About Kingston Jamaica

Kingston came into existence after Port Royal was destroyed by earthquake in 1692. Two hundred acres of land known as Liguanea was purchased by the government from Sir William Beeston (who came o Jamaica in 1660; represented Port Royal in the first House of Assembly; was lieutenant-governor of the island, 1693-1700; and governor, till 1702) at a cost of £1,000, a fortnight after the destruction of Port Royal, for the erection of a new town. Kingston ‘appeared on an early map as “Beeston”, which is understandable, as the land, as previously mentioned, was bought from Sir William Beeston.

However, the first traceable reference occurred in the council minutes of July 21, 1692, when regulations for building “the new town of Kingston, were drawn up, and terms by which settlers could acquire land were issued”. Because of the former grandeur of Port Royal, people still had a preference for it, and so not much progress was made in the development of Kingston until the disastrous fire of 1703 which completely destroyed Port Royal. The disheartened inhabitants of Port Royal went in large numbers to Kingston.

A law was then passed directing slave owners in the parish of St. Andrew to “send out one out of every twenty slaves to build temporary huts for the refugees”, and, as an encouragement to settlers, “every house built within the year 1703 was exempted from taxes for seven years”. Soon after this, another law was passed declaring Kingston to be “the chief seat of trade and head port of entry of the island”. From this time the prosperity of the town was assured, and in 1713 it was declared by law that the place should “forever be taken and esteemed as an entire and distinct parish with all the powers of any other pans”, and that, further, it should “have the right of sending three representatives to the Assembly”.

Kingston was first spelt as two separate words, namely: King’s Town. For nearly half a century the city continued to grow, and during Governor Knowles’ administration it was suggested twice that it be designated the seat of government. A law was passed approving this, and the Archives were moved from Spanish Town. In 1872 Kingston was declared the capital of the island. Though experiencing destruction by fire in the years 1780, 1843 and 1862, it has survived and the Kingston waterfront is now undergoing a complete renovation (1972), and within the city itself many modern businesses have been erected. There are now New Kingston and Newport West where modem “cities” have been built.

Fort Charles Armon Jones Avenue, Kingston, was named after the late Rev. E. Armon Jones, who was appointed to Jamaica in 1904, the year when the first independent Methodist Conference of the West Indies came to an end, and the churches came again for a while under the direction and assistance of the Methodist Missionary Society. Rev. Jones was the first minister appointed after the renewal of missionary relationships with British Methodism. He served as junior minister in Coke Circuit until 1909, then for 10 years in St. Ann’s Bay Circuit and for one year in Port Antonio.

He then became Superintendent of the Wesley Circuit of Churches, then the Coke Circuit in Kingston, serving in each for a five-year term, until he was appointed chairman of the district in 1932, continuing in that post until his retirement in 1949. He was one of the founders of the St. Andrew High School, and Chairman of the Wolmer’s Trust and of the Mico Board of Governors for many years. He also played an important part in the founding of the Jamaica Christian Council. He died in February, 1950.

Arthur Wint Drive, near the National Stadium in Kingston is named after Arthur Wint, the great Jamaican athlete. A monument — for which he posed — at the Stadium commemorates the Jamaican victory in the 1600 meters relay at the Olympic games in Helsinki, Finland, in 1952. The relay team (of which Wint was a member) set a world record at the games.

Beeston Street, Kingston, was named after Sir William Beeston, Governor of Jamaica, and 1693-1700. He owned extensive land in what was then known as iguanea Plains, 200 acres of which were sold to the government for the establishment of the city of Kingston. Beeston was four times Speaker of the House of Assembly. It was under his direction that the serious invasion by the French under DuCasse was repulsed in 1694.

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Breezy Castle, in Kingston, is so named because of its location.

Briggs Park is the site of Jamaica’s National Stadium, which was opened in 1962, the year in which Jamaica became independent.

Bryden Road, in Kingston, is named after John Arthur Sydney Bryden, Member of the Executive Committee and Legislative Council of Barbados, and partner in the firm of Bryden and Evelyn of Kingston, Jamaica. He was born in 1861 at Clapham, England, and after coming out to the West Indies, he founded the firms, Bryden and Evelyn and Sons, Commission Agents, and Bryden and Evelyn Ltd., with branches in Barbados, Jamaica and Trinidad.

