22/10/2026
Did you know one of the first recorded musicians in the Belize Settlement was the GGG Grandfather of famed Belizean musician, Gerald “Lord” Rhaburn?
Both Rabon’s (Rhaburn) were drummers!
At the age of 19 in 1777, George Raybon/Rabon, enlisted with the British Malitia as a Loyalist of the American Revolutionary War.
His ranking until his final campaign remained: Drummer and Fifer.
He served under:
• Colonel William Ballantine during the Battle of Camden
• Captain John Anderson’s Company in the 3rd and 4th Virginia Regiment of Foot
• Captain William Fowler’s Company in the 5th Virginia Regiment.
Coming to the end of the American Revolutionary War in 1783, George Rabon, with his wife Catherine, their two young children and brother Richard Rabon, shunned by their families and the newly Independent American Colonies, had all their personal properties confiscated, due to siding with the British in America’s Revolutionary War for Independence.
George Rabon, his wife Catherine and two children were forced to seek refuge within “British” protectorship.
In January of 1783, from South Carolina, George Rabon and family found their way via vessel to Jamaica. From Jamaica, the family was then transferred to the Black River Settlement on the Mosquito Shore as refugees of the American Revolutionary War.
Rabon and his family would be refugees once more in 1787, as evacuees of the Mosquito Shore, due to the 14 July, 1786 Convention of London Treaty. Colonel Edward Despard reported some 2,207 individuals evacuated the Mosquito Shore to the Belize Settlement (one report stated 2,214 evacuees).
Note: The Anglo-American Archives in Seville list their arrival in “Belize” as 1792; however, this information is inaccurate as these families were evacuated between March and July of 1787 from the Mosquito Shore.
On the 2nd of September in 1787, just two months after the arrival of the Mosquito Shore evacuees to the Belize Settlement, the Settlement was hit by a devastating hurricane, where all but one home was destroyed!
See:https://gahistoricnewspapers.galileo.usg.edu/lccn/sn84020084/1788-01-26/ed-1/seq-2.pdf
After this devastating event, George’s brother Richard is no longer listed in records.
The 1790 Census of George Rabon’s household listed one adult white male, one adult white female, and one white child, indicating one child (James) passed away in the settlement of Belize.
George Raybon is one of the white Men, listed on the Flower’s Bank Monument, who voted to defend the Belize Settlement in 1797 with the Flowers Family.
Like the Flowers family, the men who voted to defend the Belize Settlement did so for their freedom and the freedom of their descendants today to have a place to call theirs and home.
On 30 May, 1800, George Ra(y)bon recorded that on 15 May, he “take up and locate,” a Works on the Western Lagoon to cut and bring to market Logwood, fustic, or other dye woods. He indicated that his works “binded” on Mr. Bartlett’s Works and upwards the bent towards Backlanding.
George Ra(y)bon indicated he built a hut and hung Grindstone marked with GR at both property boundaries.
This 24,000 acre Works became known as “Revenge Works” or “Rhaburn’s Revenge.”
George Raybon’s trade was a brickmaker, and yes, he brought all his tools with him to the Belize Settlement.
Whenever you hear Lord Rhaburn Combo's "Tenth of September,” the marching drum beat connects to both historical drummers.
Children of George Ra(y)bon (Rhaburn) and wife Catherine of which three were born in the Belize Settlement:
1. John Raybon, shared children with Ann Crawford (coloured) and Susannah Neal (coloured).
2. Rueben Raybon, shared children with Lucinda White (negro) and Ann Flowers (negro)
3. Sarah Raybon, shared children with Henry Pottage and James Waddy
4. James Raybon (passed away young)
5. Charles Raybon, shared children with Elizabeth Williams
