St. Mary

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St. Mary is one of the oldest and most interesting parishes in Jamaica. It has a rich history filled with stories about the Tainos, Spanish settlers, and the English.


How St. Mary Got Its Name

There are a few ideas about how St. Mary got its name:

  1. It might come from “Puerto Santa Maria,” the Spanish name for Port Maria.
  2. It could be named after Mary, the daughter of Sir Thomas Modyford, an English governor.

Where is St. Mary?

St. Mary is on the northeast side of Jamaica. It’s a small parish, but it has beautiful mountains, rivers, and beaches. To the north is the sea, and it is surrounded by other parishes like St. Ann and Portland.


The Tainos in St. Mary

A long time ago, the Tainos, the first people to live in Jamaica, settled in St. Mary. They built villages near rivers and the sea, such as Rio Nuevo and Green Castle. They were farmers, hunters, and fishers. The Tainos called Jamaica “Xaymaca,” which means “land of wood and water.”

The Tainos were peaceful people, but their lives changed when the Spanish came.


The Spanish in St. Mary

The Spanish arrived in Jamaica in 1494 with Christopher Columbus. They built a town called Melilla, possibly near Port Maria, and started farming. They brought animals like cows, pigs, and horses and planted crops like sugarcane. Unfortunately, the Spanish treated the Tainos very badly, and many Tainos died.


The English Take Over

In 1655, the English attacked Jamaica and took it from the Spanish. The Spanish fought back, especially in a big battle at Rio Nuevo in St. Mary. The English won, and by 1660, the island belonged to them.


St. Mary and Sugar Plantations

During the 1700s, St. Mary became famous for sugar plantations. Big estates like Brimmer Hall and Trinity Estate grew lots of sugarcane. They used enslaved Africans to work on these plantations. St. Mary also grew other crops like coffee, pimento, and ginger.


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