History Notes

This page covers a variety of information relating to Jamaica's culture, heritage and history.

• Chinese in Jamaica
• Christmas Jamaican Style
• Dances
• Emancipation Proclamation
• Fire at Port Royal
• History of the Post Office in Jamaica
• History of St. Mary 
• History of Spanish Town
• Important dates in the History of Jamaica
• Independence Day
• Jamaica
• Kumina
• The Olympians
• Public Holidays in Jamaica
• Railway Catastrophe at Kendal
• Trade Union Movement  
• Traditional Foods in Jamaican Culture

Chinese in Jamaica

Shortly after Emancipation, the English Plantation owners realized that the African descendants having been freed from slavery were reluctant to work on the sugar estate. Based on this realization, they decided to import Chinese and East Indians to work for them.

By 1854, the first group of four hundred and seventy two (472) Chinese come to Jamaica from Panama . Prior to this time there were about thirty Chinese living in Jamaica . The second batch, of about two hundred, coming from Trinidad and British Guiana arrived in Jamaica between 1864-1870. On June 12, 1884 , a third group of about six hundred and eighty arrived straight from China , all having three year contracts.

In 1905, the Jamaican Government noticed the increased population of Chinese immigrants and passed a law that restricted entry to the country if

certain criteria were not met. The law passed emphasized three main areas:

1.      Immigrants had to be registered with immigration authorities before entry.

2.      Immigrants had to have a guarantor from a reliable shop. This guarantor should be able to prove that the immigrant is law-abiding and will not be a burden on society.

3.      Having arrived in Jamaica the authorities need to know their address and contact information. From this point onward the immigration law had become very strict.

By 1930, there were four thousand Chinese immigrants in Jamaica . By 1931 the government had stopped issuing passports as an effort to reduce the “Chinese Invasion” as it was called then.     In another six years the figure reached to a high of six thousand. As a result of this between 1931 and 1940 they were additions to the immigration law that includes:

1.     The immigrants having to successfully pass a written and oral English Language test;

2.      Paying a fee before entry;

3.      Doing a medical examination, which should prove whether or not the immigrant is physically fit and healthy.

After their contracts had expired many were reluctant to return to China as they knew what effect communism would have had on their return. Over population, drought, flood and famine were added reasons why they left China as well as why they remained in Jamaica .

In 1880, many of those who had remained in Jamaica started retail businesses trading in grocery items with a few shops set up in Kingston. They as a group developed the Chinese Benevolent Society, founded by Chung Fah Fuicon in 1890. The purpose of the society was to look after their interest and welfare, to promote charitable activities and mutual assistance among themselves, and to act as arbitrator in the settlement of their disputes.

By 1954, there were over one thousand commercial establishments owned by the Chinese. In 1970 the number amounted to .7 percent of Jamaica ’s population. In 1982, this fell to .2 percent as many migrated to Canada and the United States of America .

The Chinese, were noted for their acumen business and for the caring and nurturing of their children placing great emphasis on education and family life. To date, these characteristics have positively impacted the Jamaican society. Over the years the Chinese became integrated in many professions such as law, medicine, business, retailers, civil servants and teachers, while others remained wage earners in the banking and manufacturing sectors. Jamaican Chinese are greatly admired for being hardworking, diligent and courteous. They have added another dimension to the plurality of the cultural heritage of Jamaica .  During Christmas and other special occasions one can always look forward to performances of the Dragon Dance in the floats in the city.

References

Chen, Julie. “The Chinese in Jamaica.” The Daily Gleaner 29 June, .:p15.

Lee, Easton

“Jamaican culture: the Chinese connection.” The Observer 31 May 1997.

Yap, Stephen. “The Chinese Community”. The West Indian Review. [    ]1954.

Yin, Lee Tom. Chinese in Jamaica . Kingston , 1957.

Christmas Jamaican Style

The Meaning of Christmas

Christmas, observed by millions of the world over is the most widely celebrated event on the Christian calendar.

The word "Christmas" is derived from the Old English phase Crites Masse, which means "The Festival Mass of Christ."  According to written records the observance has been fixed to December 25 from as early as AD 336.

Christmas Cards

The custom of sending printed cards started in England in the 1840s, John Calott Hoisley printed about 1000 cards for sale in 1843, by 1875, the custom had been spread to the United States.

In Jamaica the exchange of greeting card has been an integral part of the yuletide season for many years.  European oriented illustrations were once prevalent, but in recent years the cards have featured works of Jamaican artists, local scenery and traditional Christmas symbols with a distinctly Jamaican flavour.

Worship

Christmas celebrations commemorate the birth of Jesus, the Messiah, 2000 years ago in Bethlehem, Judea.  To Christians in Jamaican and around the world celebrating this occasion is a high point of the calendar of worship.

