Saint Thomas Parish

Saint Thomas
Capital	Morant Bay
county	Surrey
Big cities	Port Morant , Yallahs , Bath , Seaforth , Golden Grove
surface	742.8  km²
population	94,471 (2009)
Population density	127.2 / km²
economy	Agriculture, industry

Saint Thomas is a district ( parish ) in southeast Jamaica . The capital is Morant Bay . The national hero Paul Bogle was born here.

history

When Christopher Columbus first came to Jamaica in 1494, the island was inhabited by the Tainos (also called Arawak). The Spanish settlers set up cattle ranches in Morant Bay and Yallahs . After England was conquered in 1655, residents of other colonies were invited to Saint Thomas. Around 1,600 people, mostly from St. Kitts and Nevis , came. However, two thirds died quickly of a fever.

In 1674, the French admiral Du Casse landed in Morant Bay. For a month he devastated the city, killing many residents and taking the slaves prisoner. Later fugitive slaves settled in the surrounding mountains. They were called Maroons and formed the Windward Maroons with comparable groups in Portland .

After slavery ended in 1834, the Morant Bay Uprising broke out in 1865 . Former slaves felt disadvantaged in the distribution of land. A group of small farmers, led by Paul Bogle , moved to Spanish Town to alert Governor Eyre to their problems. However, they were not admitted. On October 11, Bogle and 200-300 of his followers armed with sticks went to the Morant Bay Courthouse for a meeting. A quickly proclaimed ban on gatherings was ignored. Some protesters started throwing stones at guards. They shot back and killed seven people, dispersing the group.

However, the group returned, burned the courthouse and killed the people who fled from it. The next day, over 2000 people had already joined the revolt. Governor Edward Eyre sent troops to the area to put down the uprising. 439 people were killed and 354, including Bogle, arrested. Most of the prisoners were later executed and over 1,000 houses were destroyed.

geography

Saint Thomas is to the south of Portland and to the east of Saint Andrew . In 2001 around 93,000 people lived on 742.8 km².

Saint Thomas is mountainous. The Port Royal Mountains, Queensbury Ridge and Blue Mountains crisscross the area. In the south lies Yallahs Hill, at 729.7 meters the highest point of the Parish. A large wetland stretches between the Yallahs and Hector's Rivers. Cliffs and beaches shape the coastline. Yallahs River (36.9 km) and Morant River (13.9 km) flow through the area, plus the Plaintain Garden River, which is the only river in Jamaica that still flows east.

In addition to gypsum and marble, there are asbestos and talc deposits in the area around Bath.

See also : Penlyne Castle

economy

Agriculture is the most important branch of the economy. Sugar and bananas are grown for export. The small farmers mainly harvest local types of fruit. An imported type of fruit, which is called "Naseberry" in Jamaica (scientific name Manilkara achras), is often offered on the roadside. There are also a number of factories that manufacture electrical goods as well as food.

Web links

• Information about Saint Thomas (Engl.)
• Information on the Morant Bay Rebellion (Engl.)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Statistical Institute of Jamaica: Demographic Statistics - Population by Parish 2009 ( Memento of the original dated November 13, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . Retrieved November 15, 2010.