Hector Silva: AND THE STORY OF NORA PARHAM GROWS LARGER.
I have just been informed and given permission to reveal, that Nora's youngest sister is alive and living abroad, but she visits Belize regularly. Her name is Isabella Williams. She was only 14 years, when all this sad episode occurred. Her beautiful daughters live here in San Ignacio.
As this story unfolds, Nora's near family, relatives and friends extends throughout the Length and Breath of Belize. This historical story also calls for the writing of a book, but with the permission of her beloved sons.
Government of Belize Grants Posthumous Pardon to Nora Parham
Today Friday, May 13th a (Black Friday) history was made in Belize at a Special Sitting of the House of Representatives. At this meeting, the Minister of Human Development, Families and Indigenous Peoples Hon. Dolores Balderamos Garcia moved a motion to seek to move the Belize Advisory Council to advise Her Excellency the Governor General to exercise the Prerogative of Mercy, 2022 for Nora Parham to be granted a posthumous pardon. Nora Parham, who endured a life of domestic violence, was sentenced to death by hanging imposed and executed on June 5th, 1963, under the British judicial system for the murder of her husband. Today, her sons witnessed the motion that seeks pardon to be granted and the sentence be revoked.
Hon. Tracy Taegar Parham - " HERStory is a dark stain in our Belizean history. I don't know if we could ever undo the injustice, wrong or pain that was caused on our Belizean Society and especially to her family but this undertaking to seek the Prerogative of Mercy is certainly long over due.
I ask the Women of Belize, and our male colleagues, to join me in posting her picture as your profile picture for the next couple of days to signal our solidarity for her children and grandchildren. I especially ask all those who have experienced Domestic Violence of any kind to join me in acknowledging her and as we make a stand against all acts of Gender Based Violence.
Nora Parham pled not guilty to the charges that she had intentionally lit her partner, a police constable, on fire that caused his death. It is important to note that Parham was a victim of domestic violence, it has been recorded that she reported her situation to the authorities on many occasions to no avail. On April 30th, 1963, an all male jury delivered a guilty verdict after just four hours of deliberation. She was sentenced to death by hanging and although there were attempts by 2,461 Citizens of Belize to seek clemency on her behalf, the petition was rejected. Ms Nora Parham was hanged at 8:00 AM on June 5th, 1963. In my view, the greatest travesty in our Belizean history.
I wish to state publicly that I support this motion and I join my own voice in offering the nation's sincerest apologies to her family. I hope this Act or Parliament will help to heal the deep seethed wounds you have carried all these years. May her soul RIP".
May her soul continue to rest in eternal peace and rise in everlasting glory.
Nora Parham Pardoned: Waves of "Coldseed" In The House Chamber
Nora Parham - the 36 year old mother of eight was put to death on June 5, 1963 - accused of the murder of her husband, Ketchell Trapp. They court found, wrongly, that she had set him on fire; in Orange Walk; evidence has later shown that she was a battered woman - and that is he who lit the match which caused the fire that took his life.
History carries a stain because of her unjust death sentence - and to this day she is the only woman known to have been executed in British Honduras - slash - Belize.
So today, a historical wrong was righted in the house of Representatives when a motion to seek to move the Belize Advisory Council to advise the Governor-General, to exercise what is called the Prerogative of Mercy - to pardon Nora Parham and revoke her death sentence.
It was a rare human moment in a House Chamber that is usually just a playing field for political tribalism. Jules Vasquez was there:
Today in the House of Representatives, the sons of Nora Parham stood arm in arm - tears in their eyes as their mother was posthumously pardoned - almost 60 years after she was put to death by the state.
It was as emotional and true a moment as this chamber has ever seen, and waves of goosebumps flooded the very full galleries - as the visitors gave a standing ovation.