Communion services, candlelight ceremonies, concerts, all-night prayer meetings and the singing of Christmas carols are expressions of reverence and festivity of the Christmas season as celebrated by various denominations.

The Municipal Christmas Tree

The annual tree lighting ceremony in Kingston is a tradition that involves the turning on of hundreds of coloured bulbs on the tree, fire works display, singing of carols, Christmas messages and the distribution of gifts to the needy.

From 1952 the municipal Christmas tree was a gift from Saguenay Terminals Ltd. of Canada through their local agents Sprostons (JA) Ltd.

However, since 1979 the KSAC has been using locally grown trees from Clydesdale.

Before 1961 the Christmas tree was placed at Victoria Park, between 1961 and 1979 it was located in George VI Memorial Park (National Heroes Park).  It is now back in the Victoria Park presently called St. William Grant Park to spread cheer.

Ham

During slavery ham was cured by smoking it in large baskets called kreng-kreng over a slow fire.  Pimento was heavily used in spicing the meat.

The consumption of ham back in 1898 seemed to have been considerable, Galls Newsletter of that year states that "enormous stocks of ham and smoked tongues" were bought by Negroes during the Christmas season.

Today, ham continues to be a delicious dish on many Christmas dinner tables in Jamaica.

Sorrel - Christmas Drink

The sorrel plant like many of its relatives of the Hibiscus family is probably indigenous to Jamaica as it is to other parts of the Caribbean India and Hawaii.  The sorrel drink, a refreshing drink when cool is made by steeping the red ripe calyx in boiling water.  It is sweetened with sugar or syrup and flavoured with ginger, cloves, rum or brandy.

Before refrigerators became common sorrel would be cooled by standing in stone or earthenware jars from which it was lifted by long handled ladies.

Christmas Pudding

Christmas pudding is a European derivation, but the use of rum in the pudding or cake seems to be of Caribbean character.

The Jamaican puddings and cakes are very rich with fruits that have been soaked in wine or rum for weeks before Christmas.

Back to top

---

JONKONNU 

The John Canoe or Jonkonnu has a very long tradition as a folk festival, incorporating both African and European forms. The ‘Jonkonnu’ Festival is secular in nature and its performance at Christmas time is merely historical.  It was conceived as a  festive opportunity afforded the slave class by the planter class, as Christmas was one of the few periods when the slaves were relieved of their duties.  Hence, Christmas formed an appropriate season for festivities as all normal business activity on the island was halted by official decree and all males were called up for military service, augmenting the population in the larger towns.  Therefore, ample opportunity was given to the slaves to show off their talents to the spectators who had also been given time off from work. From as early as the beginning of the 18^th century masked and costumed performers have paraded the streets of Jamaica most often at Christmas time, but also at state functions, receiving money and food in return for their performances.             

There is a bit of controversy as to he source of the name of the festival.  While some believe that the origin of the name is unknown, others contend that the name and principal character are honourable memorials to John Conny, an active, successful black merchant near Axim along the Guinea Coast around 1720.  John Conny was an important historical person.  He worked for the Brandenburg Company, having command over three trading forts – Pokoso, Takrama and Akoda on the coast of Ghana.  Over time, the spelling has varied, with British influenced writers spelling the name John Canoe, while the Jamaican spelling more closely resembles the pronunciation – Jonkonnu.

Traditionally, the Jonkonnu festival was held on a regional basis accounting for differences in characters, costumes and performance styles.  The English influenced troupes never include animal characters.  Instead their core members are usually a king and queen, courtiers and incidental characters bases on the English masquerades.  The traditional and English based troupes dress differently with the latter wearing ‘fancy dress’, while the former demonstrated a strong African influence.  Notwithstanding these differences to be recognized across the island, traditional Jonkonnu most often includes as core participants, the cow head, the horsehead, the devil, the different categories of warriors and Indians, as well as a character known as Pitchy-Patchy.

The more popular characters are quite worthy of further mention as their presence in the festival evoked an admixture of fear and excitement in onlookers.  The Jonkonnu cowhead attire is made from a pan, or from half a shell of a coconut, with holes allowing for the insertion of real horns.  The headdress is worn over a headwrap and a wire screen mask with painted facial features; a cloth tail is attached to the dancer’s backside.  Meanwhile, the horsehead is made from a mule’s skull, equipped with and articulated jaw, and attached to a pole.  It is painted, eyes are added, and the player covers himself with a piece of cloth.  The rest of the costume is left up to the individual performer but generally consists of white tennis shoes, pants, and a shirt in contrasting colours and patterns.

Another character that may reflect an African heritage is Pitchy-Patchy.  He is usually the most flamboyant and athletic troupe member and appears in both Jonkonnu and Masquerade bands.  His costume is made of layered strips of brightly colored fabric.  Contemporary oral tradition claims that this costume is based on a vegetal prototype (layers made up of plant leaves).  The eventual transition from a costume of layered straw or palm fronds to one of layered strips reflects the increased distribution of such materials, an increase in prosperity, or merely a visual statement of an urban image rather than a rural one.

