• Christopher Fleming (1851-1935): Born in the East End of Tortola, Fleming spent most of his life at sea, and may even have been a smuggler. In 1890, a B.V.I. Customs officer seized a native boat, and in protest, Fleming led a group of armed men to the commissioner's house. Danish soldiers from St. Thomas put down the rebellion, and Fleming was sentenced to 6 months in jail. Today, islanders look upon Fleming as a hero who protested against poverty and unfair economic conditions.
  • John Coakley Lettsom (1744-1815): Born into a Quaker family on Jost Van Dyke, he was educated in England and completed his medical education in Edinburgh, Scotland. Rising rapidly and brilliantly, he founded the Royal Human Society of England, the Royal Seabathing Hospital at Margate, and the London Medical Society. Regrettably, he is mainly remembered today for this famous but libelous doggerel: "I John Lettsom . . . Blisters, bleeds, and sweats 'em. If, after that, they please to die . . . I, John Lettsom."
  • Frederick Augustus Pickering (1835-1926): Born in Tortola, he became a civil service worker who, by 1884, had risen to become the first black president of the British Virgin Islands. He held the post until 1887, and was the last man to be known as president, as the job description after his presidency was changed to commissioner.
  • John Pickering (1704-68): Born into a fervent Quaker family in Anguilla, Pickering moved in the 1720s to Fat Hogs Bay in Tortola. In 1736, he became the leader of a congregation of Quakers, and by 1741 he was named first lieutenant governor of the island. Fearing the Virgin Islands would be drawn into war between Spain and Britain, he resigned his post because of his Quaker beliefs. Apparently, he was an "enlightened" plantation owner, as hundreds of slaves, islandwide, mourned his death -- or perhaps they feared their new master.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.