HISTORY
Location
latitude 18°15'N,
longitude 77°46'W
Capital town
Falmouth
Major towns
Clarks Town, Duncans,
Wakefield, Wait-a-Bit, Albert Town
County
Cornwall
Area
874 square km
Rank
Jamaica's fifth largest parish
Population
74,000 in 2001
Commerce
Agriculture, Manufactoring
Trelawny was formed from the eastern
part of St. James in 1770 after the
wealthy planters of the area complained
that Montego Bay, the capital, was too
far away for them to go to conduct
business. The parish was named for Sir
William Trelawny, Governor of Jamaica
when the parish came into being.
Trelawny goes down in Jamaica’s history
as the parish with the most sugar
estates and sugar factories. At one time
the estates numbered as many as a
hundred, and there were no less than
forty sugar factories. By 1927, the
number of estates had dwindled to 16,
but Trelawny, even then, produced more
sugar than any other parish in the
island. The early days of Trelawny
pivoted around sugar which provided a
good living for many in the parish.
There were large and small estates which
varied technologically from big
mechanized plants to the one-man donkey
-drawn mill. In the early 1900s, a fall
in the price of sugar on the world
market resulted in the decline of
Trelawny’s sugar industry. Banana
cultivation took over as the major
agricultural enterprise.
The first capital of the parish was
Martha Brae but its size and location
raised doubts as to its suitability as a
permanent parish capital. It was felt
that since Trelawny had a sea-coast it
needed a seaport for its chief town. The
honour of the “second capital of
Trelawny” consequently fell to the town
of Falmouth. Falmouth was established in
1790, at a time when sugar was booming.
When sugar declined, so did Falmouth. In
its grand days, the town supported many
businesses and more than one weekly
newspaper. Once the busiest port on the
north coast, Falmouth was the place from
which sugar was shipped and where
important goods needed by the estates in
the interior were landed.
With the advent of steamships,
Falmouth’s former sea traffic was
diverted to ports which could
accommodate these larger ships.
Consequently, by 1890 Falmouth was
practically a ghost town. Today, except
for Hampden Estate, on the border of St.
James and Trelawny, only Long Pond
Estate remains of the one hundred
estates that used to grace the parish.
MONUMENTS AND HISTORIC BUILDINGS
Falmouth Court House
The original court house in the town of
Falmouth, built in 1815, was destroyed
by fire in 1925. The present court house
building was built in 1926. It is a
replica of the original Palladian style
building, except for the roof line and
windows.
Falmouth Parish Church
Located on Duke Street, is the Anglican
Church of St. Peter built in 1795. It is
the oldest building in Falmouth and the
oldest church in Trelawny. In 1842 the
church was enlarged, with a western
extension which now forms the nave.
Falmouth Police Station
This building on Rodney Street,
occupies the former Cornwall District
Prison. It was constructed in 1814.
Falmouth Presbyterian Church known as St. Andrews Kirk, this church
is located at the corner of Rodney and
Princess Streets. The church was built
in 1832 by prominent Scotsmen in the
parish. Alterations have been made to
the original building.
Monument erected to a slave
It is uncommon in Jamaica to find
monuments dedicated to slaves. This
monument to a slave is located in the
old slave village on Hyde Estate. Dating
back to 1800, it was erected in honour
of a slave woman called Eve, who it is
said was the person in charge of the
children of those slaves who went to
work during the day. Legend has it that
she drowned in a pond on Hyde Estate.
The monument was apparently erected by
her master, Henry Shirley.
Sources
Jamaica Information Service, Trelawny.
Kingston: Jamaica Information Service,
(Parish Profiles), 1991.
Map of Jamaica, 1895.
Senior, Olive, Encyclopedia of Jamaican
Heritage. St. Andrew, Jamaica: Twin
Guinep Publishers Ltd., 2003
Falmouth Sister Chamber - The
Lauderhill Chamber of Commerce
Their Vision
"Many people, one community promoting business and a better quality of life."
Their Mission
The
Lauderhill Chamber of Commerce, is a non-profit organization existing
to maximize the success of its member business community, to cultivate
its competitive and economic strength and improve the overall quality
of life of its residents.
-
The Lauderhill Chamber of Commerce will be a leader in creating a vision and plan for Lauderhill and its business community.
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Provide opportunities for member community involvement through Chamber initiatives and events.
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Sponsor relevant educational and training programs with a focus on small businesses.
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Offer community and member value through the services provided by the Chamber.
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Enhance the Chamber’s financial position by applying for grants to widen the Chamber’s offerings and to supplement the revenue stream of the organization.
Their ultimate goal is to make Lauderhill the best place in Broward to Work, Shop and Live.
http://lauderhillchamberofcommerce.com/vision.html
5557 West Oakland Park Blvd.
Lauderhill, Florida 33313
Phone: 954.318.6118 - Fax: 954.318.6120
