Jamaican Family Search Genealogy Research Library

1870 JAMAICA ALMANAC

JAMAICA - DESCRIPTION OF THE ISLAND

The Island is divided into three Counties, viz., MIDDLESEX, SURRY, AND CORNWALL, and these are subdivided into fourteen parishes. Middlesex contains five parishes, viz., St. Catherine, Clarendon, Manchester, St. Mary, and St. Ann; Surry has four, viz., Kingston, St. Andrew, St. Thomas and Portland; and Cornwall comprises five, viz., St. Elizabeth, Westmoreland, Hanover, St. James and Trelawny. *

------------------------

*Formerly there were twenty-two parishes; but for the purposes of administration, an Act was passed in 1867, uniting several parishes. St. Catherine, St. John, St. Dorothy, and St. Thomas-in-the-Vale, now form the parish of St. Catherine; St. Mary and Metcalfe are called St. Mary; St. George, Portland, and the Manchioneal district of St. Thomas-in-the-East, form Portland; St. Thomas-in-the-East, from Manchioneal to St. David, constitute St. Thomas; Port Royal town, and a southern strip of St. Andrew, have been connected with Kingston, and the mountain district of Port ROytal forms a part of St. Andrew.

----------------------

A range of Mountains runs from East to West of the Island, which, in one part, the Blue Mountain Peak, attains the height of 7,318 feet.

By an Act of the Legislature of Jamaica, consequent on the insurrection in 1865, the Political Constitution, as represented by the Legislative Council and Assembly was abolished, and the island has virtually become a Crown colony. The Constitution given by the Crown, who may at any time alter and amend it, provides for a Governor, Privy Council, and Legislative Council of 13 members, all nominated by the Crown, and of whom, six, besides the Governor, are paid officials.

The seat of Government and most of the Public Offices are at Spanish Town. Kingston is the chief commercial city. The harbour is one of the finest in the world. The other towns are Port Royal, Morant Bay, Black River, and Savanna-la-Mar, on the south coast; and Lucea, Montego Bay, Falmouth, St. Ann's Bay, Port Maria, Annotto Bay, Buff Bay, and Port Antonio on the north side. The principal of these are Montego Bay and Falmouth.

The staple items of export are sugar, rum, coffee, ginger, pimento, arrowroot, preserved fruits, and several dye woods. The finest tropical fruits abound throughout the island. Cotton and indigo were formerly cultivated to a considerable extent, but were relinquished for sugar and coffee.

For a long period it had been known that there were rich indications of copper in several of the mountain districts of Jamaica, but till lately little was done to develop this source of wealth. Within the last 5 or 6 years a number of mines have been opened, and are now being worked by several companies. It is confidently believed by competent judges that these mines will prove a source of wealth to many, and be an important element in the prosperity of Jamaica.

The population of the island according to a census taken on the 5th of May, 1861, was 441,264, made up of:

..................Males.......Females.........Total

Whites.......7,295............6,521......13,816

Coloured..38,226..........42,848......81,074

Black......167,277........179,097....346,374

being an increase of population, since June, 1844 (a period of 16 years) of 63,831.


CIVIL LIST, JAMAICA

Captain General and Governor-in-Chief in and over the Island of Jamaica and its Dependencies, Chancellor and Vice-Admiral of the same:- His Excellency Sit John Peter Grant, K.C.B.

Private Secretary and Aide-de-Camp to the Governor:- Captain William Owen Lanyon

Secretary in the Stipendiary Justice Department:- Hon. Richard Hill

HER MAJESTY'S MOST HONOURABLE PRIVY COUNCIL

His Excellency Major-General Luke Smythe O'Connor, C. B., President

Hon. Edward Everard Rushworth, D.C.L., Colonial and Financial Secretary

Hon. Alexander Heslop, Attorney-General

Hon. Colonel James Robert Mann, R.E., Director of Roads

Hon. William Gardiner Freeman

Clerk:- John Campbell MackGlashan

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

Official Members

His Excellency Sit John Peter Grant, K.C.B., President

Major-General Luke Smythe O'Connor, C. B.