Everyone came to see history play out:
Hon. Dolores Balderamos Garcia, Minister of Human Development, Families & Indigenous Peoples' Affairs "59 years ago a grave injustice was done in the country of Belize, but we are here to shine a light, a spotlight on the issue of domestic violence and to correct in the way that we can the injustice and the stain on our history that that event caused. Let us do today what was not done by the governor Sir Peter Stallad back in 1963. It is the desire of the present government to correct the miscarriage of justice that resulted in the death by hanging of Nora Parham and bring closure to that stain pur history. Now therefore, be it resolved by the Honorable House that: 1) Nora Parham be granted a posthumos pardon and, 2) that the sentence of death by hanging imposed on Nora Parham and executed on June 5th, 1963 be revoked."
Many of Nora's descendants who have lived with that unjust stain on their name today told od their relief:
Harold Parham, Nora's Eldest "I must say that the family feels much much better, a great relief. Whenever the general public look at this now, they will look at her with a different frame of mind. They will recognize themselves that what was done was a grave injustice."
"Well when we heard about posthumous pardon in the beginning, I shook my head. I said, but thats not what we want. What we want is exoneration of her character. Some of the statements that were made, for lack of a better word, pronounce i court that the jury used for their decision - even the jury was pretty bias, because I think if I am right, I think most of them were what we called civil servants and all of them were men and being civil servants and colonialist, they will support the system as it was at that time."
Jules Vasquez "While she has been exonerated, you all still live with a great trauma."
Harold Parham, Nora's Eldest "What happened was I guess in those days most of us were very young. I am the eldest, I was 15 years old and it was 15 down to 3 years old and the bad part of it was that we were shared up; 4 of us in PG, 3 in San Ignacio and one in the US."
Jules Vasquez "To have lost your mother injustly, that has to have really hurt to know that she was dealt an injustice and she was labeled by the state as a murderer."
Harold Parham, Nora's Eldest "We always talk about it and our children and grandchildren when they go to school, when their peers meet them and talk to them, the first thing - oh, you are grandson or granddaughter to the woman that was hang, that murdered her husband. That stings. We dont bring it up deliberately, but if it comes up, we console each other. We know what happened and we console each other and we hug each other."
Jules Vasquez "You saw when she was being abused, sir, do you remember that as a young man?"
Harold Parham, Nora's Eldest "Yes, I did. As a matter of fact when I was still young maybe about 7-8 years old, some nights I use to have to leave home and run to the police station to ask somebody there to come and take him out of the house."
Jules Vasquez "And when she was on trial, none of that was taken into account. What an injustice."
Harold Parham, Nora's Eldest "They tried to mention it, but they were..."
And today the children and grandchildren of Nora have lived to see her name vindicated in the highest House in the land - the victim both of abuse and of a colonial justice system that did not care to hear from a woman who was a victim, not a perpetrator of violence. And now the earnest hope if that real change will come out of this:
Hon. Dolores Balderamos Garcia "I dont often have butterflies in my tummy, but today has indeed been very special. What is encouraging today is that we are shining the light on it in such a way that victims are feeling more comfortable to come forward, there is much more awareness, we have gender advocates in communities now supporting by our ministry and I think that with the level of awareness that this occasion will help to bring about. We would be going a step in the right direction."
The matter now goes to the senate, and, again the Belize Advisory council will be asked to advise the GG to exercise the prerogative of mercy in dispensing a pardon - also a first for Belize.
And today in the house, both sides stood up in support of the motion. Dean Williams - a former UDP Mayor in San Ignacio - is one of Nora's sons and Tracy Taegar Panton said she spoke to him:
Tracy Taegar-Panton - UDP Area Rep., Albert Division "I spoke with her son, Dean, a few days ago in preparing my presentation, and he shared how difficult it was for eight brothers to have been separated because of this atrocity. And while those of us on this side believe there should be some sort of compensation provided to her family, Dean assured me that healing must come. And they have waited as a family for over 50 years for healing to come, and so we respect the wishes of the family."
The Parham family is having a reunion on June 5th to mark the observance of their matriarch being put to death.
