On March 19, 1858 an Act was passed "to provide for the more speedy and economical justice in the rural districts of this settlement". This act provided for the appointment of Alcaldes in Maya and Garifuna villages throughout the colony. In 1884 a memo was circulated by the Colonial Secretary to clarify the duties of the alcaldes and constables since there appeared to be some conclusion. The following pages from the "Handbook of British Honduras, 1888-89" details some of the duties of the Alcaldes.

The only Garifuna villages listed back then in 1888 with an alcalde were Punta Gorda and Barranco. The alcalde for Barranco that year was Teodoro Palacio and his assistant was Pio Nolberto. In San Antonio, the Alcalde as Antonio Ta Cah and his assistant was Jose Maria Paquiul, one of the founders of that village.

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More Alcaldes, early 1940s.

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