Hon. Edward Everard Rushworth, D.C.L.

Hon. Alexander Heslop

Hon. Colonel James Robert Mann, R.E.

Un-Official Members*

Hon. Louis Fullerton Mackinnon

Hon. Peter Moncrieffe

Hon. James Henry McDowell

Hon. Samuel Rennalls

Clerk: Alexander Wells Aikman

*The un-official members may be six in number, but the Crown has as yet (Nov. 1869) only appointed four.

COLONIAL SECRETARY'S OFFICE

Colonial Secretary:- Hon. Edward Everard Rushworth, D.C.L.

First Class Clerks: William James Edghill Hall

....William Bancroft Espeut

Second Class Clerks: William Allwood

....George H. Rees

Third Class Clerks: J. Currie Swainson

....Gilbert Laing Shaw

Attorney General's Clerk: J. McKen Tuckett

Porter: Sergeant Webbe

FINANCIAL SECRETARY'S OFFICE

Financial Secretary: Hon. Edward Everard Rushworth, D.C.L.

Chief Clerk: John Charles MackGlashan

First Class Clerk: James Allwood, jun.

Second Class Clerks: Frederick Shedden Sanguinetti

....Samuel Paynter Mussom

Third Class Clerks: William Mackinnon

Porter: Francis Reid

DIRECTOR OF ROADS AND SURVEYOR GENERAL'S DEPARTMENT:

Director of Roads and Surveyor-General: Hon. Colonel James Robert Mann, R.E., £1,200

Deputy Director of Roads and Colonial Architect:- Francis Dawson, C.E., £600

DISTRICT ENGINEERS

Eastern District:- John Parry, £600

Western District:- S. S. Wortley, £400

Government Surveyor: Thomas Harrison, £400

Draughtsman: John Dunlop, £200

Chief Clerk: Charles W. Tait, £200

Second Clerk: James Sinclair, £100

Third Clerk, George Mitchell, £80

SUPERINTENDENTS OF ROADS AND WORKS

Second Class: George W. Clarke, £250, Kingston

Third Class: James Gibson, £200, Pear Tree Grove

Third Class: William S. Groves, £150, Black River

Third Class: James Clement Duncan, £150, Rodney Hall

MORANT POINT LIGHT HOUSE

Superintendent: George Davidson

First Under Keeper:- John F. Duaney

Second Under Keeper:- Philip Mackie

Third Under Keeper:- James Scott

PLUMB POINT LIGHT HOUSE

Superintendent: Thomas H. Orrett, £142

Second Keeper: John Rickie £70

Third Keeper: Edward Simonds, £70

Boatman: George McCanley £26

Boatman: P. Randolph, £26

ISLAND SECRETARY'S DEPARTMENT

Island Secretary and Clerk to Ordinary: William Thomas March (Fees)

Clerks: George Frederick Henriques

....Samuel Eyre Auld

AUDIT OFFICE

Auditor-General: Hon. John Warde Straton

Chief Clerk: Ross Jameson Livingston

2nd Clerk: Edward Alexander Foster

3rd Clerk: James Alfred Marshall

4th Clerk: W. A. Hamilton

5th Clerk: Robert W. Kirkland

6th Clerk: W. Duff

7th Clerk: W. Arrowsmith

8th Clerk: J. M. Whitbourne

9th Clerk: C. Figuerres

10th Clerk: E. J. Andrews

THE TREASURY

Treasurer: Rovere Mayo

Book-keeper: John West

1st Clerk Cashier: John Ware

2nd Clerk Cashier: Arthur Carey

3rd Clerk Cashier: John C. Jones

STAMP OFFICE

Commissioner: Philip Edward Chapman

Stamp Receiver: Robert Bogle

IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT

Agent-General of Immigration in India: Wellwood M. Anderson

Acting Agent-General of Immigration in Jamaica: Henry B. Shaw

Clerk: Richard Dick

Sub-Agents of Immigration and Inspectors of Immigrants for Districts, viz.-

For Westmoreland, Hanover, St. James, and Trelawny: Winslow Y. Garsia

St. Elizabeth and Manchester: John P. Clarke

St. Thomas-ye-East and Eastern part of St. David: David Ewart

St. Catherine, St. Andrew, St. Mary's, St. Ann's, and Portland: Christian L. Hider

