From Salomon and Honeymoon, you can see most of the islands that define Pillsbury Sound. Looking from the west to the east you will see St. Thomas, Thatch, Grass, Mingo, Lovango, Ramgoat, and Henley Cays. The next island you see, Jost Van Dyke, is one of the British Virgin Islands. The word “cay” is pronounced “key” in the Virgin Islands.
There is a popular, but untrue, rumor concerning how Lovango Cay got its name. According to the story, there was once a brothel on the islands and sailors would “love and go”. Actually the names Mingo and Lovango were named after sections of Africa from which slaves were brought to the islands.
Henley Cay, once called Durloe Cay, was named after Pieter Durloe. He was the founder of Klein Caneel Bay Plantation now known as Caneel Bay. During the slave revolt of 1733, the surviving white.cgianters made Klein Caneel Bay their stronghold. Women and children were placed on what is now known as Henley Cay to await rescue and transportation to St. Thomas. Because of this, Henley Cay was also called Women’s Cay.
The late Robert and Nancy Gibney, the parents of the present owners of Gibney Beach on Hawksnest Bay, lived on Henley Cay in the late 1940s before building their permanent home at Hawksnest.
