlin Harigan was a man of ideas. Indeed, those who knew him well referred to him as a visionary. As a result of being well read, he loved to write and because of his self-employment, he became a very conscious individual acutely aware of the unfairness and injustice that was visited on Anguilla prior to the revolution. Atlin wrote about the need for an open society long before the term “transparency” entered the language of governance. Atlin wrote about social justice before that concept entered the thoughts of everyday Anguillians.

“Atlin was a leading advocate of freedom of speech and freedom of expression, long before these freedoms were enshrined in our Constitution. But Atlin’s words were not mere rhetoric. He walked his talk. He was honest to a fault. One colleague in the days of the revolution referred to him as the most honest man I have ever met.”

Mr. Flemings spoke of Mr. Harigan’s love for his children and extended family who faithfully stood by him and said his life was a study in humility. “Throughout his life he was never accused of being selfish … at the expense of others,” Mr. Fleming’s address continued. “He gave freely of all that he had especially his thoughts and ideas for a new Anguilla. In 1972 when he last ran for office his symbol was ‘the Heart”. He chose it deliberately, for to him it symbolised his love and commitment to the people of Anguilla.

“We gather here today in a chamber appropriately named in his honour. This people’s house and symbol of our democracy which he championed, is a fitting legacy to one who did so much to chart the course of a new Anguilla. Here we debate the people’s business openly and freely. Here where we pass laws on behalf of all Anguillians, the spirit of our first honourable Speaker Altin Harrigan looms large, his gentle presence urges us on in the never-ending quest of building a better society.

“Every nation, great and small, needs its heroes and we are no different. We need heroes, who, by their example inspire us to think; to act boldly, to be unafraid, to be principled and to love. Atlin showed us how to do this. His place in our island’s history is assured. For those of us who knew him well, particularly his dear family, his place in our hearts will live on till we too are no more. We will miss him. But he leaves a legacy of decency and example which we must always cherish. And this special life was summarised by one of his dearest friends who stood by him in our nation’s most historic time, with the simple words: “Altin was a good Anguillian.”

Police bearing Atlin Harrigan’s casket into the House of Assembly

Opposition Leader Edison Baird said in his address: “Atlin was a good man, a good revolutionary and a good journalist.”

Mr. Baird recalled that in the 1960s, Anguilla lacked paved roads, island-wide water, electricity and port facilitities were inadequate. He said against this background and ill-treatment by the administration in St. Kitts that a group of Anguillians came together and decided they had to do something about it.

“Every country has its heroes,” Mr Baird continued. “In America they speak about the Founding Fathers but in regard to Anguilla, we speak about Atlin Harrigan, Mr. Ronald Webster, Mr. Bob Rogers and others. These are our “Founding Fathers”.

“When Atlin Harrigan and others decided to free Anguilla, from the Bradshaw regime, they in effect put their lives on the line. They were always faced with being charged with treason and execution would inevitably follow. Nevertheless, they persevered not for themselves but for Anguilla; and to Mr. Atlin Harrigan we shall always be grateful. When the history of this country is fully and completely written, his name will stand out undoubtedly as a great Anguillian, as one of the leaders of the revolution, one of our founding fathers.

“He was more than a revolutionary. He was a journalist because for a revolution to have succeeded, it was essential that the news be spread around and he played a leading role in this regard in being the editor of Beacon. It was a newspaper that allowed Anguillians at home and abroad to know what was happening and what was planned. He did a very good job and in a sense you can say he was really one of the founders of journalism in Anguilla.

“…In this House of Assembly, he did a very good job. He did not go to the left; he did not go to the right.

As Speaker he came down in the middle. While it is true that he was not a vociferous person, he ruled the House in his quiet and gentle disposition. He was effective in managing this House properly because he had gained the respect of all the members of the House, those in Government and those in Opposition.

Section of congregation at St. Augustine’s Church

“Today is a sad day in the history of Anguilla. A good Anguillian is no longer with us…We very much loved and cared for Atlin Harrigan. I am very happy to know that this House of Assembly is named after him so that those who come here will always be acknowledgeable of his contribution…The Atlin Harrigan Parliamentary Building will stand out among all the buildings in this country…”

Mr. Harrigan’s neice, Yasmini Harrigan-Lloyd spoke of her uncle’s life, close family times and his love for Anguilla. “Couple with his love for his family and the people of Anguilla,” she stated, “he was motivated him to play a pivotal role in the Anguilla revolution. His selfless contribution to the betterment of a people oppressed and neglected, will indelibly be etched in the history books of this little island. In a world of political indifference, he was a freedom fighter.

“Nelson Mandela tried to free many. Atlin Harrian tried to liberate a few but their objectives were the same to make their countries and by extension the world a better place for all humanity.