The Devil carries a pitchfork and wears a cowbell attached to his backside.  His headdress is a cardboard cylinder on top of which rests a flat rectangular cardboard section.  The entire costume is black.  Meanwhile, another male plays Belly Woman, a pregnant lady whose antics, especially her ability to make her belly move in time to the music, are designed to amuse the onlookers.

Warrior Jonkonnu wears a foil-covered cardboard heart on his chest and strands of beads; his wooden sword is painted silver.  In addition to the obligatory head cloth and mesh mask worn by all performers, warrior wears a cone-shaped headdress with feather or groups of feathers at the top of the cone, which is adorned with mirrors, cutouts and old newspaper photographs.  Wild Indian wears a very similar costume with the exception that he carries a tall cane and cross-bow.

Although a tradition of the ‘common’ people, Jonkonnu has also received official recognition.  In more recent times, however, Jonkonnu is mostly seen on such important state functions such as the second celebration of Carifesta, held in Jamaica in 1976.  Also during the mid-1970s Michael Manley’s People’s National Party actively supported many grass-roots cultural forms, giving official sanction to Jonkonnu performances.  Also the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission has hosted competitions in the field, opening up avenues for public performances.  

Back to top

---

Dances

Jamaican traditional dances falls roughly under three categories:

African derived, European derived and Creole, that is, a mixture of both types.

The African derived dances are mainly religious ones being integral parts of ceremonies of worship.  These dances take the ritualists into the realm the spiritual and heighten their readiness for possession e.g. Kumina, Myal and Pocomania.

Jamaica is indebted largely to the Maroon Communities for the preservation of these aspects of our African Heritage.

There are other African derived dances that were social in intent and which are still performed in Jamaica.  These include Etu, Quadrille and Maypole which though originally of religious significance, is now largely social.  The dances which accompany work songs and ring games also fall into this category are examples of social dances that are of European origin and have kept their popularity throughout the years.

The Creole dances that were created in Jamaica tend to borrow elements from both European and African cultures e.g. Johnkannu/Jonkonnu - the oldest and most popular, Bruckin's, Pukkumina and Revival.

Bruckin's

Bruckin's is a member of the creolised group of traditional dances.  As with Jonkonnu, the dance reveals a unique mixture of African and European influences.  The Bruckin's party is a stately, dipping-gliding dance typified by the "thrust and recovery" action of the hip and leg.  It was formerly done to commemorate the Emancipation of slaves on August 1, 1838.  The form and content of the dance, with Red and Blue Sets competing, is reminiscent of 19th century plantation Jonkonnu and the Set Girls' parade.  The movement was said to have been derived from the Pavanne, a European court dance of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.  The Pavanne originated in Italy.

In Bruckin's, the pomp and ceremony of British royalty is mixed with African dance performance practices.  The dance take the form of pageant - a bright processional parade of Kings, Queen, courtiers and other gentry.  The movement, however, is mainly African derived; the jotting forward of the pelvis, use of bent knees, flexed foot, tilted back torso and bent arms are all elements attributable to the dances of West Africa.

Bruckin's party would usually begin late in the evening. Dancers, formed in two sets, would proceed from one house to another, parading their costumes and displaying their dance skills.  The set was parted into two, one in red and the other in blue, consisting a King, Queen and courtiers known as grand-sons and grand-daughters, sergeants, soldiers, pages.  This was a direct imitation of what the newly-freed slaves saw as the Royal Family and their military complement.

The two sets are rivals and often kept their costumes a secret until day of the celebration.  The queen of each set would first come out and have the dance competition for the duration of one song to see which would "bruck" the better.  Following this there would be a Tea-Time session.  This session, today, is very uncommon.

Bruckin's includes music from the drum, knocking of the sticks, a fife and singing songs.  The drummers and singers do not dance but move with the procession.  Today Bruckin's is found mainly in Portland, the eastern section of the island.  The coordinated culture is however kept alive by the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission through festivals.

Dinkie mini

Dinki mini is mainly found in St. Andrew, St. Mary and St. Ann.  It is a member of the Wake Complex of traditional dances.  Dinkie mini is performed on the second to the eighth night of the traditional ninth night observances.  These sessions are primarily lively and celebratory in nature and are geared to cheering the bereaved.  Dancing in couples and sing lively "mento" type of music occur for the first few nights.

By the sixth to the seventh night, Ring games, Anansi stories, riddles dominates the proceedings.  The ninth night is climaxed by rituals designed to send off the "mature" spirit properly.  It is related to the Gere practices best known on the western end of the island.

