Part 1

HISTORIC JAMAICA

Is it nature or by the error of fantasie that the seeing of places we know to have been frequented or inhabited by men whose memory is esteemed or mentioned in Stories, doth in some sort move and stirre us up as much or more than the hearing of their noble deeds or reading of their compositions?

_Montaigne_

The care which a nation devotes to the preservation of the monuments of its past may serve as a true measure of the degree of civilization to which it has attained.

_Les Archives Principales de Moscou du Ministère des Affaires Etrangères, Moscow, 1898._

HISTORIC JAMAICA

BY

FRANK CUNDALL, F.S.A.

SECRETARY AND LIBRARIAN OF THE INSTITUTE OF JAMAICA

_WITH FIFTY-TWO ILLUSTRATIONS_

PUBLISHED FOR THE INSTITUTE OF JAMAICA BY THE WEST INDIA COMMITTEE LONDON 1915

PRINTED BY BALLANTYNE, HANSON & CO. LTD. AT THE BALLANTYNE PRESS LONDON, ENGLAND

PREFACE

In the year 1900 the present writer published a small volume entitled “Studies in Jamaica History,” giving the records of certain historic sites in the colony.

In its issue of October 27, 1908, the Editor of the “West India Committee Circular,” commenting on the appointment of a Royal Commission to enumerate and report upon the historical monuments in England, drew attention to the need for the preservation of historic sites and buildings in the West Indies, and stated that a letter on the subject had been addressed by the West India Committee to the Colonial Office. On November 24 he was able to state that the Secretary of State for the Colonies (the Earl of Crewe) sympathised with the object of the West India Committee and had forwarded their representations to the governors of the various West Indian colonies, recommending them to their consideration.

In Jamaica the present writer, at the request of the Governor (Sir Sydney Olivier) and with the consent of the Board of Governors of the Institute of Jamaica, undertook to prepare a list, parish by parish, of historic sites, buildings and monuments, stating in each case the nature of its interest and the name of its owner. This list was published as a special supplement to the “Jamaica Gazette” on December 23, 1909; and in November 1912 it was reprinted as part of a report relating to the preservation of historic sites and ancient monuments and buildings in the West Indian colonies presented to Parliament.

In the meantime the present writer had commenced a series of articles in the “West India Committee Circular” dealing with historic sites and monuments in Jamaica, which appeared from October 1909 till October 1914.

At the suggestion of various persons interested in the subject it was decided to reprint these articles. In doing this it has been thought well to arrange them parish by parish and to add a few words of general history, taken in part from the writer’s contributions to the “Handbook of Jamaica,” and of descriptions of sites and monuments which have not been treated of individually.

It is hoped that the following notes may not only serve the double purpose of evoking interest in the history of the colony in the minds of its inhabitants and proving a source of information to visitors, but may be the means of steps being taken to preserve old buildings and other monuments alike from decay and the hand of man.

A list of works consulted in the compilation of the notes embodied in this volume would comprise almost all the books in the Jamaica section of the West India Library of the Institute of Jamaica, some 1400 in number.

My thanks are due to Mrs. Lionel Lee for making the illustrations and to Mr. Algernon E. Aspinall for kind assistance in seeing the work through the press.

F. C.

KINGSTON, JAMAICA. 1915.

CONTENTS

PAGE

LISTS OF OFFICIALS

Governors, Presidents of the Council, Speakers of the Assembly, Chief Justices, Attorney-Generals, Naval Commanders-in-chief at Jamaica, Agents for Jamaica in Great Britain xiii

INTRODUCTION

Aboriginal inhabitants, Arawâks: physical features, language, beliefs, habitations, implements, name of Jamaica, other Arawâk names: Spanish occupation, hatos, towns, buildings, names: English possession, ancient monuments, buildings, slavery, politics, forts, religion, agriculture, education, printing, maps, parishes, counties, place-names, Jamaica overseas 1

I. PORT ROYAL

The Point: Shirley: Jackson: Forts: Residence of the Governor: Church: Buccaneers: Myngs: Morgan: Earthquake of 1692: Spanish bell: Fire of 1703–4: Hurricane of 1722: Attempt on Cartagena, Ogle, Smollett: Rodney: Water-supply: Rodney’s Look-out: Fort Charles: Nelson’s Quarter-deck: Rodney’s victory over De Grasse: the Convoy: Prince William Henry: Lady Nugent: Gosse: Hill: _Urgent_ 45

II. ST. CATHERINE

Passage Fort: Jackson: Penn and Venables: Spanish-Town: Raymond and Tyson: Cathedral, monuments, plate, rectors, Earl of Effingham, Countess of Elgin: House of Assembly: Eagle House: Sir Hans Sloane’s House: King’s House: Rodney Memorial: St. John’s, Guanaboa Vale: Church of St. Dorothy: Colebeck Castle: Galdy’s Tomb: Ferry Inn: Fort Augusta: Rodney’s Look-out: Port Henderson 81