“Atlin fought for unity and prosperity among his people. He never forgot his humble beginnings. He was well versed in world affairs. He followed with very keen interest everything that happened nationally and internationally…He recognised that no man is an island and Anguilla could not exist in isolation from the rest of the world. Atlin recognised that family values are the essence of getting democratic societies. Unknowingly, he was the person who emerged not only as the architect of Anguilla’s freedom… but he stood out as the stalwart of his family.

In her concluding words she stated: “Uncle At, as he was affectionately known by his nieces and nephews, was psychologically prepared for his appointment death on February 2nd,, 2005. He made arrangements for his passing as though he was getting ready for a long-awaited trip. He stood around his tomb, held hands and prayed with his family. He heard his eulogy being read. He even wanted to see and touch his casket…It is my belief that this great gentleman was also spiritually prepared for his appointment. The calm, peace and happiness that radiated from him, I believe, could only come when one experiences an intimate relationship with the Lord.”

At the Thanksgiving Service, Bishop Errol Brooks said that his first encounter with Mr. Harrigan was in 1967 when he visited the Rectory to ask the then Parish Priest, Canon Carleton to photo copy some documents for him. The Bishop said he admired Mr. Harrigan’s humility, courage, knowledge, eagerness to learn and his selflessness. He was a young man committed to the Anguilla struggle not for personal gain, but for the love of his island home. He added that this was a far cry from today when most youngsters want to know what they would get in return for what they do.

Family members, friends and others at the Thanksgiving Service

The Formal Remembrance was delivered by the deceased’s nephew, Terry Harrigan. He said of his uncle: “We must do more than marginalise his input in Anguilla’s destiny. His involvement in Anguilla’s march to secession from St. Kitts will remain unchallenged as long as our struggle is debated. Whatever history is written must unequivocally bear his name or it will render itself ineffective and insufficient.

“He came at a time that urshered in its own kind of backwardness, indifference, innocence and difficulties. At no time in our history has anyone so boldly initiated the political direction of our country. His political insight, brought about by the light of his people, and their readiness for change, set Anguilla upon a new course. He challenged the legitimacy of a federation established by Britain that was obtrusive and neglected.

“Atlin Harrigan’s struggle was never about himself; indeed it was a journey for our progress. In years to come, when all historical and political perspectives of the Anguilla revolution are etched, there will be one undeniable conclusion, an acknowledgement that his insight, determination and leadership shaped our political destiny. It was his love for liberty and his challenge to a deteriorating system that brought us this far. His desire was simply that Anguillians would have the power to rise up from poverty.”

Family members, friends and others at the Thanksgiving Service

Former Chief Minister, Sir Emile Gumbs who worked with Mr. Harigan early in the revolution, spoke of Altlin’s desire to see a solution to Anguilla’s unemployment and economic woes, while working in St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands. He noted that Mr. Harrigan was convinced that Anguilla would be better off remaining a colony of Britain “than suffer under the harsh and hatred regime in St. Kitts.” He spoke of the many letters the diseased had written to the Democrat Newspaper in St. Kitts complaining about the neglect of Anguilla. He said Mr. Harrigan’s writing in that newspaper and later in the Beacon which he published on his return to Anguilla showed that the “pen is mightier than the sword.”

Sir Emile traced the revolutionary history of Anguilla in which Mr. Harigan played a key role along with a number of other persons.

“Atlin’s service to Anguilla was recognised when he was awarded the OBE by Her Majesty The Queen,” Sir Emile said at the conclusion of his tribute. “It is fitting that Atlin was elected the first Speaker in the House of Assembly. I remember having personally persuaded him with much effort to accept this important position in our first Constitution, not just because it was a prestigious position, but more so because I could think of no better qualified Anguillian to sit in the Speaker’s Chair and govern the debate of ideas in our new parliament. I am privileged to have known and worked closely with Atlin for almost forty years.

“To the family of the late Atlin I would like to say that while we are here to comfort and share the burden of your loss, we are also here to celebrate Atlin’s life of service to his beloved country, Anguilla.”

Tony Lee, who was appointed Senior British Official in Anguilla during the revolution and experienced much difficulty on the island, also paid tribute to Mr. Harrigan in a taped message from England. Both men have had an enduring friendship over the years. Mr. Lee praised him for his integrity, honesty and moderation in the conduct of government business and saw him as one of the pillars of the success achieved by Anguilla. He also commended him for his fortitude in bearing his suffering without complaint in the final days of his life.

Bishop Errol Brooks

Following the Thanksgiving Service, members of the Royal Anguilla Police Force bore Mr. Harrigan’s casket from the Church to the waiting hearse for the journey to and interment at the Sandy Hill Cemetery.

Mr. Edison Baird

Sir Emile Gumbs

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