---

Emancipation Proclamation

“Whereas an Act has been passed by the Legislator of Island of Jamaica for Terminating the Present System of Apprenticeship on the First Day of August Next, and Thereby Granting The Blessing and Privileges of Unrestricted Freedom to All Classes of its Inhabitants and Whereas It Is Incumbent On All The Inhabitants of This Our Island To Testify 
Their Grateful Sense of This Divine Favour.
We Do Therefore By and With The Advice of our Privy Council of this Our Said Island Direct An Appoint That Wednesday The Said First Day of August Next Be Observed In All Churches and Chapels As A Day of General Thanksgiving To Almighty God For These His Mercies and Of Humble Intercession For His Continued Blessing and Protection On This Most Important Occasion and We Do Hereby Call Upon Persons Of All Classes Within This Our Said Island To Observe This Said Day Of August Next With The Same Reverence And Respect Which Is Observed And Due To The Sabbath…” 

   
Plantation Slavery was a system of labour exploitation to promote staple crops for the Colonial Powers. It became a mode of racial domination that formed the basis of a stratified society built on colour with the white group controlling the means of production and dominated the socio-political life of the colonies.

The Emancipation Act of 1st August 1834 declared all slave children under six years of age and any which might be born after that date free. All other enslaved persons became apprenticed to their former masters up to 1st August 1838, after which, they were made free.

While Apprenticeship lasted, the apprentices had to work on the plantations for their masters for three-quarters of every week or40 ½ hours without wages. The masters reciprocated by providing lodging, clothing, medical assiatance and food, in exchange for food provision grounds on which the apprentices could grow their own crops. For the remaining quarter 13 ½ hours, the apprentices were free to either work on the provision ground themselves, or for wages. With the money earned, the apprentices could save towards the purchase of their freedom and many did so. 

Another provision of the Emancipation Act was the granting of £20,000,000 to all British slave owners. The Jamaican Assembly was the first to enact the Emancipation Laws, as without doing this they would not have qualified for the monetary compensation of £6,149,939.Apprenticeship was thought necessary for the Jamaican slaves, as this would prepare them gradually for freedom. To ensure a smooth operation the British Government appointed Stipendiary Magistrates to supervise the Apprenticeship System. The magistrates were made up of Englishmen and coloured Jamaicans. In spite of the hard work done by the Stipendiary Magistrates problems persisted in the working of the system.

Some of these are as follows:

The success of the Apprenticeship System was inconsistent. It worked for a while then failed. The failure came through confusion and disputes between planters and apprentices. The worst tale of Apprenticeship came out of the prisons as the conditions were harsh with some ex- slaves made to work in chains, while others were placed in solitary confinement. Other punishments were flogging, starvation and sentence to the treadmill, which was a revolving device on which the offender had to walk. If he slipped he would be hung by writs tied together and be battered by the revolving steps. These conditions somewhat helped to hasten the end of Apprenticeship.

Reports of these brutal treatments were made by William Knibb to the House of Commons. Buxton acted on these accounts and asked for an enquiry. In March 1836 a select Committee from the House of Commons was appointed to enquire into the condition and Laws of the Apprenticeship System. In November of that year, Governor Sir Lionel Smith tried to get laws passed to remedy certain abuses but the Jamaican Assembly opposed the passage of the Act. Because of this development Joseph Sturge, a Quaker  along with Thomas Harvey came to Jamaica to see for themselves.  Sturge and his colleagues made a point of taking evidence from the negroes themselves. The West Indies in 1837 is a result of this self appointed commission. 
This had a powerful effect on the British public and helped to revive the Anti-Slavery sentiments.

With the failure of the Apprenticeship System in Jamaica Full Emancipation was in view. The granting of full freedom which ended slavery transformed the legal status of more than 80% of the population rmaking everyone before the Law. It altered the labour base of the community by substituting a wage labour system for unpaid Apprentice labour.

The total abolition of slavery provided the principal impetus for the growth of Jamaican peasantry. This rapid expansion of peasantry during the post-slavery period came about despite the attempts of large-scale proprietors to deny the freed people and former indentured workers access to significant amounts of good land. Proprietors were intent on maintaining a landless proletariat rather than creating an independent peasantry. Where Crown land existed planters used their political powers to place several restrictions on their sale or occupation.

Back to top

---

Fire at Port Royal

On June 7, 1692 Port Royal known then as the "wicked" and "richest" city in the world sunk into the sea.  This occurred during a great earthquake. Much has been written about this catastrophe, but little is known about the fire that caused a level of destruction similar to that experienced by the residents of Port Royal at the time of the earthquake.

On Saturday, the 9th of January 1702, about 11 o'clock Port Royal was awakened with a lamentable cry of fire.  The flames spread furiously and in almost three hours most of the houses were in flames.  By 10 p.m. later in the evening everything was totally destroyed except the two forts.  It was reported that "14 acres of land being the richest ground ever belonged to the crown of England, was perished".  Most of the provisions, silks, linens, cloths, spices and most forts of merchandize of incredible value were totally consumed by fire.

