Maidstone

Maidstone

Maidstone

Parish: Manchester

 

Maidstone, under the direction of the Moravian missionaries was founded in 1840. An estate of a coffee plantation, called Maidstone, close to Nazareth in Manchester was purchased. The property comprised three hundred and forty-one acres and was divided into ninety-eight lots ranging in size from fifteen to one acre. The deposit was small and some of the ex-slaves approached the transaction in a purposeful manner and by 1850 had completed their payments. The land was rocky and uneven, which did not allow for the formation of regular streets and squares. Nevertheless, the ex-slaves succeeded in building a large but irregular village. A school-house, which also served as a chapel was built shortly after the establishment of the township.

The Maidstone peasantry became one of the sturdiest and most independent in Jamaica. To date, there are leading families in the church and community who bear the family names of many of the original settlers.


SHOWCASE
FORTS

Ever since the capture of Jamaica by the English from the Spanish in 1655, the need for fortification became immediate because of the...

 

SHOWCASE
COURTHOUSES

The Morant Bay Courthouse, which was destroyed by fire on Monday, February 19, 2007, is an important part of St. Thomas's history.

 

SHOWCASE
HISTORIC SCHOOLS

Built in 1885 of masonry and timber, the Simms building exhibits a combination of Gothic and Georgian features; the projecting...