containing military monuments, _inter alia_ a monument to officers and
men of the 36th Regiment who died there and at Stony Hill of yellow
fever in 1856; and the rare instance of musical notation on a tomb. The
oldest tomb is dated 1844. The =Jewish Burial-Ground= at Hunt’s Bay, the
wall of which was destroyed by the earthquake of 1907, has its oldest
tomb 1678; at the Up-Park Camp new burial-ground the oldest tomb is
dated 1836; and at the disused graveyard the oldest one is dated 1819, a
year during which yellow fever proved very fatal to the troops. The
principal monument in =May Pen Cemetery=, the general burial-ground for
Kingston, is the simple obelisk erected in 1909 to the Unknown Dead who
perished in Kingston in the earthquake of January 14, 1907.
The Kitchen-middens worthy of note are =Norbrook=, near Constant Spring;
=Belle Vue=, in the Red Hills; =Hope=, near the old tavern; and =Long
Mountain= (on the top and on northern slope): =Dallas Castle= Cave and
=Bloxburgh= Cave have Arawâk remains. The latter was discovered in 1895,
and gave an impetus to archæological research.
=Silver Hill=, near Newcastle, contains the Jamaica Spa, a mineral
spring of great value; it was once in great request, but is now not
used. The =Cane River Falls= are famed for their beauty. They were the
haunt of “Three-fingered Jack,” who was captured in 1781, and later
formed the hero of a transpontine melodrama; various editions of the
play having been issued.
=Hagley Gap= is named after Hagley in Worcestershire, the home of
William Henry Lyttelton, governor in 1762–66. It is interesting to note
that Mr. Jekyll in his “Jamaican Song and Story” informs us that he was
told locally that it was so called because it was “a hugly place”!
=Catherine’s Peak= (often miscalled St. Catherine’s Peak), near
Newcastle, was named after Catherine Long (sister of the historian, and
wife of Henry Moore, lieutenant-governor) who in 1760 was the first lady
to ascend that peak.
=Gordon Town= was formerly the property of a family of that name; but
was not, as some suppose, connected with George William Gordon, of
Morant Bay fame.
=Dallas Castle= (which still survives as a district in St. Andrew) was
owned by a scion of the family of Dallas, in the state of Alabama, whose
descendants played their part in Jamaica history.
=Manning’s Hill= in St. Andrew Hills, and =Salt Hill=, =Morce’s Gap=,
and =Hardwar Gap= (usually miscalled Hardware Gap), in the Blue
Mountains, recall the names of former owners. Edward Manning, a wealthy
merchant, who represented Kingston in the Assembly for many years. John
Morce was at one time sergeant-at-arms of the Assembly and also deputy
postmaster. John Hardwar was auditor-general in 1782.
The Scarletts were amongst the earliest settlers in Jamaica. On April
24, 1673–74, Colonel Samuel Barry and Captain George Nedham took to the
Council from the Assembly, with four other bills, a bill for
compensating the loss of “Mr. Nicholas Scarlett, received by the pursuit
of the rebellious negroes at Legonea.” This was read three times and
sent to the Assembly with these amendments: “In the sixth line after ‘be
it enacted by the Governor and Council’ add ‘and the representatives of
the Commons of this Island now assembled and by the authority thereof,
that the said Nicholas,’ &c....” On May 17 it passed the House. A
similar bill was No. 14 on the list of forty bills brought out by the
Earl of Carlisle. It was voted “not to pass” on October 11, 1678, the
Committee’s reasons against it being: “Because Mr. Scarlett hath been in
England since, and when the former Act was first made it was intended to
continue only during the residence here, and, that if notwithstanding
any further consideration ought to be had it were better that the entire
sum were given, rather than to enlarge anything upon the revenue.” What
relation Nicholas Scarlett was to Francis Scarlett is not evident. He is
not mentioned in the latter’s will.
