Stunning 'Chaney' Find at Gallows Bay: A 19th-Century Link to St. Croix's Past

A sliver of white in the dirt on the way to Gallows Bay turned out to be a double-sided stunner this week. Is it 'Flow Blue' from the 1800s? We dive into the history of this unique find and what it represents for Crucian heritage

A sliver of white in the dirt on the way to Gallows Bay turned out to be a double-sided stunner this week. This fragment of 'Chaney'—a local term blending 'China' and 'Money'—is a window into 19th-century St. Croix.

With its deep cobalt blue mottling, this piece appears to be 'Flow Blue' ceramic, likely imported from England or Denmark in the mid-1800s. While these fine dishes once graced the tables of colonial estates, they often became 'Chaney' after being discarded during historic uprisings like the 1848 Emancipation or the 1878 Fireburn.

For generations of Crucian children, these fragments weren't trash—they were 'play money,' smoothed by the sea and the stones. Today, they remain a symbol of our island's resilience and a reminder that history is always right under our feet.

Credit: Jacob Victor / Facebook