Josefa de Montbrun Otero (b. 1862 in Cumaná, Sucre, Venezuela), the eldest child of Dr Domingo de Montbrun KNT and Emilia Otero de Montbrun, in 1879 married a wealthy and prominent Venezuelan soldier, General José María Betancourt Sucre (b. 1855 in Cumaná, Sucre, Venezuela, the son of José María de Betancourt y Machado and María Magdalena de Sucre y Márquez) and she settled with her husband in Cumaná, Sucre, Venezuela, the ancestral home of Josefa's father, mother and her new husband's family (the de Montbrun, Otero and Betancourt Sucre families). José María Betancourt Sucre, was a nephew of Field Marshall Antonio José de Sucre y Álvarez de Peralta (February 3 1795 – June 4 1830), one of Venezuela’s most distinguished heroes in the War of Independence and a close friend and advisor of the Venezuelan President and South American Liberator, Simon Bolivar. General Betancourt Sucre came to Trinidad upon the death of his father-in-law, Dr Domingo de Montbrun KNT in January 1894 in Venezuela and together with the de Montbrun and Betancourt families, accompanied his remains on the journey from Caracas to Port of Spain where he was laid to rest. During the presidency of General Ignacio Andrade of Venezuela, General Betancourt was twice selected to represent the Venezuelan community in Trinidad as Consul.

From the union of Josepha and Jose Maria came eight children; Antonio Nelson Betancourt de Montbrun, Pedro Luis Betancourt de Montbrun, Domingo Louis Betancourt de Montbrun, Jose Maria Betancourt de Montbrun, Carmen Luisa Betancourt de Montbrun, Mrs J. Ferris, Josefina Betancourt de Montbrun and Emilia Betancourt de Montbrun. Much of the activities of the Venezuelan Betancourt family in Trinidad are generally unknown as much of their lives were spent in Venezuela. However, the life and accompishments of one child that came to live on the island of Trinidad, Antonio Nelson (Nelson, as he was commonly called), was well chronicled and highly recognized in the island of Trinidad, and to a lesser extent the British Empire.

Antonio Nelson Betancourt was born on June 4, 1887 in the city of Cumaná, Sucre, Venezuela and educated at St. Mary’s College in Port of Spain Trinidad. After completing his studies in Land Surveying, he joined the Civil Service in 1908 as a temporary Assistant to the Inspector of Mines, and in 1922, he was appointed Assistant Inspector of Mines, from which post he retired on February 2, 1946 after 38 years of continuous service to the British Empire. After his retirement in 1946 from the Government Service, his vast experience and expertise were duly recognized when he was appointed to head the British delegation in the Marine Boundary Commission at Caracas, Venezuela. Nelson was awarded the Imperial Service Order (I.S.O.) recognizing faithful and meritorious service to the British Empire. Companions of the Order as they are referred, are entitled to add the letters “I.S.O.” to their names. The Imperial Service Order (I.S.O.) Non-withstanding his professional success and accolades, it was Nelson Betancourt’s contribution to sport that Trinidad will best remember him. A born leader, he captained the Shamrock and Queen’s Park Sport Clubs respectively at football and cricket, and saw both teams (Shamrock F.C. in 1911 won the T.A.F.A. Championship Shield and Queen’s Park Cricket Club took the Bonanza Cup in 1917 and 1927 under Nelson’s captaincy) win the trophies for which they competed. But it was the English game of Cricket that was his first and dearest love, and he was often heard to remark that no finer game existed. He captained the North Trinidad Cricket team that won the Beaumont Cup in 1933. He also captained the Trinidad cricket team on several occasions both at home and abroad, and had the satisfaction of leading a Trinidad cricket team to victory in the Intercolonial triangular tournament in 1929. He also had his share of records, playing for Queen’s Park in 1914, Betancourt scored 190 runs against the Diego Martin Cricket Club, the highest individual score up to then. He reached the pinnacle of his career when he was chosen to lead the West Indies cricket team against the M.C.C. (England) in 1930. To date (April 2007) there have only been 27 other captains of the West Indies cricket team, and Nelson Betancourt was the third chosen captain on that exclusive list at the age of 42.