Bustamante Barracks, Up Park Camp, Kingston, was named after Sir Alexander Bustamante on February 9, 1969. The monument there is inscribed as follows: This Monument marks the site of the internment camp where Alexander Bustamante was detained from September 8, 1940, to February 8, 1942, for the cause of the working man. Unveiled by Lady Bustamante on the twenty-seventh (2 7th) anniversary of his release.

Byndloss Lane, in Kingston, is named after a family who, in the 17th and 18th centuries, supplied seven Members of the Assembly. The earliest, Colonel Robert Byndloss, was Member for Cagua.

Cavaliers, in Kingston, is said to be named after an eighteenth-century owner by the name of Cavalier. It is on the Liguanea Plain, and might alternatively have been owned by a former Spanish governor by the name of Caballero. Cavaliers was purchased by the government in I 871, and by 1 876, the Cavaliers Water Works had been con n1eed.

Claude Bell Avenue, in West Kingston, bears the name of Claude Bell, who won public recognition for his task as Supervisor of Relief Works in that area from 1940 to 1950. The reclamation work done in West Kingston has resulted in it now being an important industrial centre. Bell was born at Retreat, St. Ann, on June 6th, 1890, and died in Kingston in 1959.

Collie Smith Drive, in Jones Town, Kingston, is named in memory of one of Jamaica’s most promising young cricketers, who met an untimely death in a motor car accident while in England.

Curphey Place in Kingston and Darling Street, in Kingston, is also named after Sir Charles Darling.

Denham Town, suburb of Kingston, was first known as “Smith Village”. However, during the governorship of Sir Edward Denham, 1934-38, the suburb was renamed after him.

Doncaster, near Rockfort in Kingston, originated in 1811 as Doncaster Pen, and was owned by Don Pedro and C. Casis.

Duke Street, in Kingston, is named after the Duke of Gloucester, son of Princess, later Queen Anne.

East Queen Street, in Kingston, was once known as Queen Street, named after an English queen. There is also a West Queen Street and both are named because of the directions in which they lie.

Elgin Street, Denham Town, Kingston, and Lord Elgin Street, Allman Town, Kingston, are named after the Earl of Elgin, who was Governor of Jamaica, 1842-46. Two outstanding events which took place during his governorship were the introduction of indentured East Indians to work on sugar estates, and the establishment of The Royal Agricultural Society, which was the forerunner of the Jamaica Agricultural Society. There is also an Elgin Town in Hanover.

Elletson Road, in Kingston, is named after Roger Hope Elletson, the first owner of the Hope Estate, who was lieutenant-governor of the island in 1767. Elletson Road was once a private property road used for transporting produce from Hope Estate to the shoreline of Kingston.

Fernandez Avenue, in Kingston, off the Portland Road, was named after a Cuban family who settled there after Kingston was destroyed by the earthquake of 1907.

Gordon House, on Duke Street in Kingston, now used for the sessions of the Jamaica Parliament, is named after George William Gordon, Jamaican patriot, who was one of the first to agitate for the rights of the people, suffering death in the cause. He was designated a National Hero in 1970.

Haining Road, in Kingston, was named by him late Jasper Cargill Esq. after “Haining”, a property above Hector’s River in the parish of Portland, which was formerly owned by him, and where he lived before he came to reside in St. Andrew. Jasper Cargill was a member of Cargill, Cargill, and Dunn, solicitors in Kingston.

Harbor Head, off the Windward Road, Kingston, is so named because of location. Jamaica Gypsum Ltd. (incorporated in 1953 for the purpose of mining gypsum rock and shipping it to world markets) has its office and factory sited at Harbor Head.

Headquarters House, Duke Street, Kingston, was originally a house built by a wealthy merchant, Thomas Hibbert, who took a bet with Sir Simon Taylor, considered the wealthiest planter in the island then, as to who could build the better house. It was named after him “Hibbert House”, and he owned it from 1750. It was later acquired by the Government of Jamaica, and between 1814 and 1872 was the headquarters for military command. After 1877, it housed the Colonial Secretariat and Legislative Council. In 1960, the Legislative Council was moved to Gordon House.

Heywood Street, in Kingston, is named after Peter Hey- wood, Governor of Jamaica, 17 16-22.

Jacques Road, Kingston, is named after John Jacques, Custos Rotulorum and Mayor of Kingston from January, 1815.

Kensington Park, north of Windward Road, in the city of Kingston, has been a cricket oval since March 21, 1901. The name originated in West London, England.

Laws Street, in Kingston, was named after Sir Nicholas Laws, Governor of Jamaica, 17 18-22.