Captain Francis Scarlett, the son of Benjamin Scarlett, of Eastbourne in
Sussex, came out with Penn and Venables, but as his name is not
mentioned in the “perfect list of all the forces under the command of
His Excellency General Venables, taken at muster, March 21, 1654,” he
presumably must then have held rank below that of captain. He patented
lands on the Wag Water in the 28th year of Charles II, and bought
neighbouring land in the vicinity of the present Temple Hall Estate. In
the “Survey of the Island of Jamaica” sent home by Modyford in 1670 he
is put down as owning 1000 acres in St. Andrew, in which parish there
were then 194 families, and people, “by estimation” 1552. Only five
men—Archbould, Hope, Howell, Parker (his neighbour), and Tothill were
larger landowners in the parish than Scarlett at that time. He was
recorded as Captain Francis Scarlett, member of the Assembly for St.
Andrew in 1680–81; his co-member was Colonel Samuel Barry. He returned
to England, and died unmarried in Eastbourne. He left his estate to his
nephew William Scarlett, of the Middle Temple. A William Scarlett, of
Port Royal, merchant, named as one of the Commissioners to take the
evidence of certain witnesses in the Chancery suit of Elizabeth Smart
_versus_ John Parnaby in 1685, may be identical with him. It is
interesting to note that one of his executors to whom he left legacies
was Sir Bartholomew Gracedieu of London, Agent for Jamaica in England.
The first William Scarlett was succeeded by his only son William. This
William (the second) was married in 1705 in the parish church of St.
Andrew to Judith, daughter and co-heiress of Gideon Lecount of St. Jago
de la Vega. She must have been very young, for she was not of age three
years later. He and his wife sold the Wag Water estate, some of it to
Sir Nicholas Lawes, the rest to James Herbert of St. Andrew, planter,
and from that time onwards the fortunes of the Scarletts were connected
with the western parishes of the Island.
V
ST. THOMAS
The parish of St. Thomas (or as it was formerly called St.
Thomas-in-the-East to distinguish it from St. Thomas-in-the-Vale), which
now embraces the former parish of St. David, is one of the oldest
parishes in the island. Roby points out that, although St. Thomas was so
called before the arrival of Sir Thomas Modyford, Doyley’s immediate
successor in the Government was Thomas Hickman, Lord Windsor, after whom
it may have been called. But many of the parishes in the sister colonies
were named after saints, and we need probably seek no further than the
desire to establish church districts in the newly acquired lands for the
origin of the names of several of Jamaica’s parishes. It was settled by
the Spaniards and was thus described by General Venables, of the army of
occupation, in 1655: “Morante is a large and beautiful hato, being four
leagues in length, consisting of many small savannahs, and has wild
cattle and hogs in very great plenty, and ends at the mine, which is at
the cape or point of Morante itself, by which towards the north is the
port of Antonio.”
There was a settlement at Yallahs (called Yealoth), when Sir Thomas
Modyford surveyed the island in 1663. In 1661 Sir Charles Lyttelton
recorded that “the regiment of Port Morant, Morant and Yallahs,
commanded by Colonel Lynch, is the richest settlement.”
In 1671 Sir Thomas Modyford wrote home, in answer to questions as to
church matters, that “Mr. Pickering of St. Thomas and St. Davids at Port
Morant and Yallahs, is lately dead and they have none to supply his
place.” There is no reference to a church, but rather a suggestion that
there was none; “but they meet at each others houses as the primitive
Christians do.”
There is, however, a church shown at Yallahs in “A new and exact map of
Jamaica ... dedicated to Sir Thomas Lynch” in “The Laws of Jamaica” of
1684. Therefore the date of the foundation of =Yallahs Church= was
between 1671 and 1684.
The chalice and patten belonging to this church are amongst the oldest
in the island. They are at present deposited in the offices of the
Church of England in Jamaica in Kingston. The chalice, 6 inches high, is
inscribed:
_John Hammond }
William Donaldson } Esqrs.
