Spanish Town is the capital and the largest town in the parish of St. Catherine in the county of Middlesex,
JamaicaJamaica 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 was the former Spanish and English capital of
JamaicaJamaica 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...
from the 16th to the 19th century. The town is home to numerous memorials, the national archives, a small population, and one of the oldest Anglican churches outside of England (the others are in
VirginiaThe Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
,
MarylandMaryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
and
BermudaBermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
).
History
The Spanish settlement of
Villa de la Vega was founded by governor
Francisco de GarayFrancisco de Garay was a Spanish Basque conquistador. He was a companion to Christopher Columbus on his second voyage to the New World and arrived in Hispaniola in 1493. Here he attracted attention when he encountered a large gold nugget worth four thousand pesos.- Jamaica:From 1514 to 1523...
in 1534 as the capital of the colony. Later, it was also called
Santiago de la Vega or
St. Jago de la Vega. Indigenous
TainoThe Taínos were pre-Columbian inhabitants of the Bahamas, Greater Antilles, and the northern Lesser Antilles. It is thought that the seafaring Taínos are relatives of the Arawak people of South America...
had been living in the area for approximately a millennium before this, but this was the first European habitation on the south of the island. When the English conquered Jamaica in 1655, they renamed the capital Spanish Town. Since the town was badly damaged during the conquest,
Port RoyalPort Royal was a city located at the end of the Palisadoes at the mouth of the Kingston Harbour, in southeastern Jamaica. Founded in 1518, it was the centre of shipping commerce in the Caribbean Sea during the latter half of the 17th century...
took on many administrative roles and functioned as an unofficial capital during the beginning of English rule. By the time Port Royal was devastated by an
earthquake in 1692The 1692 Jamaica earthquake struck Port Royal, Jamaica on June 7, at exactly 11:43 a.m., according to a stopped pocket watch found in the harbour in the 1950s. Port Royal was then the unofficial capital of Jamaica, and one of the busiest and wealthiest ports in the West Indies...
, Spanish Town had been rebuilt and was again functioning as the capital. Spanish Town remained the capital until 1872, when the seat of the colony was moved to
KingstonKingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley International Airport to the rest of the island...
. Kingston had been founded in the aftermath of the 1692 earthquake. By 1755, serious rivalry from lobbyists caused increasing speculation about the continued suitability of Spanish Town as the capital. In 1836, Governor Lionel Smith observed that "the capital was in ruins, with no commercial, manufacturing and agricultural concern in operation." To worsen the situation on the heels of the Morant Bay Rebellion of 1865, Sir John Peter Grant ordered the removal of the capital in 1872 to Kingston which had come to be considered the natural capital of the island. After the seat of government was removed, Spanish Town lost much of its economic and cultural vitality.
Points of interest
Built on the West Bank of the
Rio CobreThe Rio Cobre is a river of Jamaica. Its source is unclear on the best map available, the headwaters being a writhing of unnamed, seasonally dry tributaries. The highest of these rise just above the contour...
, the town lies thirteen miles from Kingston on the main road. As a site of historical importance, its history was shaped by its experiences within two significant colonial periods. These periods are the Spanish from 1534–1655 and the English from 1655 -1782. The history of Spanish Town lives on in the remains of the old buildings in its street names that mark it as the start of Jamaica's overall history. Reminders of Spanish Jamaica include Red Church and White Church Streets, symbolic of the Spanish chapels of the red and white cross, as well as Monk Street, in reference to the
monasteryMonastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
that once stood nearby. Nugent Street and Manchester Street were named for British Colonial Governors, George Nugent and
William Montagu, 5th Duke of ManchesterColonel William Montagu, 5th Duke of Manchester , styled Viscount Mandeville until 1783, was a British peer, soldier, colonial administrator and politician.-Background and education:...
. King Street received its name because it runs past King's House and Constitution Street, near to the Square, it also refers to the fact that the island's administrative centre used to be located there. The centre of the town boasts a few
RegencyThe Regency era in the United Kingdom is the period between 1811—when King George III was deemed unfit to rule and his son, the Prince of Wales, ruled as his proxy as Prince Regent—and 1820, when the Prince Regent became George IV on the death of his father....
buildings, including the Rodney Memorial and the façade of the Old King's House, which was the residence of the governors until 1872.