Nora Parham to Receive First Posthumous Pardon in Belize's History
In 1963, Nora Parham was sentenced to death after a biased justice system convicted her for the death of an abusive common-law husband. Almost sixty years later, the House of Representatives is seeking to reverse this miscarriage of justice. To this end, a motion was passed inside the National Assembly seeking to move the Belize Advisory Council to advise Her Excellency the Governor General to Exercise the Prerogative of Mercy. The intent is to have Nora Parham be granted posthumous pardon, and to have the sentence of death by hanging imposed on her on June fifth, 1963 revoked. Five of her eight sons were inside the National Assembly today during the reading of the motion. They were overtaken with emotions at the presentation. We spoke with Harry Parham, Nora Parham's eldest son, following the reading.
Harry Parham, Eldest Son of Nora Parham
"Her children, five of us are here. There are still three in the U.S. They will come down for a program we will have in June commemorating this day, and well I must say that the family feel a great relief. There is, it has been so emotional for us from the time the minister stated they were planning for this to happen. I was excited because it coincided on what we had been planning for the fifth. We had been planning a memorial service at the grave site on the fifth of June. So this comes in at the opportune time that the posthumous pardon will be done. I must say we are happy, we are relieved, and knowing that even the government at the level of Cabinet recognizes what we know from the beginning was true. Now it comes out and it comes out the way we really wanted it to come out. We have said all the time, when we heard about a posthumous pardon in the beginning, I shook my head and said that is not what we want. What we want is exoneration of our character, because we knew, not only a gut feeling, but the records of what happened in the trial of what happened, we recognize that they were not listening to her. They were not accepting her statement. They were not accepting other person's statement. I saw a great bias in the decision the court made, the decision other persons made, even the decision of the jury and some of the statements that were made that were pronounced in court that the just used for their decision. Even the jury was pretty biased, because it think, if I am right, I think most of them were civil servants and all of them were men. Being civil servants and colonialist they would support the system as it was at the time. Having this done now was a great relief to us. We see this as whenever the general public looks at this now; they will look at her with a different frame of mine. They will recognize themselves that what was done was a grave injustice; not only in her life being abused, but also that she was dished out an injustice in the courts."
Harry Parham Breaks Silence on Nora Parham's Abusive Relationship
Parham recalls seeing his mother being physically abused at the hands of the man she was accused of killing. He recounted occasions, as a seven-year-old, when he had to run from his home to a nearby police station to seek help for his mother. His family now recommends that more support be provided for domestic violence victims.
Harry Parham, Eldest Son of Nora Parham
"When I was about seven years old, some nights I use to have to leave home and run to the police station to ask somebody there to come and take him out the house. What I asked the minister, I asked the minister and said, let this be something that will press the government to do something about this. I mentioned two basic things that could happen, is set up in each of the major towns in Belize a place where women or abused victims could go to and listen to, and not only listened to but actions could be done to help those people. Also, in each of these places let there be a house of refuge for people like them. I think we need that in all the major towns, and put people in there who are humans, who feel for these types of person, who could sympathize with these persons. It is only if they get a sympathetic ear that they could be helped."
Minister Dolores on Nora Parham's Execution, "A stain on our history"
The motion was brought before the house by Dolores Balderamos-Garcia, the Minister of Human Development and Indigenous People's Affairs. Minister Dolores and a team consisting of various social and government partners have been working on the motion which will now be taken to the senate, and then the Belize Advisory Council. The Council will then make a recommendation to the Governor General. During her remarks, Minister Dolores said this move seeks to correct the injustice and stain on Belize's history.
Dolores Balderamos-Garcia, Minister of Human Development and Indigenous People's Affairs
"Fifty nine years ago a grave injustice was done in the country of Belize. On the fifth of June 1963, Nora Parham was executed leaving eight children behind at the tender age of thirty six. Madam Speaker, we shake our heads in 2022, wondering how such a travesty could have occurred in our beloved country. Madam Speaker let us pause, and I don't wish to go into all of the acts today, but let us pause today to say that that event needed to be corrected. As I said, nothing happen before ih time. This motion follows a motion earlier this year in which this national assembly, this House of Representatives unanimously passed a motion condemning domestic violence. We are not here today to debate the facts of what happened back in 1963, but we are here to shine a spotlight on the issue of domestic violence, and to correct in the way we can the injustice and stain on our history that event caused. We can go and read the transcripts, we can go back to the personal histories of everyone, but we must be sure and certain that in doing that we tell the real story of what occurred. I cannot say what evidence was presented at the time and the lack of defense of Nora Parham, but I can say let us do today what was not by sir Peter Stallard back in 1963."
