Former master saddler, the late Melville Williams, has had a long and storied life.
The supercentenarian passed away at his Lonesome Hill, St Peter home on Wednesday at the age of 111, one year shy of Millicent Yearwood, of Fitts Village, St James, who lived to be 112 before her death in 2019.
Over the years, Williams has met with political hopefuls and the Governor General. He has ridden horses and caught public service vehicles at age 92 and beyond, made saddles at age 100 and continued to read his beloved Nation newspaper without glasses when he was 107.
As an accomplished saddler and entrepreneur, he produced saddles and harnesses to outfit horses for buggies and donkey carts as well as bridles and collars for race horses. He found employment in places as far as New York and Pennsylvania, and in Trinidad for the police force, where he was renowned for his skill.
After lengthy employment abroad, Williams returned to Barbados in his later years with the intention of sharing his knowledge and skills by teaching others the art of making saddles and other apparel for horses, to keep the manual art of the trade alive.
His passing was marked by Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley. (CA)
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