Old Iron Bridge
Spanish Town is home to an early cast-iron
bridgeA bridge is a structure built to span physical obstacles such as a body of water, valley, or road, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle...
, designed by Thomas Wilson and manufactured by Walker and Company of
RotherhamRotherham is a town in South Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Don, at its confluence with the River Rother, between Sheffield and Doncaster. Rotherham, at from Sheffield City Centre, is surrounded by several smaller settlements, which together form the wider Metropolitan Borough of...
,
EnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Spanning the
Rio CobreThe Rio Cobre is a river of Jamaica. Its source is unclear on the best map available, the headwaters being a writhing of unnamed, seasonally dry tributaries. The highest of these rise just above the contour...
, the bridge was erected in 1801 at a cost of £4,000. Its four arched ribs are supported on massive masonry abutments. After the abutments deteriorated, endangering the structure, it was listed in the 1998 World Monuments Watch by the
World Monuments FundWorld Monuments Fund is a private, international, non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of historic architecture and cultural heritage sites around the world through fieldwork, advocacy, grantmaking, education, and training....
.
A restoration project began in 2004, with funding provided by
American ExpressAmerican Express Company or AmEx, is an American multinational financial services corporation headquartered in Three World Financial Center, Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States. Founded in 1850, it is one of the 30 components of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The company is best...
through the World Monuments Fund. Nevertheless, progress was slow until 2008, when a renewed restoration effort was made. A first phase of restoration was completed in April 2010, when the repair of the abutments allowed the bridge to be reopened for the public. More recently, violence has prevented the bridge from achieving the status of a
UNESCOThe United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
World Heritage SiteA UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
.
Today
In 2009 the population of Spanish Town was estimated to be about 160,000. The population of Spanish Town, like the rest of the St. Catherine, has been growing rapidly.
Today, Spanish Town is sometimes referred to colloquially as "Spain" or "Prison Oval" within Jamaica. The latter nickname is a reference to the
cricketCricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
pitch or oval located just outside the St. Catherine District Prison where some inmates can get a limited view of the sport through their cell windows. Association football is also played at the
Prison OvalPrison Oval is a multi-use stadium in Spanish Town, Jamaica, currently used mostly for football matches. It serves as the home ground of Rivoli United FC. The stadium holds 2,000 people....
;
Rivoli United F.C.Rivoli United F.C. is a Jamaican football team who play in the South Central Confederation Super League.They are based in Spanish Town and their home stadium is the Prison Oval.-History:...
is the major team.
The town had one of the first Spanish Cathedrals to be established in the new world. This was built around 1525. Many
ChristianA Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
denominations have churches or meeting halls in the town, including a Roman Catholic church and Wesleyan, Baptist and Seventh-Day Adventist chapels. There is also a mosque.
Standing untouched in character is an historic alms-house and a public hospital and a maximum penal institution built in the eighteenth century. There is in the town itself a factory where dyes are made from logwood, and a rice processing plant. In the neighborhood are five large sugar estates, a milk condensary and a large textile mill.
Government and infrastructure
The
Rio Cobre Juvenile Correctional CentreRio Cobre Juvenile Correctional Centre was built to accommodate 120 male inmates..It is operated by the Department of Correctional Services for the Ministry of National Security.-External links:*.*Photos:...
of the
Department of Correctional Services, JamaicaThe Department of Correctional Services, Jamaica is a department of the Ministry of National Security of Jamaica, headquartered in Kingston...
is located in Spanish Town.
Roads
Spanish Town is on the main A1 (
KingstonKingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley International Airport to the rest of the island...
to
LuceaLucea is a coastal town in Jamaica and the capital of the parish of Hanover.- History :Hanover, Jamaica's smallest parish, was founded in 1723...
) and A2 (Spanish Town to
Savanna-la-MarSavanna-la-Mar is the chief town and capital of Westmoreland parish, Jamaica.It is a coastal town and contains a fort, constructed in the 18th century for defence against pirates....
) roads. It is well served by buses, mini buses and taxis, which operate from the
Spanish Town Transport Hub.
