Saint James, Jamaica

St James is a parish, located on the north west end of the island of Jamaica. Its capital, Montego Bay, was named the second city of Jamaica, behind Kingston, in 1981. The parish is the birth place of The Right Excellent Samuel Sharpe (d. 1833), one of Jamaica's Seven National Heroes.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

When the Spanish occupied Jamaica, Montego Bay was an export point for lard, which was obtained from wild hogs in the forests. In many of the Jamaica's early maps, Montego Bay was listed as "Bahia de Manteca" (Lard Bay). The parish was given the name "St James" in honour of King James II by Sir Thomas Modyford, the island's first English Governor. At the beginning of the English rule, the parish was one of the poorest; it had no towns, few inhabitants and little commerce, except for the exported lard. However, after the treaty with the Maroon in 1739, St James became one of the most important sugar producing parishes. Annually, more that 150 ships arrived in Montego Bay bringing slaves and supplies, and taking sugar. Commerce develpoed as wealthy merchants and planters erected many elaborate town houses. In 1773 Montego Bay had the only newspaper outside of Kingston - The Cornwall Chronicle.

North west: REDIRECT Northwest...

Island: An island or isle is any piece of land smaller than a continent and larger than a rock that is completely surrounded by water. Very small islands are called islets. Although seldom adhered to, it is also proper to call an emergent land feature on an atoll an islet, since an atoll is a type of islan...

Jamaica: Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, 240 kilometers in length and as much as 80 kilometers in width situated in the Caribbean Sea. It is 630 kilometers from the Central American mainland, 150 kilometers from Cuba on the north, and 180 kilometers from the island of Hispaniola, on whic...

Saint James, Jamaica related Images and Photos (experimental)

Susan Saint James	Saint James at the Battle of Clavijo	Saint James (The Elder) Resists the Diabolical Delights of the Sabbat	Jamaica
James I	James A. Garfield	James Fox	James Fox
James Dean	Saint-Cast	James Dean	Saint Paul