Hundreds of people who the day before were worth some thousands of pounds were reduced by this calamity to starvation.

The destruction of Port Royal by the fire of 1702 was of such magnitude, that the governor council and assembly ordered the residents to re-settle in Kingston which was seen as a "safe haven".

Port Royal remains a historical treasure chest with most of it's archaeological riches still buried beneath the sea.  Because of it's legendary wealth, it has attracted many post modernist historians and has been the site of scientific, marine, and archaeological explorations.

Over the years, several artifacts have been recovered but strangely, considering that the site was once reputed to be the richest city in the world, no gold or precious stones have surfaced.  Port Royal now stands as a national monument which attracts local as well as international visitors.

--Sources - Account of the Fire at Port Royal 1702

Back to top

---

The History of the Post Office in Jamaica

In the year 1663, the then reigning monarch King Charles II, instructed Thomas Lynch, Lieutenant-Governor of Jamaica, to make all the necessary arrangements for the establishment of a Post Office in the island. The office was to be under the management of Daniel O’neil, Postmaster General of London, to whom all accounts were to be sent. This royal action ensured for Jamaica the honour of being the first British Colony to establish its own Post Office.

In connection with the proposed Post Office, masters of vessels trading with Jamaica were instructed to take good care of letters entrusted to them, and told that when a place for the receipt and dispatch of letters had been set up in the island, all private persons would be prevented by law from carrying mails.

Nonetheless, it was not until 1670, when a gentleman from Port Royal complained to London, the Secretary of the General Post Office (G.P.O.), that the conveyors of the mail were opening letters sent, that any real action was taken. Roused to action by this letter, London at once requested the authorities in the island to take action, and by order of the Council of Jamaica, which met at St. Jago de la Vega on 21 September 1671, the Marshal was ordered to go on board every vessel and receive all letters, both from master and passengers. He was further instructed to make a list of all the letters received and to give receipts for them. For this service he was empowered to charge a small fee of 3d. Later that year on the 31^st October the Council appointed one Gabriel Martin as Postmaster of Jamaica with instructions that he should create a Post Office both at Passage Fort and St. Jago. However, this was short lived as Martin later disappeared and by 1673, there was again the need for a new postmaster. James Wales – Merchant Adventurer of London, whose ship the ‘James’ had just been captured off Cartegena by French privateers appeared. Wales also had close ties with the Island, having used Jamaica as his base for much of his mercantile activity. He jumped at the opportunity offered to him in England to take over the Post Office in Jamaica.

However, there was to be more trouble for the Post Office as Wales’ fellow merchants and indeed the Planters had no faith in his ability to run the enterprise. Thus, in 1688, the Duke of Albemarle, Governor of Jamaica, ordered an investigation into the operations of the Post Office. The report submitted on the 22^nd July 1688 by Sir Thomas Powis, His Majesty’s Attorney General, recommended setting up a Post Office in Jamaica under the control of the Earl of Rochester, the Postmaster General of Britain.

By a patent dated 17^th February 1691, a petitioner to the Crown, Thomas Neale, was granted authority for twenty-one years to erect and encourage a Post Office in the America’s. The patent besides covering the North American Colonies also took in the various islands and ports, which constituted the ‘American Plantations’. He was made responsible for the receiving and dispatching of letters and packets to and from England, and had the power to take for his own use such postage rates as were proportional to the rates established for the erection of the Jamaican Post Office. Thomas Neale therefore had a monopoly, all other persons being forbidden to erect similar offices in these lands.

By 1700, this monopoly appears to have passed into other hands, as a letter from the General Post Office to the Lords Commissioners of His Majesty’s Treasury details Mr. Neale’s death, and the assignment of his affairs to Andrew Hamilton and Robert West.

Early in the 1700s the external mail service was, for about a decade, well handled by Edward Dummer who provided a regular service from Portsmouth in England via Barbados, Antigua, Montserrat and Nevis to Jamaica. During this period it was deemed important to have mails stamped with the name of the point of origin on all letters. The earliest date where the‘Jamaica’ straight line handstamp appears is August 1746. Earlier letters bearing the Jamaican handstamp may exist but to date none have been located. It could be that many of the letters from this period never reached their destination. Dummer’s ships were one of the prime targets of the privateers who plundered and burnt many of these packets and eventually put Dummer out of business.

