Why Great Houses?
January 9, 2010 by editor · Leave a Comment
I haven’t really spoken about what prompted the initial consideration of Great Houses and heritage sites as an area for visual exploration. As a person of Jamaican-African heritage, I have over the years spent much time on the island. Some years ago, I think 2007, I attended a friends wedding that was held at the Bellefield Great House in Montego Bay. I acted as the unofficial photographer for the day, taking those candids that everyone is so fond of these days.
On the day of the wedding rehearsal, whilst waiting for the bridal party to finish, I took a wander around the grounds and spoke to some of the workers who were erecting the marquee in the grounds. I was told that the family that owns Bellefield Great House are descendants of the same Kerr family that owned the estate back in the times of slavery. As yet I haven’t confirmed this information to be correct, however the information prompted me to view the site from a different perspective.
For the first time, I looked at my surroundings and connected the place with the trade in enslaved Africans, my ancestors. The Great House and the well manicured gardens, the Sugar Mill (now a two tiered restaurant), the back lawn all very picturesque, very tranquil now, but back 300 years ago, it would have been a very different place.
These musings however would not have been enough to prompt a further look at the phenomenon of the Great House and these thousand plus acre plantations as most were back in the day.
Just prior to leaving the site, while the bridal party trickled back to the vehicles that would carry us back to our respective hotels, some of the children who were there ran down and began playing in the area of the Sugar Mill. Three to four of the mothers went to collect the children and I went with them. Once on the lower level, we all walked into the lower floor area of the Sugar Mill. It was dark, quiet and had an eerie feel about it. Almost at the same time, all of us, all women collectively shuddered, looked at each other and beat a hasty retreat, children in tow, back to the upper level (ground level) got in the vehicles and left.
I cannot speak for the others, but for myself, my thoughts on the drive back to the hotel circled around the people who would have been working on the plantation, in the sugar mill. They would have had no choice in the work that they were doing, they would not have been paid, they were not free to come and go as they pleased on the estate, unlike Jamaican-Africans of 2007, who as consumers were coming back to eat and make merry in a place in which such pain, such hardship was endured by earlier generations.
On my return to the UK, I looked at the images that I made on that day and the subsequent wedding day and decided, perhaps the subject of the Plantation and the Great Houses that adorn them would be worthy of further research and investigation. They may only serve as the foundations on which this project is built over time. One needs to start somewhere, and I think this is as good a place as any.
Rose Hall Great House
December 24, 2009 by editor · Leave a Comment
Perhaps one of the most famous great houses in Jamaica is Rose Hall, in the parish of St James and around 15 minutes from Montego Bay airport. The reason for it’s infamy is due to one of the occupants Annie Palmer, known also as the White Witch of Rose Hall. She is reputed to have murdered three husbands and had them buried on the beach a short distance from the great house itself.
The house was bought in 1965 and renovated in the 1970’s by an American couple Michele and John Rollins. It now operates as a tourist attraction with the rennovated great house containing reproduction furniture, fixtures and fittings. There are two original pieces in the property. A bell pull, and Annie Palmers chaise lounge.
From the perspective of this project, the most interesting area of the house remains outside and in the underground dungeon area, in which are located the gift shop, toilets and a pub. This area features the original coral cobbles and is the area in which slaves were brought down for punishment, receiving no food or water and left to rot and die. During this month long visit, I visited Rose Hall once and took the tour which takes you all around the house.
The time of day was not ideal for photography and I felt that more time was required to photograph on the site, even from an exploratory perspective so for now I will only post a few photos from Rose Hall.
For Every Estate/Plantation
December 18, 2009 by editor · Leave a Comment
There is an obvious fact that had until yesterday escaped me. For every estate/plantation, there would have been a Great house standing on it, after all that is the dwelling place of the estate owner and he would have wanted to show the world his wealth and importance by building the most luxurious of homes fit to entertain the governor, and other important dignitaries, local and international.
At some point I may research and describe the anatomy of the estate (a typical one) but as yet i don’t know. I haven’t done enough work into the importance of the great house and the estate to project as yet, but since the project has yet to declare a direction or even a solid concept, I feel it’s ok to speculate on later entries as they will, I assume, help to define a goal.
Research & Reconnoitre St Ann
December 18, 2009 by editor · Leave a Comment
Part of doing this project is identifying appropriate sites for exploration, further research and visual documenting. As a starting point I have been able to use the website of the Jamaica National Heritage Trust where I found a list of great houses in locations around the island. The site lists many historical and heritage sites and has helped me to focus on sites which are in the area of St Ann, which is where I have been based on this trip .
Today, we are going to take a look at three possible sites of interest to see what’s there and see whether it will be possible to do some photowork within the boundaries of the estates in which they are located.
The sites are
- Drax Hall Water wheel
- Belmont Great House
- Roaring River Great House
All three locations are in St Ann.
Post Reconnaissance Update
Drax Hall Water Wheel
Two out of three ain’t bad, we managed to stop and check out the Drax Hall Water Wheel which is a magnificent ruin. Didn’t take my SLR with me, just the small point and shoot from which I cannot download the images at present to show, however I was very pleased that I decided to persuade my guide to make the stop there. The picture on the JNHT website doesn’t do it justice.
Landovery Chimney
We also stopped prior to reaching Drax Hall at a cattle farm by Landovery. The farm manager was kind enough to allow us to view the chimney and remains of the house which was on this parcel of land, some more research is required in order to determine previous colonial estate owners and thus uncover some history about the location, the mill there and any other interesting facts.
Other Sites
Along the way passing along Highway 2000 on the way from Runaway Bay past St Ann’s Bay we drove up to Roaring River Great House, however we discovered we needed to have made an appointment with the Urban Development Corp. (UDC) in order to be allowed access to the site which is currently being developed as a heritage site/attraction much the same as Seville. We did pass another chimney by the Richmond estate, and say another water wheel by the roadside just before we got to Dunns River. These we will try to investigate more about during the next 14 days.
Seville Great House
December 16, 2009 by editor · Leave a Comment
When the English captured Jamaica in 1655 from the Spanish areas of the country were divided up amongst the captains and generals of the conquering armies. One such was the Seville Estate that was awarded to a Captain Hemmings. Prior to the Spanish, Taino peoples from South America had settlements on the area now known as Seville. The Spaniards imported Africans as slaves to work the sugar and later Copra there and the English continued this activity.
The Seville Great house was built by Hemmings grandson towards the end of the 17th century. Originally a two storey house, the top floor was blown off during a hurricane in the 19th century. The upper floor was never restored so the house as it was then remains today. Operated as a heritage park where visitors can learn about the various known inhabitants of the area, the once 3000 acre Seville estate which extended form Clayground to the sea has been divided up and what remains known as Seville Estate is now merely 300 acres, divided by the main coastal highway that runs on the northern side ot the island from Montego Bay in the west to Port Antonio in the east.
The last owners of the estate prior to it being taken over by the Government were the Hoskins family. Their family burial site can be seen here. The last remaining spot is empty as the youngest sister did not die on the island and is buried elsewhere.
At Seville Heritage Park, you can take a tour of the great house and the grounds and learn something about the past inhabitants of the area, from the Taino, through to the English. Several archaeological digs have been carried out there, revealing artifacts from the past, which demonstrated how the inhabitants lived.
There are also reconstructions of a Taino village and African house on the site as well as the ruins of some of the plantation workers most notably the overseers house and the intact structures of the copra kiln and chimney.
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