Sir Roland Theodore Symonette, NH (16 December 1898 – 12 March 1980) was a Bahamian

politician A politician is a person who participates in Public policy, policy-making processes, usually holding an elective position in government. Politicians represent the people, make decisions, and influence the formulation of public policy. The roles ...

and the first Premier of the Bahamas after self-government was achieved in 1964. He was leader of the United Bahamian Party (UBP), which was the ruling party between 1958 and 1967.Nohlen, D. (2005), ''Elections in the Americas: A data handbook, Volume I'', p. 73.

Early life and education

Roland "Pop" Symonette was one of nine children of Methodist minister Edwin Lofthouse Symonette and his wife Lavania Alethia (née Weech) on the small island settlement of Current,

Eleuthera Eleuthera () refers both to a single island in the archipelagic state of the The Bahamas, Commonwealth of the Bahamas and to its associated group of smaller islands. Eleuthera forms a part of the Great Bahama Bank. The island of Eleuthera incor ...

Career

He was a school teacher early in his career. Later he tried to make his way as a fisherman and a tomato farmer in Riviera Beach, Florida, and then during

Prohibition Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcoholic b ...

, Symonette transported whiskey to the United States. During prohibition, liquor was legal in the Bahamas but not in the United States. Bahamian citizens could legally buy and transport alcohol as long as they stayed outside US territorial waters. Symonette was among the most successful of Bahamian bootleggers. With the profits from bootlegging, Symonette invested in real estate, hotels, and a shipyard which built boats for the British Navy during WWII.

Politics

In 1925, Symonette campaigned successfully for a seat in the Bahamas'

House of Assembly House of Assembly is a name given to the legislature or lower house of a bicameral parliament. In some countries this may be at a subnational level. Historically, in British Crown colonies as the colony gained more internal responsible g ...

. He served in the House, representing the Shirlea district until his retirement in 1977. His 53 years as a Member of Parliament is the longest record of service in the House of Assembly. Symonette served as the head of government of the Bahama Islands from 1955 to 1964 and, in 1964, when the country achieved internal self-government, he became the first Premier of the Bahama Islands. In 1959, he was

knight A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a knighthood by a head of state (including the pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church, or the country, especially in a military capacity. The concept of a knighthood ...

ed by

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...

. After the 1967 elections, Symonette was appointed

leader of the opposition The Leader of the Opposition is a title traditionally held by the leader of the Opposition (parliamentary), largest political party not in government, typical in countries utilizing the parliamentary system form of government. The leader of the ...

in the House of Assembly of Bahamas.

Personal life

Symonette was married three times. He and his first wife Gertrude Nellie had one son, Basil. He and his second wife, the former Thelma Bell Clepper of Andalusia, Alabama, had a son, Robert "Bobby" and a daughter, Zelda. In the late 1940s, Symonette married Canadian Margaret Frances. They had one daughter, Margaret, who died of encephalitis when she was a toddler, and two sons, Roland and Brent. Symonette's son Basil founded the Bitter End Resort in the BVI's. His second son Bobby served as Speaker of the House of Assembly and his youngest son Brent Symonette later became the

Deputy Prime Minister A deputy prime minister or vice prime minister is, in some countries, a Minister (government), government minister who can take the position of acting prime minister when the prime minister is temporarily absent. The position is often likened to th ...

, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Minister of Financial Services, Trade & Industry and Immigration.

Death and legacy

Symonette died on 13 March 1980 at his home in Nassau. He was survived by wife, Lady Margaret Symonette three sons, and one daughter. A community park in the settlement of Current, Eleuthera, Bahamas was named for him, a stone's throw from his birthplace, on what would have been his 111th birthday on 16 December 2009. Symonette's portrait appears on the Bahamian $50 note. In 2018, he was posthumously awarded the Bahamian Order of National Hero (NH).

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