Jamaica was growing fast – the population moving into new areas. The sugar industry began to reach new heights emphasing the need for better communication. The failure of the Dummer Service forced the populace to revert to sending mails via whatever carrier, be it Man O’War or Merchantman, that was available. Letters often had to be duplicated or triplicated in order to ensure that correspondence reached its destination. By the mid-1700s Jamaica became Britain’s most important colony in the West Indies. Communication with Britain and the other islands was of great importance. The mail service had to be efficient. This fact was realized in Britain and Edward Dismore arrived in 1754 to take up the office as Postmaster General of Jamaica. Dismore was determined to do a good job and, while some of his actions were unpopular, he set about to create a fine postal service and network of Post Offices for the island. The Post Office profits had grown and Dismore was accused of not handing over to the Jamaican Government their full share of the revenue but, Dismore received the full support of the Crown and was in fact returning the profits to the British Post Office, he kept his position.

It was Dismore who set up what are today some of the key Post Offices of the Island. In the list of Post offices he created were Old Harbour, Vere, Black River and Savanna-la-Mar on the south west coast; Port Antonio, Annotto Bay, Port maria, St. Ann’s Bay, Falmouth and Montego Bay on the north coast and Bath, Morant Bay and Yallahs on the south east coast among many others. Dismore it was too who, it appears, insisted on the use of the “Jamaica” Straight Line and posting town handstamps which came into use in the 1770s. The foundations laid by this man speak highly of his ability and of the importance Jamaica was to Britain to have had such a fine postal system established so early.

Delivery

The evidence presented by early correspondence from Chief Justice Peter Heywood to Colonel Charles Long shows that in 1708, a regular stagecoach service operated between Kingston and Spanish Town but it is not known whether it carried mail, though it would appear it did.  It is debatable how long the arrangement lasted and there are no records in Jamaica of the existence of the stage.

Until the advent of the Railway in 1845, mail had been conveyed by slave, post boy or mule over a system of five post roads organized to cover all the district offices. Even though the service was extremely slow, it did ensure at least one weekly post to even the most remote parts of the island.

At first, the railway only covered a small area between Kingston, Spanish Town and later, Old Harbour, although it was responsible for an easing of postal costs and a subsequent reduction in postal rates for letters sent between any two points on the railway. The mail for the outlying districts however, continued to be carried by mule until 1873, when the state of the railway became so chaotic that the Postmaster General terminated the mail contract and spent L200 per annum on the transportation of mail by road between Kingston and Spanish Town.

The idea of a subsidized mail-coach service, with an initial capital of L6,000, had been raised some years earlier but no decision had been reached and it was not until the cessation of the conveyance contract, that public complaints of mail delays began to arrive from the northern parishes and His Excellency, the Governor, ordered two mail-carts to be manufactured in England to begin the service. Only one arrived and it was described as “a clumsy Noah’s Ark on wheels”. It first arrived at Spanish Town on August 19^th 1873, when it was brought in by Mr. F. Allwood, the Post Office Inspector, having taken one and a half hours to cover the distance of thirteen miles from Kingston. Clumsiness and weight proved to an insurmountable obstacle to its correct functioning and it was soon retired and finally scrapped.

By the end of 1878, complaints regarding the slowness of the mails had reached a new height and the Government ordered the subsidization of a light mail-coach to operate between Old Harbour and Mandeville, the latter being considered a good centre for the distribution of mail for parts of the northern and western parishes.

From 1878 onwards, mail was again conveyed by rail but the services to other districts continued to be made by mule, the new mail-coach and later, by mule carts. In 1881, the first mule-drawn mail-coach was put into operation between Kingston and St. Ann’s Bay, carrying a number of fare-paying passengers and this new system immediately began to spread, being efficient, economic and well used by the public.

On April 1^st 1910, mails were carried for the first time by motor transport, the vehicles being supplied by the Jamaica Motor Company under contract with the post office but the experiment was shortlived and when re-introduced in 1913, it operated under direct post office control and was used on all the island’s main post roads.  Since then, the motor mail-coach service has been considerably extended and the entire island is now covered by a network of small official services, connecting with many tiny villages and larger offices.  Mail between Kingston and Port Royal was then conveyed by the Harbour Master’s launch across Kingston Harbour and at Port Morant.

In the late 1950’s, in an attempt to effect certain badly needed economies and increase efficiency, the Jamaica Post Office enlisted the co-operation of British postal experts to organize a working study of the postal services and administration.  Their recommendations resulted in a series of Travelling Post Offices being established from 1961 onwards, which were intended to operate between several of the larger centers of population.  These T.P.O.s picked up and conveyed closed mail between agencies and main offices and did a certain amount of sorting on each journey, especially forward sorting to offices and agencies lying immediately beyond the various terminal points.  Each van was equipped with letterboxes and when halted in a village where the mail had already closed, letters could be posted therein and dealt with, although none of the units offered a counter service to the public.

Perhaps few people are aware of the dynamic role the Post Office has played in the history of Jamaica. The romance of the early days where mail was so uncertain of getting to its destination that letters had to be duplicated many times and still ran the risk of being captured by the privateers, is relatively unknown to the public. With technological advances and the advent of email the Post Office has had to become more innovative in order to be more competitive and meet the challenges of modern day. They have had to offer wider and more varied services. Post Offices are now offering banking services; they are also taking advantage of modern technology and a few of the larger ones are establishing Internet Kiosks for the benefit of members of the public.