Rail
The now disused
Spanish Town railway stationSpanish Town railway station opened in 1845 and closed in 1992 when all passenger services in Jamaica abruptly ceased. It provided rail services to Kingston and Montego Bay, Port Antonio, Ewarton and New Works. It was from the Kingston terminus...
formerly provided access to four lines:
- Kingston to Montego Bay
The Kingston to Montego Bay line was Jamaica's main railway. It linked the capital Kingston with the second city Montego Bay, passing enroute most of the major towns.-Construction, operation and closure:...
- Spanish Town to Ewarton
The Spanish Town to Ewarton line was built to serve the citrus growing regions in the interior of Saint Catherine, particularly those around the towns of Bog Walk, Linstead and Ewarton.All external links below are to WikiMapia....
- Bog Walk to Port Antonio
The Bog Walk to Port Antonio was built to serve the banana, cacao, citrus and coconut districts of St Catherine, St Mary and Portland.All external links below are to WikiMapia.-Construction, operation and closure:...
- Linstead to New Works
The Linstead to New Works branch was a mere three miles of standard gauge track constructed in 1921 to serve a citrus growing region to the north east of Linstead.Beyond this, very little is known about it...
The station opened in 1845 and closed in October 1992 when all passenger traffic on Jamaica's railways abruptly ceased.
Notable incidents
- The famous pirate Calico Jack
John Rackham , commonly known as Calico Jack, was an English pirate captain operating in the Bahamas during the early 18th century...
and his crew were hanged in Santiago de la Vega in 1720 following a trial conducted by the governorThis is a list of viceroys in Jamaica from its initial occupation by Spain in 1509, to its independence from the United Kingdom in 1962. For a list of viceroys in Jamaica after independence, see Governor-General of Jamaica....
, Sir Nicholas LawesSir Nicholas Lawes was Governor of Jamaica from 1718 to 1722.He was a British knight.In his capacity as Governor during the Golden Age of Piracy he tried many pirates, among them "Calico Jack" Rackham, Anne Bonny, Mary Read, Robert Deal, & Charles Vane...
.
- The singer Natasja Saad
Natasja Saad , also known as Dou T, Double T and Natasja, was a Danish rapper and reggae singer whose vocals on a popular reggae fusion remix of "Calabria" gained her worldwide fame and a number one spot on Billboards Hot Dance Airplay chart six months after her death in a car accident.- Early life...
died in a car accident on June 24, 2007.
In popular culture
- In Charlotte Brontë
Charlotte Brontë was an English novelist and poet, the eldest of the three Brontë sisters who survived into adulthood, whose novels are English literature standards...
's famous novel Jane EyreJane Eyre is a novel by English writer Charlotte Brontë. It was published in London, England, in 1847 by Smith, Elder & Co. with the title Jane Eyre. An Autobiography under the pen name "Currer Bell." The first American edition was released the following year by Harper & Brothers of New York...
, Bertha Antoinetta Mason, the insane wife of Edward Rochester, came from Spanish Town.
- On June 24, 2007, Danish
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
singer Natasja SaadNatasja Saad , also known as Dou T, Double T and Natasja, was a Danish rapper and reggae singer whose vocals on a popular reggae fusion remix of "Calabria" gained her worldwide fame and a number one spot on Billboards Hot Dance Airplay chart six months after her death in a car accident.- Early life...
died in Spanish Town Hospital after a car crash near the city.
- Singer and Actress Grace Jones
Grace Jones is a Jamaican-American singer, model and actress.Jones secured a record deal with Island Records in 1977, which resulted in a string of dance-club hits. In the late 1970s, she adapted the emerging electronic music style and adopted a severe, androgynous look with square-cut hair and...
was born in Spanish Town.
- Asafa Powell
Asafa Powell C.D is a Jamaican sprinter who specialises in the 100 metres. He held the 100 m world record between June 2005 and May 2008, with times of 9.77 and 9.74 seconds respectively. Powell has consistently broken the 10-second barrier in competition, with his personal best of...
is from Spanish Town.
Other Sources
- James Robertson, Gone is the Ancient Glory, Spanish Town Jamaica 1534-2000, Kingston, Jamaica: 2005.
- Parish Information