White Jamaicans also known as European-Jamaicans are

Jamaican people Jamaicans are the citizens of Jamaica and their descendants in the Jamaican diaspora. The vast majority of Jamaicans are of Sub-Saharan African descent, with minorities of Europeans, East Indians, Chinese, Middle Eastern, and others of mixed a ...

whose ancestry lies within the continent of

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

, most notably

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...

and

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

. There are also communities of people who are descendants of people who arrived from Spain, Germany and

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...

. Historically, White Jamaicans made up a much larger percentage of the population, forming a majority for most of the 17th century, when Jamaica was conquered by the British. After the Spanish colonized the island in the 1600s, the English began taking an interest in the island and, following a failed attempt to conquer Santo Domingo on Hispaniola, Admiral William Penn and General Robert Venables led an invasion of Jamaica in 1655. The Spanish left, aside from Spanish Jews, which would later be followed by a predominately English and Irish White population. By the 1670s, Jamaica brought in more Black slaves to work on sugar plantations, which then would be the majority of Jamaica's population. During the

First Maroon War The First Maroon War was a conflict between the Jamaican Maroons and the colonial British authorities that started around 1728 and continued until the peace treaties of 1739 and 1740. It was led by self-liberated Africans who set up communities in ...

, Jamaicans who broke from slavery fought against British colonialists, therefore leading to another decline in Jamaica's White population. The White population would dramatically decrease during the 1800s, making up only 4% of the population at a peak. According to the 2011 Census of Population and Housing for Jamaica, 0.2% of Jamaica's population is considered White. Over half of the White population lives in the Saint Andrew Parish. Seeing as about 4% of Jamaica's population is considered mixed, mainly Black and White, the population of those with partial European ancestry is much higher than that of the recorded White population. There is also a several centuries-old emigration of White Jamaicans, as with Jamaicans in general, to the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

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, and other countries.

Terminology

A number of Jamaicans have light skin, European features, and majority European ancestry. In colonial times it was common for such people to identify simply as "white", but since independence it has been more common for them to identify as "brown" or "mulatto". For instance, four of the first six Jamaican heads of government (

Norman Manley Norman Washington Manley (4 July 1893 – 2 September 1969) was a Jamaican statesman who served as the first and only Premier of Jamaica. A Rhodes Scholar, Manley became one of Jamaica's leading lawyers in the 1920s. Manley was an advocate ...

Alexander Bustamante Sir William Alexander Clarke Bustamante (born William Alexander Clarke; 24 February 1884 – 6 August 1977) was a Jamaican politician and labour leader, who, in 1962, became the first prime minister of Jamaica. Early life and education He was ...

Edward Seaga Edward Philip George Seaga ( or ; 28 May 1930 – 28 May 2019) was a Jamaican politician. He was the fifth Prime Minister of Jamaica, from 1980 to 1989, and the leader of the Jamaica Labour Party from 1974 to 2005.Michael Manley Michael Norman Manley (10 December 1924 – 6 March 1997) was a Jamaican politician who served as the fourth Prime Minister of Jamaica from 1972 to 1980 and from 1989 to 1992. Manley championed a democratic socialist program, and has been d ...

) had a light-skinned appearance and majority European ancestry, but were not generally considered "white" within Jamaica. Foreign writers applying their own countries' racial standards would sometimes identify them as white – writing for ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'',

Nicholas Kristof Nicholas Donabet Kristof (born April 27, 1959) is an American journalist and political commentator. A winner of two Pulitzer Prizes, he is a regular CNN contributor and an op-ed columnist for ''The New York Times''. Born in Chicago, Kristof was ...

observed that a "95 per cent black population elected a white man –

Demographic history

The proportion of white people among the overall population in Jamaica has varied considerably since the establishment of a permanent Spanish settlement in 1509 by

Juan de Esquivel Juan de Esquivel (c. 1480 - c. 1515) was a Spanish colonist and first governor of Jamaica. Biography Juan de Esquivel was a native of Seville, the son of Pedro de Esquivel and Constanza Fernandez de Arauz. His grandfather, Gabriel Sanchez, had b ...