Churchwardens
of St. David
1739._
The patten, 9¼ inches in diameter, is inscribed:
_St. Davids
Thomas Rijues
James Lobley
Churchwardens
1683._
After Cromwell had acquired Jamaica through the blundering of Penn and
Venables at Hispaniola, he set about finding colonists for his new
plantation, and conceived the idea of inducing settlers in the Leeward
Islands to go thither. Amongst those who acted in the matter was old
Luke Stokes, governor of Nevis.
On March 12, 1655–6, he wrote from Nevis to Sedgwick in Jamaica:
MAJOR SEDGWICKE,
SIR, his highnes undeserved and unexpected favours he hath bin pleased
to throw some of them uppon my self wherein hee hath in some
particulars declared his highnes designe concerning Jamaica and made
mee an instrument to declaire it to the people of this colloni; so
likewise I have declaired it to my adjacent nighbours, and caused his
proclamations to bee published; and I find in this island the greatest
part of the inhabitants, with their wives, children and servants, are
willing and ready to accept his highnes termes, laid downe in his
highnes proclamation.
There is onely wanting transportation for them and theires. What
provission his highnes intends to make when his fleete comes (which
wee are informed wee may daily expect) I know not; but in case there
bee not, if by you and the others, that are intrusted in those great
affaires of his highness, to send them shipping for theire
transportation, and such provissions as they intend to carry with them
may effect it, the which I leave to your grave considerations.
Sir, the number of men in a moneth’s time, which is of this place, may
arrise neere to one thousand, besides women children and slaves. Sir,
other islands are forward, if they may but have a convenient
transport, and some man impowered to treat with the governours about
them, concerninge some small debts, or other small engagements, which
paradventure may bee some cause of stoppidge to them therein, which to
further his highnes designe may be composed with his power.
Sir, bee pleased to give mee leave, to publish to yourself, I am in my
hart his highnes faithful servant, yours and all his. Sir, I pray God
direct you in all your highnes designes and bee your wisdome and
directions, and all God’s people in theire lawfull imployes. Sir
Your servant,
L. STOKES,
Major.
Sedgwick probably only received this letter a few weeks before his
death, which occurred on May 24, 1656.
Vice-Admiral Goodson wrote home to the Admiralty Commissioners from on
board the _Torrington_ at Jamaica on June 24:
Upon notice given from Governor Stokes of himself and the people of
Nevis their intention to transplant themselves hither, dispatched
three ships for their transport, and 4th June a vessel arrived from
the Governor with three gentlemen to treat with us concerning shipping
and to view the country. Afterwards fitted out a small vessel to carry
back our resolutions of sending ships for about 1000 people besides
women, children and servants.
On September 23 he wrote that he had been informed by Wm. Simons, master
of the _Peter_ of Bristol, which had put in at Barbados, that:
Three ships had sometime since arrived at Nevis, that the Governor
there had not only used all means possible to induce the people of
Nevis to transplant themselves to [Jamaica] but had gone to St
Christopher’s to draw what people he can from thence.
Stokes, with his 1600 settlers, arrived in Jamaica during the
administration of Goodsonn and Doyley, and just about the same time as
the arrival of Brayne on December 14 with his 1000 troops. The site
selected for Stokes was in the Spanish Hato de Morante, near Port
Morant, whither some of the soldiers had already been sent with the
object of colonization; and doubtless he set to work to establish his
settlement with all the ardour that he had displayed in getting his
followers together; but the sad fate of his venture is recorded by Long,
the historian. Brayne had petitioned the Protector that he might be
recalled at the end of one year’s service. Long tells us that:
Several disheartening circumstances occurred besides what have already
been noticed, and contributed to make him disgusted with the command.