Opposition Extends Apology to Nora Parham's Family
Tracy Taegar-Panton, the Area Representative of Albert Division, rose to show support for the motion. She extended an apology to the children and grandchildren of Nora Parham on behalf of herself and the Opposition.
Tracey Taegar-Panton, Area Representative, Albert Division
"Would like to personally apologize to the children and grand children of Nora Parham. Our nation owes them an apology. I do so on behalf of our Leader of Opposition, on behalf of our Deputy leader, for the United Democratic Party, on behalf of all of us in this house, may her story live on so that we may be reminded that such injustices, such atrocity, such a miscarriage of justice never, ever, be allowed to happen in Belize again. Madam Speaker, please be assured that we lend our full support to this motion. While those upon us on this side believe there should be some sort of compensation to the family, Dean assured me that healing must come, and they have waited as a family for over fifty years for healing to come. So, we respect the wish of the family. Know that you continue to being our collective conciseness, in our thoughts and prayers, as we use her story to teach the valuable lessons we must learn as a nation."
May 13, 2022, marks not only a major milestone in Belize's history but also the turning of a new leaf for the family and the legacy of Nora Parham. Almost 60 years after she was sentenced to death by hanging and executed after enduring a life of domestic abuse, a motion was passed in the House of Representatives to grant Nora Parham a posthumous pardon.
In Loving Memory of Nora Parham nee Williams Lord's Ridge Cemetery Sunrise: January 2, 1927 Sunset: June 5, 1963
The Museum of Belize through the National Institute of Culture and History takes this time to extend its condolences to the family of Ms.Nora Parham nee Williams and acknowledges the historic event of the posthumous pardon of this once death row inmate at the then Her Majesty's Prison and domestic victim. We applaud the efforts of Hon.Dolores Balderamos Garcia (and all those involved) in championing this effort. This further spurs on our commitment in an ongoing endeavor of documenting the story of Nora Parham for future publication.
Here is a video exploring the premise of her case and basis of today's initiative.
Nora Parham Posthumously Pardoned; Sons Finally Relieved
It was a ceremony like none other on Sunday, with emotions still evidently raw, even fifty-nine years later - a posthumous pardon extended to the only woman to be hanged in Belize after she'd been wrongly convicted of the murder of her policeman partner. Her hanging happened in the early sixties, under Colonial rule when women's rights mattered little and lawmen were purported to do no wrong in domestic situations. So when Nora Parham, a mother of eight young boys spilled some kerosene from the iron she was using on to the clothing that her abusive common-law husband wore and he later accidentally lit himself on fire, the law came down with brute force against her. But at the ceremony attended by the Speaker of the House, Valerie Woods, Supreme Court Justice, Lisa Shoman, Minister of Human Development, Dolores Balderamos-Garcia, and the Mayors of Belize City and Belmopan, the government sought to once and for all, right an age-old wrong. For the eight sons of the late Nora Parham, the gesture means a lot. News Five's Marion Ali was present at the ceremony and filed the following report.
Marion Ali, Reporting
It took fifty-nine years for an erroneous conviction and execution that robbed a woman of her life to finally be corrected. On the fifty-ninth anniversary of that miscarriage of justice she was posthumously pardoned. On the morning of June fifth, 1963, at eight o'clock, Nora Parham was executed at the old Belize Central Prison on Gaol Lane. Prime Minister John Briceno, moved by the story behind Parham's execution, tearfully handed over the Belizean National Flag to the deceased's eldest son, Harold Parham.
The handing-over of the flag was preceded by Cabinet Secretary Stuart Leslie, who read the instrument, validating the pardon. Ambassador Leslie deputized for Governor-General Froyla Tzalam who is away. While it's all symbolic, the gesture is significant for the eight sons who lived to see this day, and were all present to witness it.
