Order of National Hero (Jamaica)
Encyclopedia
The Order of National Hero is an honour awarded by the government of Jamaica
. It is a part of the Jamaican honours system
that has been in place since 1969.
"Right Excellent". They are also traditionally honored with a tomb or monument in National Heroes Park
, as well as a plaque or shield displayed in some prominent national place, such as the Institute of Jamaica.
The Order of National Hero was created by the "National Honours and Awards Act", which was passed by Parliament in 1969. This act also designated Paul Bogle
, George William Gordon
, and Marcus Garvey
as the first three recipients of the honour.
The insignia of the Order of National Hero is a twelve-pointed gold and white star, centered on a black enameled medallion. The medallion features the Jamaican Coat of Arms
in gold relief
, and it is encircled by the motto of the Order, "He built a city which hath foundations." It is typically displayed on a neck ribbon in the national colors of Jamaica (black, yellow, and green), along with a laurel wreath of gold and green enamel.
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
. It is a part of the Jamaican honours system
Jamaican honours system
The Jamaican honours system has developed as a unique entity since the passage of the National Honours and Awards Act by the Parliament of Jamaica in 1969 . The system is modelled largely on the British honours system...
that has been in place since 1969.
Description
The highest of the five Jamaican Orders of the Societies of Honour, the Order of National Hero is given only to Jamaican citizens for "services of the most distinguished nature" to the nation. It can be awarded either posthumously or on occasion of the recipient's retirement from active public life. Recipients are permitted to wear the insignia of the Order, and they are given the styleStyle (manner of address)
A style of office, or honorific, is a legal, official, or recognized title. A style, by tradition or law, precedes a reference to a person who holds a post or political office, and is sometimes used to refer to the office itself. An honorific can also be awarded to an individual in a personal...
"Right Excellent". They are also traditionally honored with a tomb or monument in National Heroes Park
National Heroes Park
National Heroes Park is a botanical garden in Kingston, Jamaica. The largest open space in Kingston at 20 hectares in size, National Heroes Park features numerous monuments, and is the burial site of many of Jamaica's National Heroes, Prime Ministers, and cultural leaders.-History:Founded in 1783,...
, as well as a plaque or shield displayed in some prominent national place, such as the Institute of Jamaica.
The Order of National Hero was created by the "National Honours and Awards Act", which was passed by Parliament in 1969. This act also designated Paul Bogle
Paul Bogle
Paul Bogle was a Jamaican Baptist deacon and is a National Hero of Jamaica. He was a leader of the 1865 Morant Bay Protests, which agitated for justice and fair treatment for all in Jamaica. Leading the Morant Bay rebellion, he was captured and hanged on October 24,1865 in the Morant Bay Court...
, George William Gordon
George William Gordon
George William Gordon, National Hero of Jamaica was a Jamaican businessman and politician. On the centenary of his death, he was proclaimed a National Hero of Jamaica. Gordon was the 2nd of 7 children born to a white planter, Joseph Gordon and a mulatto slave, Ann Rattray in April 1815 although...
, and Marcus Garvey
Marcus Garvey
Marcus Mosiah Garvey, Jr., ONH was a Jamaican publisher, journalist, entrepreneur, and orator who was a staunch proponent of the Black Nationalism and Pan-Africanism movements, to which end he founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League...
as the first three recipients of the honour.
The insignia of the Order of National Hero is a twelve-pointed gold and white star, centered on a black enameled medallion. The medallion features the Jamaican Coat of Arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
in gold relief
Relief
Relief is a sculptural technique. The term relief is from the Latin verb levo, to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is thus to give the impression that the sculpted material has been raised above the background plane...
, and it is encircled by the motto of the Order, "He built a city which hath foundations." It is typically displayed on a neck ribbon in the national colors of Jamaica (black, yellow, and green), along with a laurel wreath of gold and green enamel.
Recipients
- Paul BoglePaul BoglePaul Bogle was a Jamaican Baptist deacon and is a National Hero of Jamaica. He was a leader of the 1865 Morant Bay Protests, which agitated for justice and fair treatment for all in Jamaica. Leading the Morant Bay rebellion, he was captured and hanged on October 24,1865 in the Morant Bay Court...
- Sir Alexander BustamanteAlexander BustamanteSir William Alexander Clarke Bustamante GBE, National Hero of Jamaica was a Jamaican politician and labour leader....
- Marcus GarveyMarcus GarveyMarcus Mosiah Garvey, Jr., ONH was a Jamaican publisher, journalist, entrepreneur, and orator who was a staunch proponent of the Black Nationalism and Pan-Africanism movements, to which end he founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League...
- George William GordonGeorge William GordonGeorge William Gordon, National Hero of Jamaica was a Jamaican businessman and politician. On the centenary of his death, he was proclaimed a National Hero of Jamaica. Gordon was the 2nd of 7 children born to a white planter, Joseph Gordon and a mulatto slave, Ann Rattray in April 1815 although...
- Norman ManleyNorman ManleyNorman Washington Manley MM QC National Hero of Jamaica , was a Jamaican statesman. A Rhodes Scholar, Manley became one of Jamaica's leading lawyers in the 1920s...
- Nanny of the Maroons
- Samuel SharpeSamuel SharpeSamuel 'Sam' Sharpe, or Sharp, National Hero of Jamaica was the slave leader behind the Jamaican Baptist War slave rebellion. Samuel Sharpe was born in the parish of St. James...