Bahamas stamps honoring 150th anniversary of Anglican DioceseThe Bahamas has issued a set of 6 commemorative stamps in honor of the 150th Anniversary of the establishment of the Anglican Diocese of The Bahamas and the Turks & Caicos Islands, as well as the establishment of the City of Nassau.

In 1861, the Anglican Church in The Bahamas became a separate Diocese. Previously, in 1824, the Anglican churches in The Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos were incorporated into the Diocese of Jamaica. Also in 1861, the first bishop of The Bahamas Anglican Church, Charles Caulfield, was consecrated and Christ Church was renamed a Cathedral.

Under English law, a town to which an Anglican bishop was appointed and which served as the location of the Cathedral, would be designated as a city. This sequence of events therefore resulted in the Town of Nassau being designated the City of Nassau.

The 15 cent stamp features Christ Church Cathedral, the “Mother Church” of the Anglican/Episcopal Diocese of The Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands. In 1670, King Charles II granted the colony of the Bahamas to the Lord Proprietors of Carolina who were instructed to “build churches and chapels in the furtherance of the Christian Religion”. The First church building for the Parish of Christ Church was built between 1670 and 1684, to the west of the present building but was destroyed by the Spaniards in 1684. A second building, believed to have stood to the east of the present building in the area of Frederick Street, was completed in 1695. That too was destroyed by the Spaniards, in 1703.

A third wooden building, like its predecessors, was completed in 1724 at the present site. This was replaced in 1754 by a fourth building made of locally quarried limestone. A steeple was added in 1774 but was taken down in 1827 when it was found to be in a dangerous condition. A new square tower, the existing one, was erected in 1830. In 1834 an act was passed by the legislature for the enlargement of Christ Church and the fifth church building, which is still in use today, was opened for services in 1841.

The cathedral remains an historic landmark that has played a significant role in Nassau’s history. It is an enormous Gothic structure that towers majestically over the buildings that surround it. The cathedral underwent a major restoration in 1995, which included replacement pews, crafted locally from mahogany to replicate the original pews and a new granite floor. A stunning feature of the cathedral is the East windows, the central panel illustrating the crucifixion, which is featured on the official First Day Cover.

The subjects of the other stamps in the set are:

  • Rawson Square (50 cent stamp), a public square at the crossroads of downtown Nassau, named after Governor Sir R.W. Rawson (1864-68).
  • Government House (65 cent stamp) atop Mt. Fitzwilliam, the official residence of the Governor General of The Bahamas since 1801. The original home was built in 1737 by Governor Fitzwilliam (1733-38). A new structure was built in 1806 and additional wings were added during the 20th century, but the entire house was destroyed by a hurricane in 1929. The current building was completed in 1932.
  • The historic Bay Street shopping area (70 cent stamp), which runs through the downtown area of Nassau.
  • Dr. Charles Caulfield ($1 stamp), the first Bishop of Nassau.
  • Charles Bayley ($2 stamp), the Royal Governor in 1861 when the Anglican Church in The Bahamas became a separate Diocese.

The stamps were released to the general public, Monday, September 12.

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