Place Names in St. James

Provided by the National Library of Jamaica

Adelphi which was initially known as ‘Stretch’ and ‘Set’ is speculated to have being named by Isaacs Lascelles Winn an English Quaker, after the similar place in London.

Barracks Road and any reference to Barracks in other parishes was the result of the English
occupation in Jamaica.

Barnett Street named from Barnett Estates.

Barrett Hall is named from English settlers Samuel Barrett, who later settled in the parish and
coincidentally had similar Christian name.

Blytheston named from a generous plantation owner Blythe who gave acres of lands for
community development during the 18th century.

Burchell Field was a free ‘village’ originally purchased by Rev. Thomas Burchell, an English
Baptist Missionary who resided in Montego Bay during the 18th century.

Catadupa’s name was adopted from the Nile

Charles Square was named from Sir Charles Knowles who was the Governor of Jamaica from
1752 to 1756

Creek Dome was named by the Spanish and is translated to mean ‘Rio de Camarones.’ The
legend associated with this place name is that this water source was discovered by a Spanish
woman and her maid, who were out walking, when they saw a crab running under a stone. When
the maid lifted the stone water gushed out and the Spanish lady uttered the phrase ‘Rio de
Camarones.’

Cinnamon Hill received its name from a ‘grove of cinnamon trees’ that were endemic to the
area.

Doctor’s Cave was named from the original owner Dr. Alexander McCatty who donated the site
for a bathing club.

Fort Street received its name from Fort Montego which was erected in 1774.

Gun Hill was named from the tale that John Bradshaw, the president of the Court who
condemned Charles I. The story is that although he was buried in Westminster Abbey, his son
exhumed his body and took it to Jamaica to be reburied in a dignified manner by Cromwellian
soldiers.

Lloyd Street formerly First Street was named in 2010 in honour of Lloyd George philanthropist
of Montego Bay.

Maroon Town was previously named Trelawny Town after Governor Trelawny who was
Governor in Jamaica 1769- 1772. In this time the Maroons signed a treaty with the British
Government but in 1795 the Maroons relegated and waged war against the British Government.
Since then the place has been known as Maroon Town.

McCatty Street is the named in honour of Dr. Alexander James McCatty

Miranda Hill is named from a former Spanish Governor to Jamaica Alonzo de Miranda.

Montpellier which can also be found in St. Thomas name was adapted from the South of France

Mount Carey was named from a Baptist Missionary William Carey who had the distinction of
being the first Baptist Missionary to go to India. It was named probably by Rev. Thomas
Burchell who had established a Baptist mission in the area.

Montego Bay– the origin is inconclusive with some speculating that it was named for ‘Montego
de Salamanca a colonizer’ or it is from the Spanish word ‘manteca’ translated to mean lard or
butter which was once exported top Cartagena from the area.

Rose Hall was named from Rose Kelly the initial owner of the plantation and Great House
which was later inherited by Annie Palmer whom it was speculated was a voodoo practitioner
and who murdered her husbands or other men with whom she was involved. The entire vicinity
later adopted the name of the plantation.

Running Gut is a former estate owned by Benjamin Lawrence a descendant of one of the
pioneer English families that settled in the island. Running Gut was a gully that was found on the
estate.

Sam Sharpe Square can be found in the center of Montego Bay town and was named from
instigator of the Christmas Rebellion of 1831-1832 who was later made into a national hero of
Jamaica.

Spot Valley is named from a geographical quality as several hills in the area are said to have
been ‘spotted ‘from the valley

Tulloch was initially known as ‘Tulloch Castle’ was named from its first owner James Tulloch
of Scotland who owned the property 1769- 1837.

Ironshore was initially a old sugar estate which later extended to the area. Folklore gives its
origin because it was ‘hard for as an iron to make a living there.’

Vaughnfield is named from Samuel Vaughn originally of Boston in the United States. His father
was a West Indian Merchant of England. Vaughn later became a property owner in St. James and
other parishes.

Weir Village formerly ‘Shanty Town’ was named from L.A. Weir, a retired hatter who bought
the land and leased to the people on account of a housing shortage that existed in the area at the
time.

Sources Used
“Shanty Town Becomes Weir Village.” The Daily Gleaner. Print.
Sibley, Inez K. Dictionary of Place-Names in Jamaica. Kingston: Institute of Jamaica, 1978.
Print.
Sibley, Inez K. “Noble St. James.” Daily Gleaner 23 Feb. 1967: 1-3. Print
Thompson, Noel. “Blytheston: Lush and Tranquil.” The Gleaner 27 Jan. 2000. Print
“Jamaica Observer Special Advertising Feature.” Jamaica Observer 19 Oct. 2006: 10, 11. Print.
Jamaica Information Service. St. James. Kingston, JIS 1991. Print.