Lockett Avenue, in Kingston (first known as Bedford Avenue) was named after the late Dr. George Vernon Lockett, M.B.C.M., Edinburgh, M.R.C.S., L.R.C.P., F.R.C.S. Dr. Lockett, the son of the Rev. George Lockett, was born in St. Vincent in 1866. He was at one time Senior Medical Resident Officer at the Kingston Public Hospital, but resigned to set up private practice. For many years his office was on this avenue.

Marcus Garvey Drive, Kingston, was named after Marcus Garvey, who was born in St. Ann. Marcus Garvey, as a young man worked in Kingston, and from an early age observed the living conditions of the people and was disturbed by them. He travelled in Central America and England and was further distressed by the hardships and injustices under which people there also worked. He returned to Jamaica and formed the “Universal Negro Improvement Association” and called on all black people to join a great crusade to promote pride of race.

From Jamaica he went to the United States to win adherents there. He advocated setting up a black state in Africa and founding a black star line of ships and a black order of nursing. Garvey’s plans fired the imagination of millions, but many of his aims were not realised, because he was betrayed by some of those he trusted. He was finally sentenced to imprisonment in the United States and then deported to Jamaica. When Jamaica became independent in 1962, the government named Marcus Garvey one of Jamaica’s National Heroes for being one of the first to teach his race self-respect and pride in their heritage, and his title is now Right Honourable Marcus Garvey. His monument is in the George V Memorial Park, and his tomb is a national shrine.

Marescaux Road, Kingston, is named after Oscar Marescaux, who was born of French parentage in England in 1824. After working in the Bank of England there, he was sent out to inspect the Colonial Bank (the only bank in Jamaica at that time). He finally became manager. He was also Custos of Kingston.

Mico College, in Kingston, is named after Lady Mico, widow of Sir Samuel Mico, of London (a member of the Mercers Company) who died in 1666 and bequeathed the sum of £4,000 “to redeem poor slaves”. This money was invested in certain London properties by the Directors of the Court of Chancery.

Towards the middle of the 19th century the original sum increased to £120,000, and in 1834, Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton, champion of the abolition of slavery in the West Indies, conceived that the interest of the money might be legitimately applied to the Christian instruction of the children of the West Indies, a purpose as charitable as that for which the money was originally left.

A charter was obtained the British Government added a grant of £17,000 per anum for five years. The system adopted was liberal, comprehensive and undenominational. Training institutions were established in Jamaica and Antigua, and schools in Triniad, Demerara, the Bahamas, St. Lucia, Mauritius and the Seychelles Islands. Of these only the training college in Jamaica is still in existence. The original trustees were: James Gibson; The Right Hon. Stephen Lushington, D.C.L.; Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton, Bart.; Thomas Richard Warren, Q.C.; John Gurney Hoare; and John Elliot Drinkwater Bethune. Mico College was for many years situated on Hanover Street, and consisted of a training college for 65 students and a school for 120 pupils.

In 1894, however, these premises were sold to the government for a graded elementary school, but the trustees purchased Quebec Lodge at the north of what is now National Heroes Circle, where they erected a spacious set of buildings at a cost of about £12,000. The college was wrecked by the earthquake of 1907, and was rebuilt. It was again destroyed (by fire) in February 1910, and again rebuilt. The objects for which this institution was originally founded have been fully realized through the years. Its benefits are not confined to people of any creed, class, or colour: it holds out advantages to all.

The local management of Mico Training College is vested in the board of directors consisting of 15 persons, two of whom are appointed by the governor-general. Students are admitted once per year after a competitive examination by a selection committee.

The government has made training free for all students since January 1959. On completion of the college course, which usually takes three years, the studeflts go out as teachers to primary and post-primary schools. They are under bond to teach for six years. Students are also prepared to teach practical subjects such as crafts, home economics, and agriculture. Mico Lane is In the vicinity of the College.

Rollington Pen, suburb of the city of Kingston, and once a property, is named after its first owner (Jamaica Almanacks, 1811) John Rollington.

Sutton Street, in Kingston, are named after Colonel Thomas Sutton, who commanded the Militia which repulsed the French attacks on Jamaica by Admiral DuCasse at Carlisle Bay in 1694. Colonel Sutton was Speaker of the House of Assembly in 1692.

Temple Lane, in Kingston, was also named after Thomas Temple of Warwickshire, England, whose family settled in Jamaica in the 17th century.