Clarendon, St. Dorothy, and Vere: Clerk Cashier: Moses Bravo

Inspector of Prisons:- Henry Bridgwater Shaw

NOTARIES PUBLIC

(Under 28 Vic. C. 16)

For the whole island: William Rastrick Lee

FOR THE PARISH OF

Kingston: John Morce

St. Thomas: Duncan McKenzie

....George Adam Hague

Westmoreland: John G. Stopforth

St. Elizabeth: William Lawson Boxer

Hanover: Joseph Kentish Collymore

St. Mary: Donald Matheson

....Alexander Meally

Trelawny: Robert Nunes

....Andrew Bogle Dignum

St. James: Thomas Brown

NOTE: For other Offices and Officers, see Crown Office, Provost Marshal General's Office, Prisons' Departments, Light Houses, the different Parishes, Stipendiary Magistrates, etc.


JUDICIAL ESTABLISHMENT

The Courts of Justice of Jamaica in 1869 are:-

1. The Court of Chancery

2. The Court of Ordinary

3. The Court of Supreme Judicature

4. The Courts of Special Oyer and Terminer

5. The Circuit Courts

6. The Courts for Insolvent Debtors

7. The Courts of Appeal from District Courts and Local Magistracy

8. The District Courts newly constituted in their separate jurisdictions, to be noticed, infra

9. The Court of Admiralty Sessions

10. Courts of Vice-Admiralty

11. Courts of Coroner

12. Courts of Justices of the Peace

13. Naval Courts for trial of offences on Ship board.

14. Mercantile Marine Courts

15. Courts Martial (Military, Naval, Militia, Volunteers included)

16. Courts of Clergy Discipline

17. Tribunals in cases of Insurrections or Martial Law

BARRISTERS

Hon. Alexander Heslop, B. A.

Jacob C. Stines

ATTORNEYS-AT-LAW

(+ Do not practise)

+Robert Cargill

+Gilbert Shaw

+James Gray

+John Gray

+William Thomas March

James Allwood

Alexander Wells Aikman

Charles Harvey

Edward Claver Smith

Henry John Kemble

William Wemyss Anderson

Matthew Smith Farquharson

Charles Hamilton Jackson

+George Symons Airey

Edward Fray

Wellesley Bourke

Henry J. Dempster

James Days

Stephen Cooke

+Henry John Bicknell

Francis Robertson Lynch

William Andrews

+Hewitt Bernard

James Gayleard

+Edmund Alcock

Thomas Hendrick

Robert William Swan

+James Wauchope Fisher

Solomon DaSilva Lindo

Alexander Mitchell

Daniel Philip Nathan

Thomas Oughton

Edward Bancroft Lynch

Archibald Henry Drummond

Alexander Lake

Samuel Constantine Burke

Edward Whitehouse Lewis

Charles James Mowat

William Selwyn Gilbourne

Beckford Davis

+Andrew Bogle Dignum

John Foster March

Henry Vendryes

James Daly Lewis

Arthur Levy

Philpotts Brown

Thomas Lloyd Harvey

Philip Jaquet

J. W. Petgrave

Edward Claver Smith, jun.

Alexander E. Burke

Richard Cowan Fonseca

+James Allwood, junr.,

Manderson Cohen

Henry Francis Pouyatt

Samuel Hammond Watson

Alfred Jackson James

N.B.- All barristers and Attorneys admitted to practise in the Supreme Court are entitled to practise in every other Court of Law and Equity in the Island, on payment of their stamped certificates of admission.


PROVOST-MARSHAL GENERAL'S OFFICE

Provost-Marshal General: John Augustus O'Sullivan

Chief Clerk: Walter Augustus Feurtado

DEPUTY MARSHALS

For Kingston and St Andrew: William L. Young, Kingston P.O.