III. KINGSTON

Earthquake, site: Lilly, plan: Fire, 1780: Corporation: Fires, 1843, 1862, 1882: Earthquake, 1907: Names of streets: Parish church, Knight, Lewis, Hakewill, plate, rectors, records, Benbow, monuments: Scotch Church: Headquarters House: Thomas Hibbert: General officers: Old Mico: Blundell Hall: Institute of Jamaica: Arawâk pottery: Chancellor’s purse: maces: Monuments, Sir Charles Metcalfe, Queen Victoria, Edward Jordan, Dr. Bowerbank, Father Dupont, Rev. John Radcliffe, Rev. W. J. Gardner: Wharves 147

IV. ST. ANDREW

Liguanea: Halfway-Tree: Old Burial-Ground: Church of St. Andrew, records, monuments, rectors: Lundie’s pen: King’s House: Admiral’s Pen: Rock Fort: Fort Nugent: Constant Spring: Raymond Hall: Up-Park Camp: Berthaville: Mico College: Stony Hill Barracks: Garden House: Hope: Jamaica College: Lumb drinking-trough: Newcastle: Jewish Burial-Ground: Hunt’s Bay: Kitchen-middens: Norbrook: Hope: Long Mountain: Caves: Dallas Castle: Bloxburgh: Silver Hill: Cane River Falls: Hagley Gap: Catherine’s Peak: Gordon Town: Dallas Castle: Manning’s Hill: Salt Hill: Morce’s Gap: Hardwar Gap: Scarlett 197

V. ST. THOMAS

Name: Yallahs, church, plate: Luke Stokes: Stokes Hall: Stokesfield, Estate accounts: Morant Bay: Rebellion: Eyre, Gordon: Church, Bath, Spring, Court House: Botanical Gardens: Dr. Dancer: Belvedere: Lyssons, Sir John Taylor, Simon Taylor: Hordley, Monk Lewis: Albion: Arawâk remains at Cambridge Hill and Botany Bay: Cow Bay and Bull Bay 236

VI. PORTLAND

Name: Titchfield: Early settlement: School: St. George: Olivier Park: Carder Park: Moore Town: Muirton: Darlingford: Low Layton: Spring Garden: Modyford’s Gully: Balcarres Hill: Seaman’s Valley 254

VII. ST. MARY

Name: Gray’s Inn, Spanish remains: Decoy, Tomb of Sir Charles Price, Gardens: Sir Charles Price’s rat: Agualta Vale: Dryland: Fort Haldane: Prospect: Heywood Hall 259

VIII. ST. ANN

Historic interest: Liberty Hill: Arawâk remains: Dry Harbour: Landing of Columbus, 1494: Don Christopher’s Cove: Residence of Columbus, 1503–4: Mendes, rebellion of Porras, appeal to Hispaniola, bravery of Bartolommeo Columbus: Sevilla Nueva, Sloane’s account, Peter Martyr, Ocho Rios, Chireras: Doyley’s defeat of Sasi: Rio Nuevo in St. Mary, Final defeat of Sasi: Runaway Bay: Sevilla Nueva: Cardiff Hall: Edinburgh Castle, Hutchinson: Moneague Tavern: Forts, Mammee Bay, St. Ann’s Bay, Windsor Fort: Priory: Dixon Pen: Geddes: York Castle: Dry Harbour Caves: Walton, Jamaica Free School 267

IX. TRELAWNY

Falmouth: Martha Brae: Bryan Castle, Bryan Edwards and his writings: Fort Dundas: Hyde Hall: Kitchen-middens 306

X. ST. JAMES

Montego Bay: Close Harbour: Church, rectors: Mrs. Rosa Palmer: Maroons, Block House, Maroon Town, Accompong, War, Walpole, Treaty, Balcarres, Gillespie, Maroons in Nova Scotia: Duckett’s Spring, the Scarletts: Rose Hall: Arawâk Middens and Caves 319

XI. HANOVER

Lucea, church: Rusea: Shettlewood 343

XII. WESTMORELAND

Savanna-la-Mar, church: Bluefields and Gosse: Cornwall and Monk Lewis: Roaring River, Fort William and Williamsfield and Beckford 346

XIII. ST. ELIZABETH

Black River: Munro and Dickenson: Lacovia: Catadupa 369

XIV. MANCHESTER

Mandeville: Sir William Scarlett: Bridges 372

XV. CLARENDON

Carlisle Bay: Vere Church, rectors, monuments: Church of the White Cross: Morgan’s Valley: Chapelton Church: Halse Hall: Longville: Kellets 373

INDEX 398

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

_With the exception of the full page-plates and the two maps, the illustrations are from sketches by Mrs. Lionel Lee._

