Frank Cundall (1858 - 1937)
Frank Cundall was born in London on the 17th of January 1858. Frank Cundall was married twice and had two children. His son was the Hon. Leslie Cundall, Q.C., Attorney General of Jamaica and his daughter, Mrs. Frances Wiehen who was married to Mr. Guy Weihen, a Master of Munro College, St. Elizabeth.
Mr. Cundall held the position of Assistant Secretary in 1883 to the International Fisheries Exhibition and from 1884-85 to the Health and Inventions Exhibition. In 1879, Sir Anthony Musgrave, the then Governor of Jamaica, founded the Institute of Jamaica. At a special meeting of the Board of Governors of the Institute of Jamaica held in 1890, Frank Cundall was appointed Secretary and Librarian. He arrived in Kingston on February 6, 1891.
Prior to his appointment Frank Cundall was an author. He was the author of The Landscape and Pastoral painters of Holland and Reminiscences of the Colonial and Indian Exhibition.
During his tenure at the Institute of Jamaica his focus was on historical research and the development of the West India Reference Library. It was his past involvement in exhibitions that lead to the quick creation of the Art Gallery at the Institute. Cundall used his connections overseas to acquire most of the Institute’s collection. He saw to the collection and preservation of all types of materials on all the Caribbean Islands with the greater emphasis on Jamaica. Cundall, with minimal support from the government made significant contribution to the development of the West India Reference Library now the National Library of Jamaica.
Awards
In 1929, His Majesty King George V was pleased to confer on him the Order of the British Empire (O.B.E.).
His Involvement
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He was Chief Assistant Secretary to the Royal Commission of the Colonial and Indian Exhibition in 1886.
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For many years he was a Church warden of the St. Andrew Parish Church and Lay Representative of the Synod of the Church of England in Jamaica.
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He was a Fellow of the Society of the Antiquarians and of the Royal Historical Society
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He was an Honorary Corresponding Member of the Institute Historique et Heraldique de France, the American Antiquarian Society, the American Jewish Society, the Hispanic Society of America, the Ontario Historical Society and the Academic des Jeux Florimontains.
Some of his Publications
Mr. Cundall was a prolific writer and a bibliography of his works make for much reading. The items include:
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The Story of the life of Columbus and the Discovery of Jamaica
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A Brief Guide to an exhibition of maps of the sixteen century…
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The Life of Enos Nuttall, Archbishop of the West Indies
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The Press and printers of Jamaica prior to 1820
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A History of printing in Jamaica from 1717 to 1834
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The Taxation of Jews in Jamaica
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A Supplementary bibliography of Richard Hill
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A Brief History of the Parish Church of St. Andrew Jamaica
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The Aborigines of Jamaica
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The Rodney Memorial in Jamaica
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A Brief account of King’s House, Spanish Town, Jamaica
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Jamaica in 1901; a handbook of information for intending settlers and others
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Jamaica in 1897; a handbook of information for intending settlers and others
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Jamaica in 1896; a handbook of information for intending settlers and others
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Jamaica in 1895; a handbook of information for intending settlers and others
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Place-names of Jamaica
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Historic Jamaica
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Catalogue of the portraits in the Jamaica History Gallery of the Institute of Jamaica
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Jamaica in 1928, a handbook of information fro visitors and intending residence with some account of the colony’s history
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Tortoise shell-carving in Jamaica
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Bibliographies of the West Indies (102, 1908,1909)
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Lady Nugent’s Journal (editor of)
A portrait of Frank Cundall is on display at the National Library of Jamaica.
Related Documents
- The Achievement of Frank Cundall by H. P. Jacobs
- The Achievement of Frank Cundall by H. P. Jacobs
- Frank Cundall, O.B.E., F.S.A., F.R.Hist.S. 1858- 1937 Ob. November 15th, 1937
- Mr. Frank Cundall Great Historian Died Yesterday
- Necrology: Frank Cundall – Reprinted from Publications of the American Jewish Historical Society, November 35, 1939
- Valuable Work Was Done By Mr. Frank Cundall – Daily Gleaner September 22, 1927
- Frank Cundall’s Letter to The Right Honourable Joseph Chamberlain, His Majesty’s Secretary of State for the Colonies
- Frank Cundall: Spectators at Football Match at Sabina Park – Daily Gleaner November 24, 1919
- Notes Made by Members of the Board Made by Governors of the Institute of Jamaica on the Draft Letter of their Chairman
- Letter from Mr. William Simms Chairman of the Governors of the Jamaica Institute to His Excellency Sir Augustus Hemming on behalf of Frank Cundall
- Letter to Frank Cundall, Esq. Secretary to the Governors of the Jamaica Institute from Sidney Olivier Colonial Secretary New
- Council Formally Takes on Municipal Administration of Corporation: Public Memorial for Late Mr. Frank Cundall – Daily Gleaner December 14, 1937
- Mr. Frank Cundall Back From Health Trip to Homeland Late Mr. Cundall – Daily Gleaner December 8, 1937
- A Remarkable Object: Meteoric Stone Said to Have Fallen In Jamaica – March 29, 1932
- In Old Jamaica: To the Memory of Frank Cundall
- Frank Cundall, O.B.E Secretary and Librarian of the Institute of Jamaica 1891 – 1937. (From a broadcaster given on May 7th, 1952, by Miss Beryl Fletcher).