Unlike many an individual who gives up all association with sport after retiring from active play, Nelson continued his love affair with cricket and indeed his eagerness and passion for the sport gained him administrative interests in several other sporting disciplines. He was never too busy to turn down any sport that needed his help. His most ambitious venture was to organize the County Cricket League (that still exists even today) with the object of spreading good cricket through the length and breadth of the colony. He was prominent in the successful efforts to send track and field teams to the British Empire Games in 1935 in Australia, and in 1938 in England, Nelson was the manager of the Trinidad team that participated in the Central American and Caribbean Olympics in Columbia in 1946. The Second World War and the less than enthusiastic support from the cricket authorities of the day did not daunt him and in August 1946, he announced his intention to revive the scheme.

Nelson Betancourt I.S.O. took ill at his home in Cascade Trinidad and subsequently died suddenly at 1pm at the Colonial Hospital on Sunday October 12, 1947 at 60 years of age. He was buried at the de Montbrun family vault in Lapeyrouse Cemetery. He left to mourn Dorothy, his wife, who was holidaying in Caracas at the time of his death, his five daughters, Mrs Errol Newbold (New York), Mrs Archie Bain, Mrs T. Tucker, Miss Monica and Miss Nell Betancourt and his only son, Gerald Betancourt (New York). Sir Learie Constantine, the England-based world famous Trinidad cricketer who was visiting Trinidad at the time, paid tribute to Nelson Betancourt in a radio interview calling him “a great cricketer and a great man, never before have I played under a greater student, nor a more sympathetic leader. His averages may not have made history…but his contributions to West Indian and Trinidad cricket will stand with the passage of time, and be an inspiration to all of us.” When death came, Nelson typically, was in the midst of his passion, he was preparing for a Trinidad athletics team tour, a Trinidad Boxing Team Event, and plans to send an all-Trinidad team to the Olympic Games. He was at the time of his death the chairman of the Beaumont Cricket Cup, the Bonanza Cricket Cup Committee, president of the Amateur Physical Culture Association, vice-president of the Amateur Athletic Association, the Amateur Walking Association, a member of the Olympic Games Committee, and the Boxing Board of Control. His sudden passing was a major blow to Trinidad sport at the time, then deep in the process of rebuilding their sporting teams after the Second World War.

Footnote: The Imperial Service Order (I.S.O.) was instituted by King Edward VII. on August 8th, 1902 (and has been extended from time to time), with a view to recognizing faithful and meritorious service rendered by members (both male and female) of the Civil Services of various parts of the Empire. It now consists of the Sovereign, and not more than 740 (exclusive of those admitted to the order on the coronations of King George V. and King George VI.) Companions (of whom 360 shall belong to the Home Civil Service, or the Foereign Service, 180 to the Civil Services of the Self-Governing Countries of the Commonwealth beyond the seas, the Civil Services of Countries under our protection or of any Mandated or Trust Territories, including the staff of the Crown Agents for the Colonies), recommended by the Prime Minister after 25 years' service (or for Europeans 16 years in certain unhealthy countries, or in special cases a lesser period). The Badge of the Order, which is not returnable upon death, is (for men) a seven pointed star of silver, in the centre threrof a medallion of gold bearing the Royal Cypher of the Sovereign, within a circle inscribed "For Faithful Service" the Cypher and inscription in dark blue enamel, the medallion ensigned with the Royal Crown and surrounded by a wreath of laurel in silver. This decoration is worn by males on the left breast suspended by a ribbon of one inch and a half in width (consisting of a strip of blue between two strips of crimson of equal size), and by women (except with coats of military pattern) on the left shoulder suspended by a ribbon of the same colour and width fashioned into a bow. [Minatures are half size] Companions of the Order add the letters "I.S.O." after their names.

excerpt from Debrett's Peerage, Baronage, Knightage, and Companionage with Her Majesty's Royal Warrant Holders 1957, edited by C.F.J. Hankinson, pg215

Alan de Montbrun

ademontbrun@gmail.com