He had conceived great hopes from the industry of the Nevis planters
settled at Morante; and imagined, that the example of their success
would not only prove an incentive to the drones of the army, but
induce many persons to remove from the other islands and dissipate
their ill-grounded fears. But, about the latter end of February,
Governor Stokes and his wife died, leaving three sons, the eldest of
whom was not more than fifteen years old. The Governor was advanced in
age when he left Nevis; and had been at so much expense in the
removal, that his fortune was greatly impaired by it. In his last
moments he earnestly recommended his family to Brayne and the
Protector, who afterwards bestowed a commission in the army on his
eldest son. Either this gentleman, or one of his brothers, formed a
very good plantation, which still continues with their descendants.
Near two-thirds of these unfortunate planters at Morante were buried
before the month of March; the rest were reduced to a sickly condition
and the danger of starving, for want of strength either to gather in
their crops of provisions already come to maturity, or to plant anew.
But a little further on Long tells us that “in the meantime the remnant
of the settlers at Morante, having recovered their healths, and got in
their harvest, were exempted from the calamities which oppressed the
other inhabitants, and proceeded in their labours with great ardour and
success.” And still further on he says that “In 1671 notwithstanding the
mortality which had swept off many of the first planters, there were
upwards of sixty settlements in this neighbourhood; many of which formed
a line along the coast Eastward from the harbour, where are only two or
three at present.”
In Modyford’s “Survey of the Island of Jamaica” sent home on September
23, 1670, we find recorded:
St. Thomas Parish John Stokes 25 acres.
St. David’s Parish Jacob Stokes 640 acres.
Jacob Stokes and Smith 1 acre.
Of Luke Stokes research has failed to reveal any particulars, either as
to place of origin, family or personal accomplishments. He would seem to
have been a simple-minded man, who did his best for his country.
One wonders what relation, if any, he was to Admiral John Stokes,
“Commander-in-Chief of the English Forces upon the coast of Africa,”
against whose actions the States-General of Holland, on behalf of the
Dutch West India Company, protested in 1663. This was apparently the
same Admiral Stokes who commanded the _Marmaduke_ which brought Modyford
from Barbados to Jamaica in 1664.
Jacob Stokes, who was member for St. David in 1672, and his namesake who
sat for St. Thomas in 1721, were apparently the only members of the
family to sit in the House of Assembly, although their name appears in
the Island records till the beginning of the nineteenth century.
In November 1732 a petition, dated April of that year, by one John
Evans, overseer of Dousabel plantation, complained to the Assembly that
he had been opprobriously used by Colonel Jacob Stoakes and his son
Jacob Stoakes, with several of their negroes, in passing through said
Colonel Stoakes his plantation to the seaside or barquadier in which
complaint it appears that Evans applied in vain to the custos, the chief
justice, the magistrates of the parish, and the attorney general, being
sent from one to the other—for a warrant for Colonel Stoakes’ arrest. It
was resolved that the report do lie on the table.
=Stokes Hall= and =Stokesfield= are now all that remain to testify to
gallant old Luke Stokes’s attempt to assist the struggling colony of
Jamaica.
[Illustration:
STOKES HALL
]
Stokes Hall is possibly the oldest house in good preservation in the
island. It was probably built soon after it was found that Stokesfield
was unhealthy by reason of the swamps near Port Morant. It is a very
substantially built building. It apparently consisted at first of a
single-storey building measuring 48 ft. 6 ins. by 30 ft., with four
two-storied towers at the corners each measuring 13 ft. by 19 ft., the
towers overlapping the main building by the width of the doorway. The
walls are of solid stone work 2 ft. 6 ins. thick. The lower storeys of
the towers are 13 ft. high and the upper about 15 ft. Both towers and
main building are loopholed, each tower having eight loopholes, two at
each corner. The building stands at an altitude of about 290 feet, on a
range of hills between Plantain Garden valley and the sea, and commands
a fine view of Holland bay about five miles away. The upper storey of
the main building and the front and back verandahs are evidently
additions of a later date.