. The native

Taíno The Taíno were a historic Indigenous peoples of the Caribbean, indigenous people of the Caribbean whose culture has been continued today by Taíno descendant communities and Taíno revivalist communities. At the time of European contact in the ...

people were virtually extinct by 1600 and the island's population of about 3,000 was then overwhelmingly European. However, over the next century a significant numbers of African slaves were brought to the island. Jamaica became a

colony In modern parlance, a colony is a territory subject to a form of foreign rule. Though dominated by the foreign colonizers, colonies remain separate from the administration of the original country of the colonizers, the ''metropole, metropolit ...

of England in 1655 and a census in 1662 recorded 3,653 whites (87% of the population) and 552 blacks (13% of the population). However, by 1673 there were 7,768 whites (45% of the population) and 9,504 blacks (55% of the population). By the end of the century only about 7,000 out of a total population of 47,000 (or 15%) were white. Most white immigrants were British, many coming voluntarily from other North American colonies or as refugees from colonies like

Montserrat Montserrat ( ) is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean. It is part of the Leeward Islands, the northern portion of the Lesser Antilles chain of the West Indies. Montserrat is about long and wide, with r ...

and

Suriname Suriname (; srn, Sranankondre or ), officially the Republic of Suriname ( nl, Republiek Suriname , srn, Ripolik fu Sranan), is a country on the northeastern Atlantic coast of South America. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north ...

, which were captured by other European powers. By 1734, the proportion of white people had decreased to below 10% of the overall population of Jamaica.Historical Background
Jamaican Family Search. In 1774,

Edward Long Edward Long (23 August 1734 – 13 March 1813) was an English-born British colonial administrator, slave owner and historian, and author of a highly controversial work, ''The History of Jamaica'' (1774). He was a polemic defender of slavery. Li ...

estimated that a third of Jamaica's white population were Scottish, mostly concentrated in

Westmoreland Parish Westmoreland is the westernmost parish in Jamaica, located on the south side of the island. It is situated south of Hanover, southwest of Saint James, and northwest of Saint Elizabeth, in the county of Cornwall. The chief town and capital is ...

. In 1787, there were only 12,737 whites out of a total population of 209,617. There was a flow of French refugees to Jamaica after the

Haitian Revolution The Haitian Revolution (french: révolution haïtienne ; ht, revolisyon ayisyen) was a successful insurrection by slave revolt, self-liberated slaves against French colonial rule in Saint-Domingue, now the sovereign state of Haiti. The revolt ...

, though not all remained in the country. In the 1830s, over 1,000

Germans , native_name_lang = de , region1 = , pop1 = 72,650,269 , region2 = , pop2 = 534,000 , region3 = , pop3 = 157,000 3,322,405 , region4 = , pop4 = ...

immigrated to Jamaica to work on Lord Seaford's estate. The 1844 census showed a white population of 15,776 out of a total population of 377,433 (around 4%). According to the 1871 census, at least 25% of the population was coloured (having mixed black and white ancestry). The 1960 census recorded a white population of 0.77 percent, which decreased to 0.66 in 1970, 0.18 in 2001, and 0.16 in 2011. As with most Anglo-Caribbean countries, most Jamaicans who are of mixed ancestry self-report as 'black'. In 2011, the CIA World Factbook estimated that the population of Jamaicans who are of mixed European and African ancestry is at about 96%.

White Jamaicans

Gerry Alexander Franz Copeland Murray Alexander OD (2 November 1928 – 16 April 2011), known as Gerry Alexander, was a Jamaican cricketer who played 25 Test matches for the West Indies. He was a wicket-keeper who had 90 dismissals in his 25 Test appearances ...

(1928–2011), West Indies cricket captain *

Peter Beckford (junior) Peter Beckford ( – 3 April 1735) was a Jamaican-born planter, politician and merchant who served as speaker of the House of Assembly of Jamaica from 1707 to 1713, and again in 1716. The son of one of the richest men in the colony of Jamaica, ...

(1672–1735), politician * William Beckford (1709–1770), plantation owner, Lord Mayor of London *

Martine Beswick Martine Beswick (born 26 September 1941) is Jamaica-born British actress and model perhaps best known for her roles in two James Bond films, '' From Russia with Love'' (1963) and '' Thunderball'' (1965), who went on to appear in several other n ...

