The History of St. Ann
Photo by: Cliparting- https://cliparting.com/history-clipart/
The History of St. Ann
The Parish of St. Ann is located on the northern shore of the
island of Jamaica, west of St. Mary, east of Trelawny, and surrounded to the
south by St. Catherine and Clarendon. St. Ann is known as the largest parish in
Jamaica, containing roughly 1,212 km. St. Ann is well-known for its red soil
and bauxite, a mineral that is very critical for the country of Jamaica. This
mineral, i.e., bauxite, is correlated with the parish’s underlying dry
limestone rocks. St. Ann is well known for its caves and sinkholes, such as
Green Grotto Caves, Bat Cave, Dairy Cave, and Mount Plenty (The National
Library of Jamaica, n.d.).
The Green Grotto caves contributed a lot to Jamaican history.
Individuals are thought to have used the cave as a dwelling even by the
island's first occupants, the Arawak Indians, known as the Taino’s.
When the English decided to invade the island in 1655, the Spaniards used the
cave to hide. In the 18th century, runaway slaves used these chambers to hide
from the English. Pirates used these caves to hide their treasures, and arms
dealers smuggled guns from here to Cuba during the World Wars. The government
has even used it to store rum (The National Library of Jamaica, n.d.).
Green Grotto Caves
located in Discovery Bay in St. Ann.
Pictures of the Cave.
Photo by: Jamaican treasures- https://jamaicantreasures.com/attractions/explore-green-grotto-caves/
Photo by: theplanetd - https://theplanetd.com/green-grotto-caves-jamaica/
Photo by: theplanetd -
https://theplanetd.com/green-grotto-caves-jamaica/
The
parish was first named Santa Ana (named after Ana Hyde, the wife of James II,
King of England). When the Spaniards saw the parish, they called it the Garden
Parish of Jamaica because of its natural beauty. The Parish’s history goes way
back as on May 4, 1494, on Christopher Columbus's second voyage in the
Americas, he first set foot on the island of Jamaica, whereupon Columbus first
set foot on St. Ann. It was said that he was so stunned by the attractiveness
of the parish as he pulled into the port of St. Ann’s Bay that he later named
the port Santa Glorica. The spot where Columbus disembarked was named Horshoe
Bay, mainly because of the shape of the land at the time. When Columbus
anchored at Discovery Bay, the first reaction of the parish was that there were
so many Indians. It was noted that two canoes filled with Indians met him and
his men on arrival (The National Library of Jamaica, n.d.).
This a Picture of Ana Hyde, the wife of James II, King of England.
Photo by: easyweddings - https://www.easyweddings.com.au/articles/10-commoners-who-married-royals/
A Photo of Christopher Columbus
Photo by: Factcity-https://factcity.com/facts-about-christopher-columbus/
Sevilla
La Nueva (now Seville)- Jamaica’s first Capital.
Sevilla
Jamaica's first capital was La Nueva (now Seville).
Sevilla La Nueva, or New Seville, was Jamaica’s first
capital and was found a mile west of the town of St. Ann’s Bay. This location
was the first settlement of the Spanish on the island and was one of the first
cities to be established by the Europeans in the Americas. When the Spaniards
had departed from the island, they returned in 1509 with the objective of
establishing a Spanish colony. Diego Colon (the son of Christopher Columbus),
who was an inherited viceroy of the Americas, ordered and sent Juan de Esquivel
to begin a colony in the parish. It was assessed that Juan, along with some
other Spaniards, landed on the island of Jamaica in November 1509. Juan and his
men were tasked with finding and doing groundwork in Sevilla La Nueva. For
instance, many of the remarkable historical buildings that are evident now,
which are the Monastry, the Cathedral, and Palaces. Juan was the first Spanish
Governor of Jamaica (The National Library of Jamaica, n.d.).
Photo of Diego Colon (the son of Christopher Columbus)
Photo of Juan de Esquivel
The
Catheral in St. Ann
Photo by: budgettoursjamaica-
https://www.budgettoursjamaica.com/st_location/jamaica/st-ann-parish/st-anns-bay/?currency=EUR
Upon
Juan's establishing Sevilla La Nuevo as a new city and a capital, he brought
with him sixty-eighty colonizers and livestock. to secure a labor force to
obtain gold. Esquivel launched the encomienda system, where groups of Arawak
people and lands were assigned to specific Spaniards for the purpose of labor
and conversion of Christianity. A disease began to have a negative effect on
the colonists and Arawak. As a result, their numbers began to weaken.
Subsequently, by 1513, the Spaniards were required to bring three African
slaves with them. This marked the appearance of the first Africans to set foot
on Jamaica. Furthermore, the devastation of the Arawak by the disease and also
because of inhumane treatment by the Spaniards, forced the Spanish to introduce
the Triangular Slave Trade (The National Library of Jamaica, n.d.).
St.
Ann under the English
When
the parish of St. Ann was being controlled by the English, Santa Ana was later
renamed to St. Ann’s Bay. The town was later expanded into a fishing port with
numerous warehouses and wharves as the English settlers expanded (The
National Library of Jamaica, n.d.).
In this video below it displays
a warehouse (the remains of the warehouse) that was in St. Ann around the time
of the English (Original living with Nasalinks, 2020).
Video by: Original living with Nasalinks - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wsp3dxr5ex4
References
Original living with Nasalinks. (2020b, July 9). Old Warehouse In St. Ann Bay Jamaica | History Of Jamaica | ORIGINAL LIVING Video production [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wsp3dxr5ex4
The National Library of Jamaica. (n.d.). The History of St. Ann. National Library of Jamaica. http://nlj.gov.jm/history-notes/History%20of%20St.%20Ann.pdf
Good Blog...... This history of St. Ann has educated me so much about my parish... Thank you for highlighting us.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment!!
DeleteThis is good blog I must say the government must provide more information of St. Ann's history because there is more about St. Ann that needs to be discovered.
ReplyDeleteThank you for you comment Omari!!!
DeleteI am not very fond of history, yet I thoroughly loved reading every line of this blog post. I've been leaving in St. Ann for years and had no idea about the history. Thank you for enlightening me on this, Shania. Now I can say that I am well-versed in my parish's history.
ReplyDeleteExcellent Blog I loved how you added photographs throughout your blog post so that I could see the many places and people you were referring to. I learned so much about St. Ann's history. This parish is a fascinating and historic location that has been ignored by many.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the comments above this blog is excellent I have learn alot about the parish of St Ann. I did not know that "when the Spaniards saw the parish, they called it the Garden Parish of Jamaica because of its natural beauty".
ReplyDeleteIt is well known that the parish of St Ann have a rich history, and in reading this blog I must say u have highlighted a number of historical moments, person’s and places associated with this parish. I respect the fact that you used videos n bringing cross your topic. Great job!
ReplyDelete