Trench Town is a suburb of Kingston. A “Boy’s Town” was established here in 1942 under the control of the Y.M.C.A.

Victoria Town, in west Kingston, is also named after Queen Victoria, and has come into existence within the last few years. It is built on land reclaimed by the government, on which squatters took up residence. Apartment buildings have been erected here for people of moderate means.

Whitfield Town, a suburb of the city of Kingston, is named after William Whitfield, a merchant in this city in the 18th century.

Winchester Park, in Kingston, was first known as Campbeilfield, and was owned by a member of the McIntyre family. It was purchased from the Pawsey family in 1905 by the Roman Catholic Church as a residence for Catholic priests. St. George’s college was founded at Winchester Park in 1850 by the Roman Catholics. It is under the control of the Jesuits; who are personally responsible for the training of the students.

Lacy Road, in Kingston, is named after George Lacy and his brother, who were among the first to take up residence at Portland Road after the earthquake of 1907 which destroyed Kingston. Lacy Road connects Portland Road with Franklin Town.

Shooters Hill a mile east of Harbor View, Kingston and Swallowfield is a suburb of Kingston.

Up Park Camp is on South Camp Road in the city of Kingston. Land for this camp was purchased by the military in 1784 from Alexander Grant of Dalvey in the parish of St. Thomas. For nearly two centuries it has been the principal barracks of the island, the garrison being occupied by British regiments until 1962, when Jamaica became an independent country. It is now the headquarters of the Jamaica Defense Force.

Swettenham Road, in Hunts Bay village, is named after Sir James Alexander Swettenham, Governor of Jamaica, 1904-7.

Hunt’s Bay, found in the first list of estates, was referred to as “Hunt’s Pen”, and so was evidently named after its first owner. Hunt’s Bay is a fishing village. There is also an old Jewish cemetery to be found there.

Bellevue is a name to be found in several parishes, including an area in the Port Royal Mountains which commands spectacular views of Kingston and the harbor, the Long Mountain range, the panorama of the Hellshire Hills and the St. Catherine plains to the west. Sir Alexander Swettenham acquired this Bellevue after he ceased to be governor in 1907, and lived there for many years.

Flamstead in the Port Royal Mountains, according to Jamaica Almanacs, was owned 1811-24 by Regnier, 1825-28 by George E. Regnier, 1828-1833 by Archibald Campbell and 1833-1863 by Charles Fyffe. In regard to Charles Fyffe’s ownership, a letter written by one Nance Mackett, an English girl employed to Mr. and Mrs. Fyffe to come to Jamaica as governess to their children is a positive proof of his identity. (A copy can be seen in the Archives at Spanish Town.) The letter is dated July 14, 1844, and it is addressed to her aunt in England.

It reads as follows: Mr. Ffyfe, my employer, is a clergyman of the Church of England, and is one of the richest men in the island He has a great many coffee plantations, and has 1 00’s of negroes to work for him. Flamstead is on a range of the Blue Mountains, and I was obliged to ride 30 miles on horse back up in the mountains to reach my destination. In regard to her work, she said: I have to instruct two or three children, their parents are very young, very gay.

Flamstead was subsequently owned by the Lieutenant-Governor of Jamaica, E.J. Eyre (1862-65). Sir Anthony Musgrave, another governor, owned Flamstead from 1874 to 1883. Nearly a hundred years ago Flamstead was purchased by T.M. Martin, an English businessman of Kingston, and is still owned by members of his family. The Flamstead Guest House, owned by the Martins, in its beautiful setting, and with a magnificent view of Kingston Harbor, has housed many famous people, among them Admiral Lord Nelson. Once only reached by horseback along a precipitous bridle track, it is now accessible by road. In recent years, the government has purchased a part of the Flamstead Estate for land settlement.

Fort Charles (Port Royal) was named after Charles II. It was erected in 1656 by the English for the defense of the island, and for three centuries provided a base from which British fleets fought off French and Spanish invaders, as well as pirates. Damaged by earthquake and fire, it was rebuilt, and was at the height of its importance when Captain Horatio Nelson (later Admiral Nelson) was in charge of the Jamaica Station.

It was then considered the most important place in the island. In Fort Charles there is a marble tablet which bears this inscription: In this place dwelt Horatio Nelson, Ye who tread his footsteps, Remember his glory. Today, Fort Charles and its quarterdeck stand as a monument to Jamaica’s military past.