PAGE

Arawâk Bowl 1

Mealing-stone 2

Arawâk Pestle 3

Sketch Map of Jamaica, _circa_ 1661 7

Branding-iron 15

Sketch Map of Jamaica, _circa_ 1866 41

PORT ROYAL Nelson’s Quarter-deck 68

Kingston Harbour in 1774. _From an engraving in Long's "History of Jamaica"_ _facing_ 70

Figure-head of the _Aboukir_ 71

ST. CATHERINE Passage Fort 83

Cathedral, Spanish Town 90

King’s House, Spanish Town 104

Court House, Spanish Town 104

Rodney’s Statue, Spanish Town 105

House of Assembly, Spanish Town 105

The _Lady Juliana_ in tow of the _Pallas_ in 1782. _From an aquatint by Robert Dodd_ _facing_ 122

Colebeck Castle 134

The Ferry Inn 139

KINGSTON Kingston, Harbour Street in 1820. _From a coloured engraving in Hakewill’s “Picturesque Tour of Jamaica”_ _facing_ 150

The Parish Church 157

Date-Tree Hall in 1906 180

Statue of Sir Charles Metcalfe 187

Statue of Queen Victoria 194

ST. ANDREW Halfway-Tree Church in 1906 200

King Edward’s Clock Tower, Halfway-Tree 208

Admiral’s Pen 211

Rock Fort 212

Fort Nugent 215

Raymond Hall 219

Up-Park Camp in 1840. _From a coloured lithograph by Joseph B. Kidd_ (_Frontispiece_)

ST. THOMAS Stokes Hall 241

Albion Estate 252

PORTLAND Port Antonio in 1770. _From an engraving_ _facing_ 256

ST. MARY Tomb of Sir Charles Price 261

ST. ANN Dry Harbour 268

Don Christopher’s Cove 273

Rio Novo 285

Cardiff Hall 294

Moneague Tavern in 1844. _From a daguerreotype by Adolphe Duperly_ _facing_ 302

Slave Punishment Cell at Geddes 303

TRELAWNY Bryan Castle 307

ST. JAMES Block-house, Maroon Town 324

Rose Hall 341

WESTMORELAND Fort William, Aqueduct 360

Fort William Estate, from the site of old Great House 361

Roaring River Estate in 1774. _From an engraving by Thomas Vivares after a painting by George Robertson_ _facing_ 364

Savanna-la-Mar in 1840. _From a coloured lithograph by Joseph B. Kidd_ _facing_ 366

CLARENDON Carlisle Bay 375

Vere Parish Church, at the Alley 382

Morgan’s Valley 394

Halse Hall Great House 396

LIST OF OFFICIALS

The following tables are inserted for reference. The list of Governors is complete. The others are as complete as it has hitherto been found possible to make them. There are portraits in Jamaica History Gallery in the Institute of Jamaica of those to whom an * is suffixed.

GOVERNORS OF JAMAICA[1]

Footnote 1:

Administrations during temporary absences of Governors have not been included.

