Few natural resources are as adaptable and useful as the Silver Thatch Palm. Adopted as the National Tree of the Cayman Islands, it has played an important role in the lives of Caymanians since the first settlers arrived on the islands in the early 1700's.

The leaves of the Silver Thatch Palm were used as roofing and walling for the settlers' homes. In fact, thatching remained the most usual form of roofing until well into the twentieth century. Many older Caymanians can still remember the day when teams of neighbours gathered at their house to rethatch the roof. It would take a team of eight to ten men and several thousand leaves to thatch a roof. The men would have to work quickly because if the leaves were allowed to dry out too much they would curl up and the roof would leak. Children passed bundles of leaves up to the men on the roof using long sticks, while the women provided refreshments.

Thatch roofs lasted between five and nine years. It was believed that if the leaves were cut on a full moon, or just after, the roof would last longer as there would be less sap in the leaves to attract insects. Despite being cool to live under, thatch roofs did let in mosquitoes. In the 1920's, people started to buy corrugated zinc as a roofing material, which lasted longer and was easier to build with. Thatch was still used in the construction of kitchens (cookrooms) though.

It was thatch rope, however, which was the dominant land-based industry in Cayman for many years. Since the Silver Thatch Palm was very resistant to salt water, rope made from it was much favoured by fishermen and turtlers. The largest demand came from Cuba and Jamaica.

As only the newest unopened leaves ("tops") could be used for making rope, it was necessary to harvest them from a large number of trees. While the Silver Thatch Palm grew all over the Cayman Islands, there were certain areas where concentrations of them could be found. These areas became known as "thatch walks". Folk in West Bay recall a thatch walk in South Sound (now Webster Estates) which they reached by boat, docking at Smith's Cove. Families would set out at first light and spend the day cutting tops. They then carried them home in baskets made of thatch which hung down their backs on long straps. This was called "backing". A fortunate few used a donkey to carry the baskets. The tops would then be laid out to dry for five or six days.

Once dry, the "ribs" of the leaves were removed, using a sharp knife. This was called "singling them out". The remaining strips were then separated and twisted by hand into strands. Each strand had to be 30 fathoms long to make a finished rope of 25 fathoms (150 feet). Three strands were twisted together to make rope on an ingenious handmade machine called a "rope cart".

The strands were attached to one end of the cart, which consisted of three spindles that were rotated simultaneously by a single handle. At the other end was a spindle. A notched device called a "cob" was moved along just ahead of the point where the strands were becoming twisted together, to prevent knotting and to ensure a tightly laid rope. The three most common thicknesses of rope were known as "head rope" (small), "big rope" (medium) and "hauser" (large).

The finished coil of rope was taken to the local store or to the grocery truck driven by a George Town merchant, and exchanged for household goods. In the 1920's one coil was enough to purchase 1lb of flour, 1lb of sugar, a tin of syrup, a pint of kerosene and a large bar of soap. These items would have cost, in total, around sixpence (CI$0.03 today), but very little cash was in circulation at the time. Both merchants and ropemakers preferred to deal in goods, unless a particular item was unavailable.

The rope was then sent abroad by ship. The boats were often owned by the shopkeepers and the sailors were shareholders. The rope was again exchanged for goods and the sailors were often paid their share in a mixture of goods and money.

After the hurricane in August, 1944, which devastated the Jamaican fishing fleet, an urgent call was sent out for all the thatch rope Caymanians could produce. In 1945, over 1.5 million fathoms of rope was exported from the Cayman Islands. The demand was so great that the islanders were having trouble keeping up with it. Soon complaints were heard about short lengths and inferior quality rope. Aware that this could cause real damage to the industry, the Government of the day sent officials round the island to talk to the ropemakers, and ask them to sign a pledge promising to uphold standards. It read: "I do solemnly pledge my mind and hands in the production of standard straw rope for the promotion of trade and for one common good."

Many of those signing the pledge were minors - some as young as 11 years old. Much of the rope was made by women and children while the men were away at sea. Widows often kept their families together by making and selling rope. "It was a hard life," remembers Miss Adinah, "but with the help of the Lord we made it".The industry peaked in 1949, but by 1958, synthetic nylon rope had largely replaced thatch rope.

The importance of the rope-making industry is recognized by the piece of thatch rope on the nation's flag. Many other useful domestic items were also made using thatch. Women would split dried tops into thin strips and weave baskets, mats, fans, hats, and shoes called "wompers". Most commonly, this was done by "notch-plaiting" or weaving the strips into ribbons. Narrow ribbon, using about six strands (or "strings") would be used for hats, while the wide 11 or 12 strand ribbon would be used to make baskets and mats. There were about four patterns commonly used in the weaving of these ribbons, including an openwork design. The ribbons would then be sewn together, sometimes using a hand sewing machine. Another method was called "knitting" - but without using needles. The strips would be fixed and tied with thread to make a "button", with strings hanging down, before being woven together. It is the ribbon style of thatchwork that can still be seen today in craft shops and at heritage fairs. Sadly, the art of weaving thatch is slowly dying out.

Last Updated: 26 Jun 2012