References

Back to top

---

History of St. Mary

The Parish of St. Mary is situated on the north-eastern side of the island.  It is comprised of approximately 610 square kilometres of mainly hilly terrain of shale rock and limestone.  It has an intricate web of surface and under-ground drainage which contributes to the lushness of the vegetation.  A Handbook of St. Mary 1897 described the parish as "possessing a wealth of agricultural resources and interesting physical and geological features".

After the English finally captured Jamaica from the Spanish in 1660, the area around the north coast town of Puerta Santa Maria became known as St. Mary and the chief town as Port Maria.

The importance of St. Mary in the history of Jamaica is in many ways un-rivalled. Significant traces of an indigenous Taino culture remain and the parish has been the scene of landmark events such as the Battle of Rio Nuevo and Tacky's Great Slave Rebellion.

Throughout the centuries the parish has undergone many social and political changes.  Today it is a place of several communities at different stages of development.  Agriculture forms the main base of the local economy, with tourism a fast-growing sector.  Both industries have vast potential for growth and if given the required attention can contribute much to improving the lives of the people of St. Mary.

The People

St. Mary was one of the most important plantation regions during the period of slavery and the people of the parish, like the rest of Jamaica, are mainly descendent from the Africans brought to work on the several plantations found throughout the parish.  The descendents of the other peoples remain and while most slaves took the surname of their owners, names like Goffe and Marsh and the physical features of some of the persons bearing the names are strongly suggestive of an English heritage.  The Silveras, another well-known St. Mary name, are descendent from Portuguese Jews and an old Jewish Cemetery can be found in Crescent.

Scott's Hall is principal home to the St. Mary Maroons and the parish has amongst the largest number of (East) Indians in the island.  The "Chinese" remain the principal owners of businesses and "Syrians" and other nationalities are found in pockets throughout the parish.  Since the several decades that these groups have been "thrown" together they have managed to co-exist in relative harmony producing from among them persons who have gone on to distinguish themselves within and beyond the borders of St. Mary.

Cultural and Artistic Traditions

The cultural and artistic traditions of St. Mary reflect a mixed heritage typical of Jamaica.  It is a heritage that is rich and vibrant.  One of the most important is the religious heritage - particularly Christian.  If Jamaica can be said to have more churches per square mile than any other country then the same may be said of St. Mary among the parishes.  All of the main denominations are represented in the parish with several new churches "springing up".  This is what some say accounts for the reputed humble nature of the people and the low crime rate.  Albany is the home of a small community of Muslims.

Other traditions prevail, some of them a mixture of sacred and secular practices.  Most notable among them is an African-derived ring play or song and dance, the Dinki Mini.  Indigenous to the parish, this form was originally practiced in connection with funeral ceremonies but may now be performed on other celebratory occasions. Other similar expressions such as the Kumina, Revival and Pocomania are seen in sections of the parish.  Many of these practices are integral to the way of life of many communities and attempts are made to preserve them, mainly through the efforts of the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission and its Annual Festival of the Arts.  Many individuals and groups from St. Mary have performed with distinction in these festivals and a number of Jamaica's most well-known performing artistes have roots in St. Mary.  The include balladeer Beres Hammond and actor Oliver Samuels.

St. Mary has a thriving community of painters, woodcarvers, sculptors, craftworkers and ceramists.  The Clonmel Potters are among the more well-known of these artists and their high quality products have found ready markets.

On the culinary side St. Mary is said to have a taste for curry, reflective of the Indian heritage and fish (and bammy), related to the coastal location of many of the major towns.  Coconut dishes and, of course, banana are also favourites.

St. Mary is a sports-loving parish.  The St. Mary Cricket Association is s aid to have been at one time the best run rural club in Jamaica.

Sites, Monuments and Attraction

It can be hardly disputed that for monuments, historic buildings and ruins St. Mary is one of the richest parishes.  Several Great Houses in various conditions of repair and their vast acreages speak volumes of a by-gone plantation era.  These include Brimmer Hall, White Hall, Iter Boreale and Agualta Vale.  Stately church buildings dating back to the 18th and 19th centuries can be found in Port Maria, Retreat, Islington, Annotto Bay and other communities.

Monuments to the memory of the slave warrior Tacky, the distinguished 18th century legislator, Sir Charles Price and those who took part in the Battle of Rio Nuevo, among others, have been established.  The Port Maria Municipal building (now Civic Centre) originally constructed in 1821 is one of the parish's most impressive structures.

In addition to these historic sites, St. Mary is possessed of extreme physical beauty.  The lush, green interior, winding rivers like the Wag Water, beautiful mountains and the attractive coastline are certainly sights to behold.