Harry Parham, Nora Parham's eldest son
"We always knew that she was innocent. So we look at this as - they call it posthumous pardon but what I hear mentioned also in the House (is) that it's actually an exoneration of her character, and that was what we were striving for."
History has it that Nora Parham intentionally lit her common-law husband, Ketchell Trapp, ablaze. However, details that later surfaced proved not only that she did not start the fire, but that she ran to Trapp's aid when she heard him screaming. Harry Parham said that the family had interviewed Agripina Espejo, who was present when Trapp gave his statement from his hospital bed. Espejo was shut down when she tried to point out the error that changed Nora's fate, and from then on, there seemed to be a haste to convict and hang her.
Harry Parham
"Espejo, who was in her late teens at the time, said that she was inside the courtroom when she heard the police read Trapp's declaration and she immediately rebutted that statement, that it had been changed. She said that they accused Nora of locking Trapp inside the latrine and lighting him on fire. Upon her rebuttal, she was charged with contempt of court. An appeal was sent to the Queen of England and she had agreed to stay the execution, but the correspondence in those days were by either mail or telegram and the correspondence came too late."
Parham shared that he had to run to Trapp's own fellow officers to intervene. So too did Trapp's only son, Anthony that he fathered with Nora.
Harry Parham
"On many occasions, I remember while I was about seven years old - seven, eight - I had to go during the night sometimes at midnight, sometime one o'clock in the morning, I had to go to the police station to ask them to send somebody to take Trapp out of the house."
But temporary intervention was all that Nora Parham got back then. And the vicious cycle continued until the fateful day. In Colonial days, a woman who reported of being a victim of domestic abuse, particularly at the hands of a lawman, was frowned upon, as the children remember.
Harry Parham
"Women were not encouraged to go to police for help. They probably were even scared to go to ask for help because many times they go in, make their complaints, it is ignored or treated very lightly or sometimes they themselves were looked upon as not the victim but as the oppressor."
The execution of Nora Parham pulled her eight sons apart from each other, but they found ways of locating each other and to stay in touch. Through the years, they have grown closer to each other and hold their mom's memory dear to their hearts. And it was evident at Sunday's memorial when Nora's granddaughter, Shari Parham-Sanchez paid this tribute to her late grandmother.
Shari Parham-Sanchez, Granddaughter of Nora Parham
"The day I had to leave you when my life on Earth was through, God picked me up and hugged me and said 'I welcome you.' God gave me a list of things that he wished for me to do, and foremost on that list was to watch and care for you. But one thing is for certain though my life on Earth is over I'm closer to you now than I ever was before."
The sons were all dressed in lavender and black, a silent condemnation of domestic abuse.� It is now what they all want serious action against.
Harry Parham
"Every major town in Belize should have some place manned with personnel that take these issues seriously and compassionately, where each case is recorded and appropriate action taken. They should now have a place they could depend on for counsel to deal with domestic issues and thus would be able to prevent similar occurrences."
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Nora Parham - the 36 year old mother of eight was put to death on June 5, 1963 - accused of the murder of her husband, Ketchell Trapp. They court found, wrongly, that she had set him on fire; in Orange Walk; evidence has later shown that she was a battered woman - and that is he who lit the match which caused the fire that took his life.
Hon. Dolores Balderamos Garcia, Minister of Human Development, Families & Indigenous Peoples' Affairs
"I must say that the family feels much much better, a great relief. Whenever the general public look at this now, they will look at her with a different frame of mind. They will recognize themselves that what was done was a grave injustice."
Hon. Dolores Balderamos Garcia
"I spoke with her son, Dean, a few days ago in preparing my presentation, and he shared how difficult it was for eight brothers to have been separated because of this atrocity. And while those of us on this side believe there should be some sort of compensation provided to her family, Dean assured me that healing must come. And they have waited as a family for over 50 years for healing to come, and so we respect the wishes of the family."
