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Black River is the capital of St. Elizabeth Parish, in southwestern
Jamaica National Heritage Trust. It developed as a port around the mouth of the river of the same name. Today, the city is a centre of environmental tourism and a gateway to the
Black River is one of the oldest European towns in the island of Jamaica, being shown on John Sellers' 1685 map. It was designed by the Leyden brothers of England, three wealthy men who were substantial land proprietors in the area. In 1773, Black River replaced Lacovia, 19 miles to the north-east, as the capital of St. Elizabeth. Soon after it became the main commercial, economic and transshipment centre of the parish. By the early 1900s, it was second only to
Understanding Slavery Initiative website, 2011 ''Zong'' finally landed at Black River. Its owners later sued for insurance claims for the slaves who had been killed, and the case was litigated in 1783 in
Aerial view
Populated places established in the 17th century Populated places in Saint Elizabeth Parish {{Jamaica-geo-stub
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island country in the Caribbean Sea and the West Indies. At , it is the third-largest island—after Cuba and Hispaniola—of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean. Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, west of Hispaniola (the is ...
.Black RiverJamaica National Heritage Trust. It developed as a port around the mouth of the river of the same name. Today, the city is a centre of environmental tourism and a gateway to the
Treasure Beach
Treasure Beach is the name given to a stretch of five Jamaican coves and their associated settlements: Ft Charles, Billy's Bay, Frenchman's Bay, Calabash Bay and Great (Pedro) Bay.
Treasure Beach is known as the home of Community Tourism and is ...
resort area. Treasure Beach and Crane Beach are to the south-east, with Luana Beach to the west. In the 18th and early 19th centuries, it was a thriving sugar port with a market for African slaves.
Growing prosperity in the sugar and lumber trade led to the construction of several warehouses. Some have been adapted as restaurants or as bases for eco-tours of the river.
History
Black River is one of the oldest European towns in the island of Jamaica, being shown on John Sellers' 1685 map. It was designed by the Leyden brothers of England, three wealthy men who were substantial land proprietors in the area. In 1773, Black River replaced Lacovia, 19 miles to the north-east, as the capital of St. Elizabeth. Soon after it became the main commercial, economic and transshipment centre of the parish. By the early 1900s, it was second only to Kingston
Kingston may refer to:
Places
* List of places called Kingston, including the six most populated:
** Kingston, Jamaica
** Kingston upon Hull, England
** City of Kingston, Victoria, Australia
** Kingston, Ontario, Canada
** Kingston upon Thames, ...
in economic importance on the island.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, Black River was a busy seaport for the lucrative logwood trade and for exports of rum
Rum is a liquor made by fermenting and then distilling sugarcane molasses or sugarcane juice. The distillate, a clear liquid, is often aged in barrels of oak. Rum originated in the Caribbean in the 17th century, but today it is produced i ...
, pimento and cattle skins from the nearby Holland, Vineyard, and Fullerswood plantations. Into the early 19th century, slaves from Africa and other Caribbean islands were landed here and sold at auction at Farquharson Wharf (originally Town Wharf). This wharf still stands.
A monument was installed at Black River in 2007 to memorialize the slaves killed in the ''Zong'' massacre of 1781. More than 132 slaves were thrown overboard at sea from the ''Zong.'' They were sacrificed by the crew purportedly to save the remainder and the crew because of a shortage of water on board."The Zong case study"Understanding Slavery Initiative website, 2011 ''Zong'' finally landed at Black River. Its owners later sued for insurance claims for the slaves who had been killed, and the case was litigated in 1783 in
London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
. The court rejected the owners' claim, as it was shown that the crew had made navigation errors that kept the ship at sea and threatened its supplies. Abolitionists publicized it, and the case became a catalyst for the burgeoning British abolitionist movement.
As a major sea port, Black River became a commercial center on the south coast of Jamaica. Due to its wealth, in 1893 this was the first town in Jamaica to be lit by electricity. Ten years later, in 1903, it was the first city on the island to have automobiles. A telephone system was installed 10 years after the instrument was invented.
References
External links
Aerial view
Populated places established in the 17th century Populated places in Saint Elizabeth Parish {{Jamaica-geo-stub