The following shows the annual Birth-rates for seven years, 1887-88 to 1893-94 : The deaths registered in the year ended 31st March, 1894, numbered 14,885 being in the proportion of 22.2 to each 1,000 of mean population. Below are shown the annual death-rates for seven years 1887-88 to 1893-94 :Annual Rate per 1,000 Estimated Year. Clarendon St. Catherine 28,338 28,767 57,105 25,180 24,665 49,845 7,260 31,738 33,771 65,509 29,972 31,138 61,110 4,399 305,948 333,543 639,491 282,957 297,847 580,804 It may be interesting here to notice the gradual increase in the population of Jamaica since the earliest period when there was any authentic record. The first regular census was taken in the year 1844; although there had previously been approximate calculations as to the inhabitants of the island. The first attempts at numbering the people was in 1660, when "the relicts of the Army" were put down at about 2,200, and the planters, merchants and others, as probably as many more. Thirteen years after, that is in 1673, the inhabitants were thus classified :— In 1775 the free coloured people were for the first time accounted for. The popu lation was 12,737 4,093 192,787 209,617 c. In 1791 (sixteen years after the last date) the population was estimated at 30,000 ... ... 1,400 250,000 a. Calendar of State Papers, Vol. I. b. Montgomery Martins, Colonial Empire. c. Bryan Edwards West Indies, Vol. I. d. Parliamentary Returns to the House of Lords, March, 1839. Hill's Lights and Shadows of Jamaica History. In June, 1844, the first Census was taken by legally appointed Officers, when it was found that there were in the Island :- In 1861 another Census was taken under an Act of the Legislature when the population was returned as follows: Males : The total population by the Census of 1861 compared with that of 1844 showed an increase of 63,831 in the 17 years notwithstanding the two visitations of Cholera, one of Scarlatina and one of Smallpox which occurred within that period. "These pestilences carried off between fifty and sixty thousand persons by over one hundred daily, while Cholera desolated."* During the ten years that followed there was no epidemic or other cause to affect the natural increase of the people and the numbers in 1871 were 64,890 in excess of those of 1861, namely :— compared with 1861 there was in 1871 a decrease of 715 white inhabitants, and an increase of 19,281 coloured and 46,333 black inhabitants. The population of Jamaica by the Census taken on the 4th April, 1881, was580,804, or 74,680 in excess of the population in 1871. The totals were The increases comparing the classifications of colour as they appeared in the returns of 1871 and 1881 were whites, 1,331; coloured, 9,600; blacks, 51,479 ; but if the Coolies and Chinese, and the persons who did not avow their complexion be apportioned by means of one-third to the whites and two-thirds to the coloured population (which may be accepted as having been the case in regard to the census of 1871) the increase in the whites will be 5,411, and the increase of the people of colour, 17,760. * Hill's Lights and Shadows of Jamaica History. PART IV. HISTORICAL SKETCH OF JAMAICA. 1655 JAMAICA was discovered by Christopher Columbus on the 3rd May, 1494, during his second voyage to the new world; and after remaining in Spanish occupation for 161 years was surrendered to an English Expedition under Admiral Penn and General Venables on the 11th May, 1655. The island was placed under military jurisdiction and the Leaders of the Expedition returned to England leaving General Fortescue in charge of the Land Forces and Admiral Goodson in charge of the Sea Force. Penn and Venables were committed to the Tower "for having deserted the forces committed to their charge," and Major General Sedgewick was sent by Cromwell as a Commissioner to conduct the civil affairs of the colony. On his arrival in October, 1655, he established a Council, of which Colonel Edward D'Oyley, who succeeded to the command of the troops on the death of General Fortescue, was appointed President. In the following month Sedgewick informed the Protector that the soldiers had destroyed all sorts of provisions and cattle and that nothing but ruin attended them wherever they went. "Dig or plant, they neither will nor can, but are determined rather to starve than work." The result was a scarcity, approaching a famine, with its usual attendants disease and contagion. "Such was the want of food that snakes, lizards, and other vermin were eagerly eaten, together with unripe fruits and noxious vegetables. The unwholesome diet concurred with other circumstances to produce an epidemic dysentery, which raged like the plague. For a considerable time 140 men died weekly, and Sedgewick himself at length perished in the general carnage."t 1656 1660 1662 In June, 1656, Colonel William Brayne arrived as Commander-in-Chief, bringing with him a reinforcement of a thousand recruits and four months' provisions for 3,000 men. He was soon followed by 1,500 settlers from Nevis, Bermuda, Barbados and New England. One thousand girls and as many young men were "listed" in Ireland and sent to the colony. Brayne died in September, 1657, and the government again fell to D'Oyley. In the following year Don Arnold Sasi, the old Spanish Governor, landed at the north side with about 500 of the former inhabitants and 1,000 troops from Spain and built a fort at Rio Neuvo, in the present parish of St. Mary. On the 14th June, D'Oyley, with 500 picked