Clarendon is a
parish
A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or ...
in
Jamaica
Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of Hispa ...
. It is located on the south of the island, roughly halfway between the island's eastern and western ends. Located in the county of Middlesex, it is bordered by
Manchester
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The ...
on the west,
Saint Catherine in the east, and in the north by
Saint Ann
According to Christian apocryphal and Islamic tradition, Saint Anne was the mother of Mary and the maternal grandmother of Jesus. Mary's mother is not named in the canonical gospels. In writing, Anne's name and that of her husband Joachim come o ...
. Its capital and largest town is
May Pen.
History
Clarendon was named in honour of the
Lord Chancellor
The lord chancellor, formally the lord high chancellor of Great Britain, is the highest-ranking traditional minister among the Great Officers of State in Scotland and England in the United Kingdom, nominally outranking the prime minister. Th ...
Sir Edward Hyde, Earl of Clarendon. The most recent parish was formed from a combination of three
parishes
A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or ...
: St. Dorothy's, Vere and the old parish of Clarendon. Before the merger, the capital was
Chapelton. Clarendon Parish was one of the original seven
Anglican
Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of t ...
parishes of Jamaica set up by
Sir Thomas Modyford
Colonel Sir Thomas Modyford, 1st Baronet (c. 1620 – 1 September 1679) was a planter of Barbados and Governor of Jamaica from 1664 to 1671.
Early life
Modyford was the son of a mayor of Exeter with family connections to the Duke of Albemarl ...
in 1664, and it has been reorganized numerous times since.
Parish registers, which are
records kept by the
parish church
A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...
of religious events such as
baptism
Baptism (from grc-x-koine, βάπτισμα, váptisma) is a form of ritual purification—a characteristic of many religions throughout time and geography. In Christianity, it is a Christian sacrament of initiation and adoption, almost ...
s, marriages, and burials, are still extant from Clarendon parish almost as far back as its foundation, with the first recorded baptism dated in 1666.
Geography and population
Covering an area of 1,196 km
2, Clarendon ranks as Jamaica's third largest parish. The parish is predominantly a wide
plain
In geography, a plain is a flat expanse of land that generally does not change much in elevation, and is primarily treeless. Plains occur as lowlands along valleys or at the base of mountains, as coastal plains, and as plateaus or uplands ...
, marked by several
river
A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of ...
s, including the
Rio Minho, which runs the length of the parish. Toward the northern end of the parish lies the
Mocho Mountains, (2000 ft), and
Bull Head Mountain range (2800 ft), which is considered to be the geographical centre of the island. The Vere plain is another significant geographical feature.
Portland Point, the southernmost point of
Jamaica
Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of Hispa ...
, is on a
peninsula
A peninsula (; ) is a landform that extends from a mainland and is surrounded by water on most, but not all of its borders. A peninsula is also sometimes defined as a piece of land bordered by water on three of its sides. Peninsulas exist on a ...
in Clarendon which also hosts
Portland Point Lighthouse. On the same peninsula are Jackson Bay beach, the flood-prone community of Portland Cottage, and two different locations both called Rocky Point: a residential community on the western side of the peninsula, and a port used primarily for the export of
alumina on the eastern side of the peninsula.
With a population at an estimated 246,322,
Clarendon is one of the most populous parishes in the island. May Pen, the capital, has a population estimated at around 60,000.
Notable towns
*
Chapelton
*
Hayes
Hayes may refer to:
* Hayes (surname), including a list of people with the name
** Rutherford B. Hayes, 19th president of the United States
* Hayes (given name)
Businesses
* Hayes Brake, an American designer and manufacturer of disc brakes
* Hay ...
*
Frankfield
*
Lionel Town
*
May Pen
*
Palmers Cross
Palmers Cross is a district in south-central Jamaica, located to the east of May Pen
May Pen is the capital and largest town in the parish of Clarendon in Middlesex County, Jamaica. It is located on the Rio Minho river (Jamaica's longes ...
*
Race Course
A race track (racetrack, racing track or racing circuit) is a facility built for racing of vehicles, athletes, or animals (e.g. horse racing or greyhound racing). A race track also may feature grandstands or concourses. Race tracks are also ...
*
Rocky Point
Economy
Bauxite
Bauxite is a sedimentary rock with a relatively high aluminium content. It is the world's main source of aluminium and gallium. Bauxite consists mostly of the aluminium minerals gibbsite (Al(OH)3), boehmite (γ-AlO(OH)) and diaspore (α-AlO ...
, Jamaica's major mineral source, can be found extensively in Clarendon. Bauxite mining has been established in the parish by JAMALCO and
ALCOA
Alcoa Corporation (an acronym for Aluminum Company of America) is a Pittsburgh-based industrial corporation. It is the world's eighth-largest producer of aluminum. Alcoa conducts operations in 10 countries. Alcoa is a major producer of primar ...