With all these attributes St. Mary is ripe with opportunities for development in the areas of Heritage and Nature/Eco-Tourism.

Did you know that

-- St. Mary Parish Library
May 2002

Back to top

The History of Spanish Town

 

St. Jago de la Vega or Spanish Town once the capital city of Jamaica in the parish of St. Catherine has the finest collection of historical buildings, and the country's archives.  Built on the West Bank of the Rio Cobre the town lies thirteen miles from Kingston on the main road.  As a site of historical importance, its history was shaped by its experiences within two significant colonial periods.  These periods are the Spanish from 1534 -1655 and the English from 1655 -1782.

From its foundation Spanish Town became the center of Jamaican life and history.  A lively commercial route was organized under Spanish administration, between Jamaica, Spain and other Spanish territories.  In addition to the commercial activities that went on in Spanish Town, a formal political structure was established under Spanish government.

After conquering the Spaniards in 1655, the British renamed Villa de la Vega, Spanish Town.  On arrival the English realized that the people had loosened their cattle and fled to the neighboring Cuba.  The soldiers in retaliation looted and destroyed the town, which would ironically inhibit later attempts at settlement.  When the English began their attempts at settlement they were unable to completely restore the structures that were previously destroyed.  To worsen their situation, they were not used to the climate and tropical diseases took an early tool on the new settlers.

They also had to contend with Maroons who were freed Negroes or slaves who had escaped from the Spaniards and had fled to the mountains.  The Maroons attacked the English quarters in the capital and the other parishes consistently slaughtering soldiers and setting fire to houses occupied by the English settlers.

It took some time for Spanish Town to recover from many unfortunate circumstances.  During this time Port Royal operated as the capital.  Even though Spanish town was not at the forefront the first King's house, the official residence of the Governor was built in Spanish Town in 1765.  During that time many distinguished visitors were welcomed to Spanish Town.  Persons such as Admiral Rodney, Horatio Nelson and William Bligh spent time in the capital.  The town gradually became the island's administrative centre housing The Parish Council, The House of Assembly and The Supreme Court.  After Port Royal was devastated by the earthquake of June 7, 1692 Spanish Town regained its supreme position and remained that way for nearly 180 years.

By 1755, serious rivalry from lobbyists caused increasing speculation about the continued suitability of Spanish Town as the capital.  By 1836, Governor Lionel Smith observed that "the capital was in ruins, with no commercial, manufacturing and agricultural concern in operation".  To worsen the situation on the heels of The Morant Bay Rebellion of 1865, Sir John Peter Grant ordered the removal of the capital to Kingston (1872) which, with its spectacular harbors and major trade links had come to be considered the natural capital of the island.  After the capital was removed Spanish Town lost much of its life and grandeur.

To date Spanish Town is considered as a town of significant historical value in this hemisphere. It boasts the oldest iron bridge of its kind in the Western Hemisphere, which was erected in 1801 at a cost of four thousand pounds.  It also had one of the first Spanish Cathedrals to be established in the new world.  This was built around 1525.  Most religious denominations have churches or meeting halls in the town.  Besides the Anglican Cathedral, there is a Roman Catholic Church; there are Wesleyan, Baptists and Seventh-Day Adventist chapels, as well as a Moslem Mosque, the only one of its kind in the island.

In the town standing untouched in character is an historic alms-house and a public hospital and a maximum penal institution built in the eighteenth century.  There is in the town itself a factory where dyes are made from logwood, and a rice processing plant.  In the neighborhood are five large sugar estates, a milk condensary and a large textile mill -- significant contributors to the changing social and economic patterns of the Old Capital.

In acknowledgement of this town's importance the Spanish Town Historic Foundation was created to assist in the refurbishing, renovating and to further the development of the town. Although "Old St. Jago" may not be the capital it remains a source for enlightenment of the world community and a living museum of international importance.

--Source: National Library of Jamaica collection

Back to top

---

Important dates in the History of Jamaica

A list of some of the Free Villages established in Jamaica after Emancipation:

One of the most important developments in Jamaica in the immediate post slavery period was the founding of the Free Villages.  These were new communities of freed people who lived away from the estates.

Free Villages were usually large tracts of land purchased by the missionaries and then subdivided into smaller plots for sale to their members.

The church founded free villages were established after the passage of the Ejectment and Trespass acts.

For the Former, the whole population or any portion of it could be ejected at a week's notice from the homes in which they had been born and in which they had vegetated while they were slaves.  The Trespass act allowed the police of any country to catch hold of and to imprison any individual who was found in his former home after he had received notice of ejectment.  This was done to compel the labourer to work for whatever wages they chose to give and to perform as much work as they required.

The first village that was established was Sligoville, its founder was Rev. James Phillippo, the Baptist Minister at Spanish Town, on the 10th of July 1835.

Prepared by
National Library of Jamaica
2002

Back to top