For St. Catherine: William L. Young, Spanish Town P.O.

For Clarendon and Manchester (in one district): Adam Copland, Mandeville P.O.

For St. Elizabeth: Joseph M. Sailman, Malvern P.O.

For St. Ann and St. Mary: J. G. Drake, Gayle P.O.

For St. Thomas and Portland: Peter Alexander Moodie, Port Antonio

For Westmoreland and Hanover: James Chisholm Young, Sav-la-Mar P.O.

For St. James and Trelawny: Michael Angelo Nunes, Falmouth P.O.

_________________________________________

COMMISSION SURVEYORS

Thomas Harrison

Roger Jones Swire

William Russell Dunn

Edward David Baugh

Milbourne Joseph Griffiths

John Henry Ridley

James Long Windet

Edward Angell

Richard Tabois

John Manderson

William J. Morris

Josias Cork

Richard Hickling Bennett

________________________________________________

PRISON DEPARTMENT

Inspector of the Penitentiaries and Prisons throughout the whole Island: Henry Bridgewater Shaw

Clerk to Inspector: W. R. Jolly

Superintendent of General Penitentiary: John Horton

Chief Clerk: William Roy

2nd Clerk: George McDougall Duff

3rd Clerk: E. Simon

Superintendents of District Prisons:

St. Catherine: D. P. Mendes

Falmouth: J. P. Kidd

Hanover: J. R. Davis

Mandeville: K. Bonthrone

Morant Bay: R. McPherson

St. Mary: A. Taylor

Montego Bay: F. Bimiann

Black River: Sergeant Rance

_________________________________________

JAMAICA CONSTABULARY

The following are the present officers of the establishment:

STAFF

Inspector-General: Major J. H. Prenderville

Depot-Inspector, Barrackmaster and Quartermaster: Lieut. John Moore, 3rd W. I. Regiment

OFFICERS ON DISTRICT DUTY

First-class Inspector: Alexander Nairne, St. Andrew

Second-class Inspectors: D. D. D. Cotter, St. Thomas

....Thomas Mitchell, Trelawny

Third-class Inspectors: G. McGrath, Kingston

....George Neville Broderick, St. Catherine

....Thomas K. Wheatle, St. Elizabeth

....William McLeod, Clarendon

....Thomas P. Hart, St. Ann's

....W. N. L. Stewart, Portland

....Arthur H. Alexander, St. James, and temporary Hanover

....M. C. Brownrigg, Manchester

Acting Inspectors (holding commissions as Sub-Inspectors):

St. John G. P. Hepburn, St. Mary

Wemyss McKenzie, Trelawny

Sub-Inspectors:

St. Leger Tivey, Westmoreland

Canute W. Humber, Kingston

Rowley W. Cox, Depot (under training)

Cadet: Joseph Francis, St. Catherine

The Clerks in the Head Quarters Office are:

Chief and Pay Clerk: Augustus Constantine Sinclair, £300 per annum

2nd Clerk: Charles M. Macleod Kerr, £100 per annum

3rd Clerk: Charles Lewis Ripoll, £70 per annum

Head Quarters Constabulary Office: Government-square, Spanish Town


© 2013. Jamaican Family Search hereby grants you a limited license to copy and use the materials provided on this site solely for your personal, non-commercial use. No other use of the site or materials is authorized. You agree that any copy of the materials (or any portion of the materials) that you make shall retain all copyright and other proprietary notices contained therein. Posting of materials on other Web Sites is strictly prohibited.


SEARCH THIS SITE

Search for


GO TO:

Home

Plan of this website

Help - Frequently Asked Questions

Jamaica Almanacs Slave-owners, Civil & Military officers, Magistrates etc.

Items in the Samples Directory

Items in the Members Directory

Transcriptions from Registers and Wills (Church of England, Dissenters, Civil Registration)

Jamaican Roman Catholic Church Registers - transcriptions

Jamaican Methodist Baptisms - transcriptions

Jewish births marriages deaths - transcriptions

Slaves and slavery in Jamaica

Photographs, maps, prints, etc.