. Most of the island's tobacco is also grown in Clarendon, along with cotton,
allspice (colloquially referred to as pimento),
ginger
Ginger (''Zingiber officinale'') is a flowering plant whose rhizome, ginger root or ginger, is widely used as a spice and a folk medicine. It is a herbaceous perennial which grows annual pseudostems (false stems made of the rolled bases of ...
, livestock,
indigo
Indigo is a deep color close to the color wheel blue (a primary color in the RGB color space), as well as to some variants of ultramarine, based on the ancient dye of the same name. The word "indigo" comes from the Latin word ''indicum'', ...
, bananas, coffee, and
cocoa
Cocoa may refer to:
Chocolate
* Chocolate
* ''Theobroma cacao'', the cocoa tree
* Cocoa bean, seed of ''Theobroma cacao''
* Chocolate liquor, or cocoa liquor, pure, liquid chocolate extracted from the cocoa bean, including both cocoa butter an ...
. May Pen is also an important
citrus
''Citrus'' is a genus of flowering trees and shrubs in the rue family, Rutaceae. Plants in the genus produce citrus fruits, including important crops such as oranges, lemons, grapefruits, pomelos, and limes. The genus ''Citrus'' is native to ...
packing centre, famous for 'Trout Hall' oranges. Additionally,
dairy farming
Dairy farming is a class of agriculture for long-term production of milk, which is processed (either on the farm or at a dairy plant, either of which may be called a dairy) for eventual sale of a dairy product. Dairy farming has a history t ...
,
fish farming
upright=1.3, Salmon farming in the sea (mariculture) at Loch Ainort, Isle of Skye">mariculture.html" ;"title="Salmon farming in the sea (mariculture">Salmon farming in the sea (mariculture) at Loch Ainort, Isle of Skye, Scotland
Fish farming o ...
, and
copper mining have been carried on intermittently, and the
sugar-cane production contributes significantly to the amount of sugar exported annually. The Denbigh agricultural showground is on the outskirts of May Pen.
One of the top ten
credit unions
A credit union, a type of financial institution similar to a commercial bank, is a member-owned nonprofit financial cooperative. Credit unions generally provide services to members similar to retail banks, including deposit accounts, provision ...
in Jamaica,
GSB Co-operative Credit Union has a branch here.
Clarendon is the location of the
Milk River Bath, a mineral
spa famous for the
therapeutic value of its waters. The oldest church on the island is in Alley, the old capital of Vere.
Halse Hall Great House is one of the island's historic houses. The land on which the house stands was given to an English officer, Major Thomas Halse, in 1655, and was passed from him to Francis Sadler Halse. Halse played a leading role in the Maroon Wars.
The Denbigh Agricultural Show Grounds – once a year, on the weekend prior to Independence celebrations, a national Agriculture Show is staged here.
Vernamfield was the first car-racing track established in Jamaica. The track is located on the former American lend lease air base,
Vernam Field
Vernam Field (locally spelled Vernamfield) is a former World War II United States Army Air Forces airfield located in Clarendon Parish, west-southwest of Kingston, Jamaica. The airfield was renamed Vernam Air Force Base by the newly formed Un ...
(later Vernam Air Force Base) that was named in honor of World War I flyer
Remington de B. Vernam. Vernam Field is known for
drag racing.
* The Woodleigh racetrack outside of May Pen is known for
dirtbike
The six main types of motorcycles are generally recognized as ''standard'', ''cruiser'', ''touring'', ''sports'', ''off-road'', and ''dual-purpose''. ''Sport touring'' is sometimes recognized as a seventh category or integrated with the ''touring' ...
racing.
* It is the home of the New Yarmouth, Sevens Estate and Moneymusk Sugar factories.
Politics
Clarendon Parish elects 6 MPs to the
Parliament of Jamaica
The Parliament of Jamaica is the legislative branch of the government of Jamaica. It consists of three elements: The Crown (represented by the Governor-General), the appointed Senate and the directly elected House of Representatives.
The ...
.
*
Clarendon Central
Clarendon Central is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Representatives of the Jamaican Parliament. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election. The constituency is located at the c ...
*
Clarendon Northern
Clarendon Northern is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Representatives of the Jamaican Parliament. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election. It is located in Clarendon Parish. T ...
*
Clarendon North Central
Clarendon North Central is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Representatives of the Jamaican Parliament. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election. It is located in Clarendon Pa ...
*
Clarendon North Western
*
Clarendon South Eastern Clarendon South East is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Representatives of the Jamaican Parliament. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election. It is located in Clarendon Parish. ...