1661–62. General Edward Doyley. Governor. 1662. Thomas, Lord Windsor.* „ 1662–64. Sir Charles Lyttelton.* Dep.-Governor 1664. Colonel Edward Morgan. „ 1664. Colonel Thomas Lynch. President. 1664–71. Sir Thomas Modyford, Bt. Governor. 1671–74. Sir Thomas Lynch. Lieut.-Gov. 1674. Sir Henry Morgan.* „ „ 1675–78. John, Lord Vaughan.* Governor. 1678. Sir Henry Morgan. Lieut.-Gov. 1678–80. Charles, Earl of Carlisle.* Governor. 1680–82. Sir Henry Morgan. Lieut.-Gov. 1682–84. Sir Thomas Lynch. Governor. 1684–87. Colonel Hender Molesworth. Lieut.-Gov. 1687–88. Christopher, Duke of Albemarle.* Governor. 1688–90. Sir Francis Watson. President. 1690–92. William, Earl of Inchiquin.* Governor. 1691–92. John White. President. 1692–93. John Bourden. „ 1693–1700. Sir William Beeston. Lieut.-Gov. 1700–02. „ „ „ Governor. 1702. Maj.-Gen. William Selwyn. „ 1702. Peter Beckford.* Lieut.-Gov. 1702–04. Colonel Thomas Handasyd. Lieut.-Gov. 1704–11. Sir Thomas Handasyd. Governor. 1711–16. Lord Archibald Hamilton. „ 1716–18. Peter Heywood. „ 1718–22. Sir Nicholas Lawes. „ 1722–26. Henry, Duke of Portland. Governor. 1726–28. John Ayscough. President. 1728–34. Maj.-Gen. Robert Hunter. Governor. 1734–35. John Ayscough. President. 1735. John Gregory. „ 1735–36. Henry Cunningham. Governor. 1736–38. John Gregory. President. 1738–52. Edward Trelawny. Governor. 1752–56. Admiral Charles Knowles.* Governor. 1756–59. Henry Moore. Lieut.-Gov. 1759. General George Haldane. Governor. 1760–62. Henry Moore. Lieut.-Gov. 1762–66. William Henry Lyttelton. Governor. 1766–67. Roger Hope Elletson. Lieut.-Gov. 1767–72. Sir William Trelawny. Governor. 1772–74. Lieut.-Col. John Dalling. Lieut.-Gov. 1774–77. Sir Basil Keith. Governor. 1777–81. Colonel John Dalling. Lieut.-Gov. 1781–83. Maj.-Gen. Archibald Campbell.* „ „ 1783–84. „ „ „ Governor. 1784–90. Brig.-Gen. Alured Clarke.* Lieut.-Gov. 1790–91. Thomas, Earl of Effingham.* Governor. 1791–95. Maj.-Gen. Adam Williamson. Lieut.-Gov. 1795–01. Alexander, Earl of Balcarres.* „ „ 1801–06. Lieut.-Gen. George Nugent.* „ „ 1806–08. Sir Eyre Coote.* „ „ 1808–11. William, Duke of Manchester.* Governor. 1811–13. Lieut.-Gen. Edward Morrison. Lieut.-Gov. 1813–21. William, Duke of Manchester. Governor. 1821–22. Maj.-Gen. Henry Conran.* Lieut.-Gov. 1822–27. William, Duke of Manchester. Governor. 1827–29. Maj.-Gen. Sir John Keane.* Lieut.-Gov. 1829–32. Somerset, Earl of Belmore.* Governor. 1832. George Cuthbert. President. 1832–34. Constantine, Earl of Mulgrave.* Governor. 1834. George Cuthbert. President. 1834. Maj.-Gen. Sir Amos Norcot. Lieut.-Gov. 1834–36. Peter, Marquis of Sligo.* Governor. 1836–39. Sir Lionel Smith. „ 1839–42. Sir Charles Metcalfe.* „ 1842–46. James, Earl of Elgin.* „ 1846–47. Maj.-Gen. Sackville Berkeley. Lieut.-Gov. 1847–53. Sir Charles Edward Grey. Governor. 1853–56. Sir Henry Barkly.* „ 1856–57. Maj.-Gen. E. Wells Bell. Lieut.-Gov. 1857–62. Captain Charles Darling.* Governor. 1862–64. Edward John Eyre.* Lieut.-Gov. 1864–66. „ „ „ Governor. 1866. Sir Henry Storks.* Governor. 1866–74. Sir John Peter Grant.* „ 1874. W. A. Young. Administ. 1874–77. Sir William Grey.* Governor. 1877. Edward Rushworth. Lieut.-Gov. 1877. Maj.-Gen. Mann. Administ. 1877–80. Sir Anthony Musgrave.* Governor. 1879–80. Edward Newton. Lieut.-Gov. 1880–83. Sir Anthony Musgrave. Governor. 1883. Col. Somerset M. Wiseman Clarke. Administ. 1883. Maj.-Gen. Gamble. „ 1883–89. Sir Henry Norman.* Governor. 1889. Col. William Clive Justice. Administ. 1889–98. Sir Henry Arthur Blake. Governor. 1898. Maj.-Gen. Hallowes. Administ. 1898–04. Sir Augustus W. L. Hemming.* Governor. 1904. Sydney Olivier. Administ. 1904. Hugh Clarence Bourne. „ 1904–07. Sir James Alexander Swettenham. Governor. 1907. Hugh Clarence Bourne. Administ. 1907–13. Sir Sydney Olivier. Governor. 1913. Philip Clarke Cork. Administ. 1913– Sir William Henry Manning. Governor.

PRESIDENTS OF THE COUNCIL OF JAMAICA

1661. General Edward Doyley, _Governor and President_ 1664. Colonel Thomas Lynch 1671. Major-General James Bannister 1674. Colonel Hender Molesworth (_afterwards Baronet_). 1688. Sir Francis Watson 1691. John White 1692. John Bourden 1702. Peter Beckford Francis Rose 1722. John Ayscough 1735–51. John Gregory 1774. Archibald Sinclair 1775–96. Thomas Iredell 1797. John Palmer 1798. Thomas Wallen 1805. John Scott 1806. Nathaniel Beckford 1811. John Lewis 1821. George Pinnock 1825. George Cuthbert 1838. William Rowe 1840. James Gayleard 1856. John Salmon

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

1866–91. The governor for the time being 1892. Dr. J. C. Phillippo 1893 _et The governor for the time being seq._

PRIVY COUNCIL

1866 _et The governor for the time being seq._

SPEAKERS OF THE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY OF JAMAICA