James Ronald Webster Day
James Ronald Webster Day is a holiday that’s observed annually on March 2nd in Anguilla. However, this date can be changed if the holiday falls on a weekend instead of a weekday. If that’s the case, then the holiday will fall on the following Monday. This allows the citizens of Anguilla to have a day off of work since this is a public holiday.
Anguilla (Public holiday) This day commemorates the birth of James Ronald Webster—a person who is known as the Father of Anguilla and was born on March 2, 1926. Webster would serve as the island’s Chief Minister from February 1976 through February 1977 and then once again from May of 1980 through March of 1984.
The History Of James Ronald Webster Day
James Webster was one of eight children born to his parents that survived infancy—out of a total of sixteen children. Up until the age of 27-years, he worked on a dairy farm factory in Saint Martin.
He was treated as their son and their entire estate was left to him. He would then return back to Anguilla in 1960 and notice that the island was falling behind other developed nations. There was no electricity or telephones, and many of the streets were unpaved.
He was determined to do something about this disparity so he contacted Robert Bradshaw in Saint Kitts and proposed to fund the development of a power plant in Anguilla, as well as some road improvements. He was granted a license to operate a power plant, but Bradshaw wouldn’t meet with him and his visits did nothing.
Webster became resentful of this treatment, and that is why he decided to play a leading role in the Anguillan Revolution—a revolution that would dissolve the Federation of St. Kitts, Nevis, and Anguilla.
Observing James Ronald Webster Day
Because this is a public holiday, government offices, businesses, and schools are closed on this day. This allows the citizenry to attend official speeches and tributes to Webster on this day.
Anguilla (Public holiday) 