(b. 1941), actress, Bond girl *

Cindy Breakspeare Cynthia Jean Cameron Breakspeare (born October 24, 1954) is a Canadian- Jamaican jazz singer, musician and beauty queen. Breakspeare was crowned Miss World 1976. Breakspeare is the mother of reggae musician Damian Marley, through her relationship ...

(b. 1954), model,

Miss World 1976 Miss World 1976, the 26th edition of the Miss World pageant, was held on 18 November 1976 at the Royal Albert Hall in London, United Kingdom. The winner was Cindy Breakspeare from Jamaica. She was crowned by Miss World 1975, Wilnelia Merced ...

Lady Colin Campbell Georgia Arianna, Lady Colin Campbell (''née'' Ziadie, born 17 August 1949), also known as Lady C, is a British Jamaican author, socialite, and television personality who has published seven books about the British royal family. They include b ...

(b. 1949), socialite and writer *

Frederic G. Cassidy Frederic Gomes Cassidy (October 10, 1907 – June 14, 2000) was a Jamaican-born Linguistics, linguist and lexicographer. He was a professor of English at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and founder of the ''Dictionary of American Regional Engl ...

(1907–2000), editor of the ''Dictionary of Jamaican English'' and the ''

Dictionary of American Regional English The ''Dictionary of American Regional English'' (''DARE'') is a record of American English as spoken in the United States, from its beginnings to the present. It differs from other dictionaries in that it does not document the standard language u ...

'' * Alexander J. Dallas (1759–1817), U.S. Secretary of the Treasury * George Ellis (1753–1815), writer *

Gloria Escoffery Gloria Escoffery OD (22 December 1923 – 24 April 2002) was a Jamaican painter, poet and art critic active in the 1940s and 1950s. Biography Born in Gayle, Saint Mary Parish, Jamaica, the youngest of three children of Dr. William T. Escoffery, ...

(1923–2002), painter * Henry Fowler (1915–2007), educator, chairman of the Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation *

Guy Harvey Guy Harvey (born 16 September 1955) is a Jamaican marine wildlife artist and conservationist. His depictions of sealife, especially of sportfish such as marlin, are popular with sportfishermen and have been reproduced in prints, posters, T- ...

(b. 1955), conservationist and artist *

Perry Henzell Perry Henzell (7 March 1936 – 30 November 2006) was a Jamaican director. He directed the first Jamaican feature film, ''The Harder They Come'' (1972), co-written by Trevor D. Rhone and starring Jimmy Cliff. Life and career Henzell, who ...

(1936–2006), film director *

Lewis Hutchinson Lewis Hutchinson (1733–1773), a Scottish immigrant to Jamaica, was the first recorded serial killer in Jamaica's history and one of its most prolific. Early life Hutchinson, better known as the Mad Master and Mad Doctor of Edinburgh Castle, ...

(1733–1773), serial killer * Samantha J (b. 1996), Singer *

Agnes Macdonald, 1st Baroness Macdonald of Earnscliffe Agnes or Agness may refer to: People * Agnes (name), the given name, and a list of people named Agnes or Agness * Wilfrid Marcel Agnès (1920–2008), Canadian diplomat Places *Agnes, Georgia, United States, a ghost town * Agnes, Missouri, Unite ...

Fraser McConnell Fraser McConnell (born September 9, 1998) is a Jamaican professional racing driver. McConnell is the most competitively successful Jamaican driver in the history of international rallycross racing—his championship victory in the 2019 Americas ...

(b. 1998), national rally driver *

Francis Moncrieff Kerr-Jarrett Sir Francis Moncrieff Kerr-Jarrett (27 August 1885 – 13 December 1968) was a sugar manufacturer and landowner in Jamaica. He served as Custos Rotulorum of Saint James Parish, Jamaica (1933–65) and was also chairman of the Jamaica Sugar Manufa ...

(1885–1968), businessman *

William Knibb William Knibb, OM (7 September, 1803 Kettering – 15 November 1845) was an English Baptist minister and missionary to Jamaica. He is chiefly known today for his work to free enslaved Africans. On the 150th anniversary of the abolition of slav ...

