The Love of a Father, a Mother and a Son

Bornin Montpelier in the parish of Hanover, Jamaica,during the 1920s, Roland 'Ron' Riggan married Lize Patterson and started afamily. He joined the exodus of young men going to Britain from the island during the1950s and drifted into boozing and women. When he fathered a child with anEnglish woman Lize decided that their life would not be thrown away so easily.She raised the passage for their oldest child, Bibs, to travel to Britain in thehope that she would find work and assist Ron to bring over the remainingchildren. The teenager soon found a husband and fell pregnant. Lize resorted toreach Englandherself without the prior knowledge of Ron. She then set about working to bringthe remaining children to Britain. WhenKen had a change of heart and decided to remain on the island in the ministryof the church each of the other children refused to rejoin their parents. Lizefell pregnant at age 40. Upon receiving news that teenage daughter Erva wasdrifting out of the control, she defied the advice of doctors to travel home byship. She then resorted to bring Erva back home. Ron returned home to hisfamily but after only a few months, returned to Britain alone and remained apartfrom his wife for the next thirteen years. The relationship was reconciled whenLize returned to Britainand persuaded Ron to return with her to the island for their retirement. Thirdoldest child, Vandley, was lost to the family in North Carolina, USA.Her family has continued to live closely in the ethos of care and support.