Though not of course the selfsame house that sheltered poor Luke Stokes,
it carries us back to the days when dwellers far from the capital of St.
Jago de la Vega had to depend in great measure on their own resources
for protection from the incursions of foreign foes, bloodthirsty pirates
or rebellious slaves.
Stokesfield, which was possibly the earliest home of Luke Stokes,
stand at an elevation of about 300 ft., about three miles to the north
of Port Morant harbour, of which it commands a fine view. Much damaged
by the hurricane of 1903 and again by the earthquake of 1907, it was
originally a substantially built loopholed two-storey building, but
inferior in solidity to Stokes Hall. It has evidently been altered
from time to time; in the early part of the nineteenth century, and
again in the seventies, when the present owner took possession. The
building was in the shape of a cross, the transept made by two porches
18 ft. square, the main body measuring 74 ft. by 46 ft. with five
bedrooms upstairs, to which access was gained by a winding stair. On
the front wall has been placed a tablet with the inscription “T. S.
H., 1775,” it is supposed for Thomas Stokes Harris (said to have been
the grandson of Colonel Stokes), whose grave is still to be seen on
the estate. Till some years ago an English weeping willow planted by
it was still alive. Thomas Stokes Harris is recorded as one of the
magistrates of St.-Thomas-in-the-East and St. David in the “Jamaica
Almanac” for 1776: but as he continues as Thomas S. Harris till 1791,
he must have been of a later generation than the man who died in 1775.
From 1782 to 1805 a Thomas Harris was coroner and clerk of the peace
and vestry for the parish. The latter Thomas Stokes Harris’s will
dated 1790 was proved in 1792.
In the “In-giving” for 1810, and for another thirty years or more, in
the “Jamaica Almanac,” Stoakes Hall was owned by the trustees of
Alexander Donaldson. In 1810, it had 263 slaves and 169 head of stock.
Stoakesfield was then owned by Peter Wallace, and had sixty-four slaves
and seven head of stock, but the latter is absent from later in-givings.
In 1746 Jacob Stoakes and Mary his wife mortgaged Stoakes Hall to Daniel
McQueen to secure £3209 (currency). It was described as containing 1057
acres part of 1330 acres patented by Charles Whitefield. Jacob Stoakes
died in 1749. McQueen took possession after Stoakes’s death and
continued in possession till July 8, 1758, when he died; and his
executors continued to run the estate until Ann Stoakes, the only
surviving child, who in 1760 had married Richard Cargill of St. Thomas,
took proceedings in Chancery which resulted in their favour and also
showing a balance in their favour of £639 18_s._ 4_d._ which was
directed to be paid them by the executors of McQueen, who were also
ordered to reconvey Stoakes Hall to Richard Cargill and Ann his wife
free from the mortgage.
The following items of account taken from the old Chancery records may
prove of interest.
STOAKES HALL A/CS.
£ _s._ _d._
Profit shown in a/c for year 1749 312 1 8
„ „ „ „ „ „ 1750 45 14 6½
„ „ „ „ „ „ 1751 543 0 8
„ „ „ „ „ „ 1752 34 3 8
„ „ „ „ „ „ 1753 1441 11 8½
„ „ „ „ „ „ 1755 786 4 0
„ „ „ „ „ „ 1756 1317 0 2¼
„ „ „ „ „ „ 1757 897 5 9¼
CERTAIN ITEMS FROM A/C.
1752
_Nov._ 24th. To paid Ann Downes for 2 qrs. Board of
Mrs. Mary Stoakes D of Captain
Stoakes dec^d £15.
1753
_May_ 7th. To cash paid the soldiers at Rock Fort
for taking up Rob^t Can a white
serv^t belongs to this estate 6_s._ 3_d._
_Oct._ 11th. Box knives and forks sent p for the use
of the overseer of this plantation 3_s._ 9_d._
A/CS _re_ STOAKES HALL PLANTATION WITH THE ESTATE OF DANIEL MCQUEEN
DECEASED
(Extracts.)
