PARISH INFORMATION

GENERAL

POSITION/SIZE/DESCRIPTION

Westmoreland is the westernmost parish situated on the south side of the island. It has an area of 807 square kilometres (311 square miles). There are over 10,000 acres of morass land the largest part of which is called the Great Morass. This contains plant and animal material collected over centuries. This can be mined as peat, an excellent source of energy. The morass also serves as a natural sanctuary for Jamaican wildlife. The remaining area consists of several hills of moderate elevation and alluvial plains along the coast.

There are numerous rivers. The Cabaritta River drains the George's Plain and can accommodate boats weighing up to eight tons for twelve miles. It is 39.7 kilometres long. Other rivers are called Negril, New Savanna, Morgan's, Gut, Smithfield, Bowens, Bluefields, Robins, Roaring, Great and Dean.

BRIEF HISTORY

The Spaniards built one of their first three settlements at what is now Bluefields in this parish. Columbus also stopped there on his second voyage when he landed in Jamaica. They called it Oristan after a town in Sardinia which they then ruled.

The parish was named Westmoreland in 1703 because it was the most westerly point in the island. In 1730 Savanna- la-Mar (the plain by the sea) replaced Banbury as the capital. The coast often provided refuge for pirates. Henry Morgan the pirate who later became Lieutenant Governor of Jamaica set sail from Bluefields in December 1670 for his successful raid on Panama city. Here, in 1694, the militia repulsed a French landing party. The renowned English naturalist Phillip Henry Gosse lived in Bluefields for 18 months and sent specimens of rare plants and animals to England and dealers in Canada. He also wrote two books Birds of Jamaica and A Naturalist's Sojourn in Jamaica which are still valuable today.

A major event which began in Westmoreland and changed the course of Jamaica's history was the 1938 riots at the Frome sugar estate. The changes that came in the wake of this led to universal adult suffrage in 1944 as well as a new constitution which put Jamaica on the road to self government and eventually independence. The two national heroes Sir Alexander Bustamante and Norman Washington Manley emerged as political leaders during this time.

POPULATION: 139,000

CAPITAL: Savanna-la-Mar

MAJOR TOWNS: Bluefields, Bethel Town, Negril, Seaford Town, Grange Hill, Frome, Darliston

MAJOR INDUSTRIES/ SOURCES OF INCOME

Agriculture: Major agricultural products include sugar, bananas, coffee, ginger, cocoa, pimento, honey. This sector is the largest employer.
Fishing: There are 19 fishing beaches with over 90 boats engaged in the industry.
Tourism: Since the 1950s this has been the single fastest growing sector. The major hotels are Sandals Negril, T Water Beach Hotel, Poinciana Beach Resort, Grand Lido, Hedonism, Negril Beach Club, Negril Cabins. Negril is one of the main tourist destinations.
Manufacturing: This is the third largest sector. Manufactured items include food and drink, tobacco, animal feeds, textile and textile products and printing.

MAJOR HISORICAL/CULTURAL/RECREATIONAL/ECOLOGICAL SITES

The Great Morass: This stretches north ten miles from the South Negril River to Orange Bay and is two miles wide. It is virtually impenetrable and is said to be the remnant of a primeval forest. It is the second largest freshwater wetland in the island and forms a refuge for endangered waterfowl. At the edges where it links to flowing water systems the endemic fish the God-a-me is found. It can live out of water in moist shady spots.

The morass is critical to the Negril environment. Like a giant sponge it filters the water flowing down from the interior of the parish. The Negril Watershed Environmental Protection Area has been created to protect the morass and reefs. As the tourism sector there expands it places additional demands on the infrastructure and increases the danger to the environment.

Mannings High School: In 1710 Thomas Manning left 13 slaves, land, cattle and "produce of a pen" in Burnt Savannah to endow a "free school" in Westmoreland. The school was established in 1738. More modern buildings surround the original wooden structure. It is the second oldest secondary school in the island.

Bluefields House: This is noted for its association with Phillip Henry Gosse the English Naturalist who spent 18 months there (1844 - 1845). While there he collected and sent to the British Museum hundreds of specimens of local flora and fauna. In its garden today is a breadfruit tree believed to be one of the first brought to the island by Captain Bligh of Mutiny on the Bounty fame.

It is believed to be on the site of one of the three earliest Spanish settlements which was called Oristan. No remains of this settlement have been found

Savanna-la-mar Baptist Church: This church was founded on June 7, 1829 by the Rev. Thomas Burchell. At this time the anti- slavery movement was gaining momentum in the West Indies and England. Another famous emancipator William Knibb was also pastor at this church.

PROFILE ON EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS (Update)