(1803–1845), Baptist missionary, first white man to receive

Jamaican Order of Merit The Order of Merit is part of the Jamaican honours system, and it is the fourth-highest honour awarded by the nation of Jamaica. The Order of Merit is conferred upon Jamaicans or distinguished citizens of other countries who have achieved interna ...

Karl Nunes Robert Karl Nunes (7 June 1894 – 23 July 1958) was a West Indian cricketer of Portuguese descent who played in West Indies' first Test in their inaugural Test tour of England as wicketkeeper and captain. Nunes was born in Kingston, Colony ...

(1894–1958), inaugural West Indies cricket captain and president of the West Indies Cricket Board of Control *

(1734–1813), writer, author of the ''History of Jamaica'' *

Edna Manley Edna Swithenbank Manley, Jamaican Order of Merit, OM (28 February 1900 – 2 February 1987) is considered one of the most important artists and arts educators in Jamaica. She was known primarily as a sculptor although her oeuvre included signi ...

(1900–1987), sculptor and mother of Prime Minister

Michael Manley Michael Norman Manley (10 December 1924 – 6 March 1997) was a Jamaican politician who served as the fourth Prime Minister of Jamaica from 1972 to 1980 and from 1989 to 1992. Manley championed a democratic socialist program, and has been d ...

Justin Masterson Justin Daniel Masterson (born March 22, 1985) is an American former professional baseball starting pitcher. Drafted by the Red Sox in the second round of the 2006 MLB draft from San Diego State University, he made his MLB debut two years later. ...

(born to American parents in Kingston, after a few years raised in the US) * Evelyn O'Callaghan (b. 1954), professor of West Indian literature at the University of the West Indies *

Sean Paul Sean Paul Ryan Francis Henriques OD (born 9 January 1973) is a Jamaican rapper and singer who is regarded as one of dancehall's most prolific artists. Paul's singles "Get Busy" and "Temperature" topped the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart in the ...

(Recording Artist) *

Arthur William Savage Arthur William Savage (May 19, 1857 – September 22, 1938), was a businessman, inventor, and explorer. He is most famous for inventing the Savage Model 99 lever-action rifle, which remained in production for over 100 years, and founding Savage A ...

(May 13, 1857 – September 22, 1938) Founder of

Savage Arms Savage Arms is an American gunmaker based in Westfield, Massachusetts, with operations in Canada. Savage makes a variety of rimfire and centerfire rifles, as well as Stevens single-shot rifles and shotguns. The company is best known for the Mo ...

and Inventor of

radial tires A radial tire (more properly, a radial-ply tire) is a particular design of vehicular tire. In this design, the cord plies are arranged at 90 degrees to the direction of travel, or radially (from the center of the tire). Radial tire construction ...

as well as new production methods. * Adam Stewart (b. 1981), businessman * Gordon "Butch" Stewart (1941–2021), businessman, founder of

Sandals Resorts Sandals Resorts is a Jamaican operator of all-inclusive resorts for couples in the Caribbean. It is a part of Sandals Resorts International (SRI), the parent company of Sandals Resorts, Beaches Resorts, Fowl Cay Resort, and several private vill ...

and

Beaches Resorts Beaches Resorts is an operator of all-inclusive resorts for couples & families in the Caribbean, founded in 1997. Beaches Resorts and Sandals Resorts are part of Sandals Resorts International (SRI) which is a parent company to five resort brands ...

Lewis Tierney Lewis Tierney (born 20 October 1994) is a former rugby league footballer who played on the or at . He started his professional career in 2013 with the Wigan Warriors in the Super League, and spent time on loan at Workington Town. He joined t ...

, rugby player *

Kalvin Phillips Kalvin Mark Phillips (born 2 December 1995) is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for club Manchester City and the England national team. A Leeds United academy graduate, Phillips made his first-team debut in 2015 ...

* Cicely Williams (1893–1992), medical researcher, discoverer of

kwashiorkor Kwashiorkor ( , ) is a form of severe protein malnutrition characterized by edema and an enlarged liver with fatty infiltrates. It is thought to be caused by sufficient calorie intake, but with insufficient protein consumption (or lack of goo ...

References

{{White people Ethnic groups in Jamaica White Caribbean

Terminology

White Jamaicans

See also

References