*
Clarendon South Western
Places of interest
*
Halse Hall Great House
*
Milk River Bath
*
Rio Minho
*
Vernam Field
Vernam Field (locally spelled Vernamfield) is a former World War II United States Army Air Forces airfield located in Clarendon Parish, west-southwest of Kingston, Jamaica. The airfield was renamed Vernam Air Force Base by the newly formed Un ...
Notable people
*
Dennis Alcapone, reggae DJ and producer
*
Michael Allen, Canadian football player
*
Rodolph Austin
Rodolph William Austin (born 1 June 1985) is a Jamaican professional footballer who plays as a midfielder.
He is renowned as a tough tackling central midfielder who can play in attacking and central midfield as well as a central defender.
He b ...
, footballer
*
Davina Bennett
Davina Bennett (born 5 March 1996) is a Jamaican international model and beauty Queen who won Miss Universe Jamaica 2017. She represented Jamaica at the Miss Universe 2017 pageant where she was placed second runner-up and the first black woman t ...
, model,
Miss Universe 2017 Top 3
*
Michael Blackwood
*
Simon Brown, boxer
*
Cocoa Tea, born Calvin George Scott,
reggae
Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...
singer
*
Rohan Davey
Rohan St. Patrick Davey (born April 14, 1978) is a Jamaican-born former American football quarterback. He won two Super Bowl rings with the New England Patriots, as the backup to Tom Brady in 2003 and 2004.
Early years
Davey attended Hialeah-M ...
, American football quarterback
*
Lacena Golding-Clarke, sprinter
*
Mona Hammond
*
Dalton Harris, singer
*
Toots Hibbert, singer of
Toots & The Maytals
*
Elizabeth Home, Countess of Home
*
Charles Howard, 1st Earl of Carlisle, governor of Jamaica from 1678–1680
*
Leonard Howell
Leonard Percival Howell (16 June 1898 – 23 January 1981), also known as The Gong or G.G. Maragh (for ''Gangun Guru''), was a Jamaican religious figure. According to his biographer Hélène Lee, Howell was born into an Anglican family. He was o ...
, founder of Rastafari, born in Clarendon 1898
*
Glen Johnson, boxer
*
Linton Kwesi Johnson, poet
*
Doreen Lawrence, Baroness Lawrence of Clarendon, mother of Stephen Lawrence
*
Stephen Lawrence, murdered in
Eltham
Eltham ( ) is a district of southeast London, England, within the Royal Borough of Greenwich. It is east-southeast of Charing Cross, and is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. The three wards o ...
,
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
in 1993, buried in Clarendon
*
Barrington Levy, singer
*
Atlee Mahorn
Atlee Anthony Mahorn (born 27 October 1965) is a three-time Canadian Olympic and four-time World Championship sprinter. He won Bronze medals in the 200 metres at the 1991 World Championships in Tokyo and the 4 x 100 metre relay at the 1993 ...
, Canadian sprinter
*
Freddie McGregor, singer
*
Claude McKay
Festus Claudius "Claude" McKay Order of Jamaica, OJ (September 15, 1890See Wayne F. Cooper, ''Claude McKay, Rebel Sojourner In The Harlem Renaissance (New York, Schocken, 1987) p. 377 n. 19. As Cooper's authoritative biography explains, McKay's ...
, part of the
Harlem Renaissance
The Harlem Renaissance was an intellectual and cultural revival of African American music, dance, art, fashion, literature, theater, politics and scholarship centered in Harlem, Manhattan, New York City, spanning the 1920s and 1930s. At the t ...
, born in James Hill
*
Liz Mitchell, of
Boney M.
*
Derrick Morgan
Derrick Morgan (born 27 March 1940)Walters, Basil (2012)A New Day – Songs heralding JA’s Independence", ''Jamaica Observer'', 3 June 2012, retrieved 3 June 2012 is a Jamaican musical artist who was popular in the 1960s and 1970s. He worked ...
*
Raphael Morgan
Robert Josias "Raphael" Morgan (c. 1866 - July 29, 1922) was a Jamaican-American who is believed to be the first Black Eastern Orthodox priest in the United States. After being active in other denominations, including the AME Church, Churc ...
(Robert Josias Morgan), missionary and first Black
Orthodox priest in the United States
*
OMI
is a hereditary noble title ('' kabane'') of ancient Japan. It was given to the descendants of the Imperial Family before Emperor Kōgen. Along with ''Muraji'', ''Omi'' was reserved for the head of the most powerful clans during the Kofun period ...
, reggae singer
*
Levi Roots, born Keith Valentine Graham, singer, chef
*
Catherine Scott
*
Jah Shaka
*
Millie Small, singer and songwriter, best known for
My Boy Lollipop
*
Super Cat
*
Roger Thompson, Canadian footballer
References
External links
Clarendon
{{Authority control
Parishes of Jamaica
1664 establishments in Jamaica
Populated places established in 1664