1748
_Sept._ 13th. To Sundrys sent for the Funeral of
Jacob Stoakes viz.
From Rob^t Wilson one compleat set of
coffin Furniture and one thousand of
brass nails £5 10 0
From Eliz. Able 12 pr. white gloves
37_s._ 6_d._, 2 pr. black Shammy do.
37_s._ 6_d._—15_s._, 2 crape hat
bands 12_s._ 6_d._—25_s._, 2 oz. mace
7_s._ 6_d._, 2 doz. cloves 5_s._ 4 10 0
10 Black silk scarves 27_s._ 6_d._ £13
15_s._, 8 Black hat bands 12_s._
6_d._ ea. £5, a box &c. to pack them
in 2_s._ 6_d._ 18 17 6
——— —— —
£28 17 6
_Sept._ 30th. To sundries sent to Mrs. Stoakes viz.
2 pr. white and black callicoe £4
15_s._, 1 pr. silk shoes 10_s._ 5 5 0
A black Fan 5_s._, 2 skains black silk
1_s._ 3_d._ 3 yds. narrow ribband
1_s._ 10½_d._ 8 1½
1 pr. Buckles 2_s._ 6_d._, 1 pr.
Buttons 1_s._ 3_d._, 2 laces 1_s._
3_d._—2_s._ 6_d._ 6 3
4 yds. Broad Ribband for Knotts 1_s._
3_d._ per yard 5 0
1 pr. woven blk. callimanco shoes
12_s._ 6_d._, 2 prs. girls blk.
leather shoes 11_s._ 3_d._ 1 3 9
Paid to Mingo for grass for the horses 3 9
_Nov._ 7th. To cash paid Parson Bonnervalle for his
attendance at Mr. Stoakes’s Funeral. 4 15 0
1749
_May_ 29th. Taxes for 1748. 15 10 7½
=Morant Bay=, the chief town and shipping port, is noted as being the
principal scene of the disturbances of 1865. Nearly all the public
buildings were then burnt down. No disturbance in the West Indies since
the days of Emancipation has caused half so much excitement or given
rise to half so much acrimonious correspondence, publication and
litigation as that which occurred in Jamaica in 1865, and is usually
known as the “Morant Bay Rebellion.” Apart from the official inquiry,
which is of course judicial in tone, the publications range over the
whole subject of negrophobia or negrophilia—of abuse of Governor Eyre
and of his defence.
In 1862 Edward John Eyre was appointed acting governor of Jamaica, and
when in 1864 he became full governor, the post was no bed of roses. The
island was not prosperous, the American war had raised the price of
American breadstuffs, and the governor was at variance with the House of
Assembly, in which the negro population was then represented. Agitation
ended in riot at Morant Bay on October 11, 1865. Undoubtedly the riot,
or rebellion, was a very serious one in its actual results, and still
more in its possible consequences, and but for its prompt and energetic
repression it might have spread into a general negro insurrection in an
island where the negroes outnumbered the whites by at least fifty to
one. Martial law was proclaimed on October 13 throughout the county of
Surrey, except Kingston, and tranquillity was restored. Then followed
courts-martial and punishments; and George William Gordon, a ringleader,
was taken from Kingston, where martial law did not exist, to Morant Bay,
where it did, tried by an ill-constituted court-martial, and executed in
haste and on evidence wholly insufficient.
On the day of the outbreak at Morant Bay, October 11, 1865, twenty-two
civilians, including the custos (the chief magistrate), and volunteers
were killed and thirty-four wounded; under martial law 439 were put to
death (354 by sentence of courts-martial—the rest shot by soldiers,
sailors or maroons who were employed by the Government). In addition
there were 147 put to death after martial law ceased. One thousand
“houses,” some of them very flimsy in character, were destroyed.