Golden Grove is a settlement in the parish of Saint Thomas, Jamaica. Historically a sugar plantation, it had a population of 3,057 in 2009.
History edit
It was established in 1734 as a sugar estate by Attorney General of Jamaica Andrew Arcedeckne,[1] and was subsequently run by his son Chaloner Arcedeckne.[2] In 1775, John Kelly (the supervisor of the plantation) recorded a total yield of 740 hogshead of sugar, more than double that of 1769 (350). However, estate owner Simon Taylor expressly disagreed with Kelly's overworking of the slaves on the plantation, arguing that they would be "killed by overwork and harassed to Death".[3]
A chalice inscribed with the line "Purchased by the slaves of the Golden Grove" was created in 1830 for church-going slaves in Golden Grove to receive the Eucharist; it is now housed in the Golden Grove Church by the Diocese of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands.[4]
The Golden Grove Sugar Factory, established in 1924, was the only sugar-manufacturing plant in eastern Jamaica until its closure in July 2019.[5]
Geography edit
Golden Grove is 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) northeast of Port Morant and 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) east of Bath.[6] The banana-handling port, Port Morant, is located in Bowden, Golden Grove.[7] A path starting from Golden Grove leads to the 100 foot (30 m)-tall Morant Point lighthouse cast in London, England in 1841.[8] According to a 2009 census, Golden Grove had a population of 3,057.[9]
Reception edit
A 2000 travel guide described Golden Grove as "rather shabby", adding that tourists "won't want to stop here".[10]
References edit
- ^ B. W. Higman (2005). Plantation Jamaica, 1750-1850: capital and control in a colonial economy. University of the West Indies Press. p. 168. ISBN 978-976-640-165-8.
- ^ Jamaican Historical Society (1972). The Jamaican Historical Review. p. 46.
- ^ Trevor Burnard (21 February 2020). Jamaica in the Age of Revolution. University of Pennsylvania Press. pp. 96–99. ISBN 978-0-8122-9695-2.
- ^ Tim Barringer; Wayne Modest (19 April 2018). Victorian Jamaica. Duke University Press. p. 22. ISBN 978-0-8223-7462-6.
- ^ "Sugar's Slow Death Sucking Life Out of St Thomas". The Gleaner. 4 November 2019.
- ^ Jamaica. Lonely Planet Publications. 2006. p. 116.
- ^ Jamaica Way. Longmans. 1962. p. 22.
- ^ Polly Thomas; Adam Vaitilingam (1997). Jamaica. Rough Guides. p. 125. ISBN 978-1-85828-230-5.
- ^ "Jamaica: largest cities and towns and statistics of their population". World Gazetteer. Archived from the original on 5 December 2012. Retrieved 21 December 2009.
- ^ Polly Thomas; Adam Vaitilingam (1 December 2000). The rough guide to Jamaica. Rough Guides. p. 53. ISBN 978-1-85828-554-2.