men, attacked the fort and completely routed the Spanish army,-Don Sasi subsequently escaping to Cuba in a canoe from the Bay now called Runaway Bay in memory of the event. In August, 1660, a vessel of war arrived with intelligence of the restoration of Charles II., and in May of the following year the "Diamond" Frigate brought Colonel (then General) D'Oyley's commission as Governor of Jamaica. The commission required him to proceed to the selection of a Council of twelve persons (of whom one was to be the Island Secretary) and empowered him, with the advice of any five of them, to constitute civil judicatures and to pass Acts" tending to the security and prosperity" of the Island. Courts of Justice were established at Port Morant, Point Cagua (Port Royal) and St. Jago de la Vega; and the members of Council were declared Justices of the Peace and empowered to choose three or more Constables for their respective districts. In December of the same year the King, by a Royal Proclamation, declared that "children, born in Jamaica of His Majesty's natural born subjects of England shall be free denizens of England." In August, 1662, Lord Windsor arrived as the successor of General D'Oyley and brought with him a seal and mace for the Island. His instructions from the King required him "to constitute a Council and to call Assemblies and to make laws and * The transactions of the Spaniards during a century and a half, in the settlement of Jamaica, have scarcely obtained the notice of history.-Bryan Edwards. † Bryan Edwards' History of the West Indies. levy moneys, such laws to be only in force for two years unless confirmed by the 1662 King." "All planters and christian servants" were also required " to be provided with arms, mustered and trained, with power, in case of insurrection or invasion, to proclaim martial law.” The late army was disbanded and the men were divided into five Regiments of Militia,-Lord Windsor himself becoming Colonel of the Port Royal Regiment. On Lord Windsor's retiring Sir Charles Lyttleton assumed the Government as Deputy Governor. He granted plots of land to Juan de Bolas and other Maroons (the name given to the slaves left by the Spaniards in the interior) on account of their submission and services to the English and by proclamation declared that they should enjoy all the liberties and priviliges of Englishmen. De Bolas was appointed Colonel of a black Regiment of Militia and a Magistrate over negroes, to decide all cases except those of life and death.* The instructions of Lord Windsor with regard to the calling of Assemblies, were acted upon by Sir Charles Lyttleton, who issued the writs for the first General Assembly held in the island. The members were returned for the following districts; Yakalla, St. Jago, Old Harbour, Angels, Cagua, Seven Plantations, Guanaboa, Withywood, Morant, Liguanea, Dry River, Northside. All the districts returned two members except Morant and Northside which had but one each. The Assembly met at St. Jago de la Vegat on the 20th January, 1664, and selected Robert Freeman as their Speaker; it sat until the 12th February and passed 45 Acts. Beeston states in his journal that "the Assembly was very unanimous and parted with all kindness and feastings, having passed as good a body of laws as could be expected from such young statesmen.” Sir Charles Lyttleton having obtained permission to return to England on account of ill-health, LieutenantColonel Thomas Lynch assumed the Government as President of the Council. He was soon displaced by Colonel Edward Morgan, who arrived on the 19th May, 1664, 1664 as Deputy Governor. He dissolved the Assembly, preferring the assistance of his Council alone in the administration of affairs. In the following month Sir Thomas Modyford arrived from Barbados as Governor, bringing with him a thousand settlers. He transferred the residence of the Governor from the "Point" (Port Royal) to St. Jago de la Vega and had a census taken which showed the population to be 4,205. In his first report on the condition of the island he informed the King that " sugar, ginger, indigo, cotton, tobacco, dyeing woods and cocoa may be had and are produced as well as anywhere; but pimento, chinaroots, aloes, rhubarb, sarsaparilla, tamarinds, cassia, vaignillios, hides and tallow are the proper commodities. There is the best building timber and stone in the whole world and great plenty of corn, cassada, potatoes, yams, plantains, bananas, peas, hogs, fowls, cattle, horses, asincoes, sheep, fish, turtle and pasturage. In fine nothing wanting but more hands and cows. The low valley grounds are feverish and aguish from June to Christmas, the rainy weather; but the uplands and hills are as healthful as Costall in England." Sir Thomas Modyford issued writs for the election of a General Assembly, the number of districts being reduced to nine, namely, St. Andrew, Port Royal, Northside, St. John, St. David, St. Catherine, Clarendon, Blewfields and St. Thomas. The deliberations of the new Assembly were not as harmonious as those of the first Assembly; one of the results was that Captain Butler of the Assembly was killed at a state dinner by Major Joy of the Council. Mr. Beeston (afterwards Sir William Beeston) was imprisoned for not returning to the House when directed by the Speaker. Articles of impeachment were in the same sitting preferred by Sir Thomas Whetstone against Colonel Samuel Long (afterwards Chief Justice) and a warrant was issued for his arrest. The charge preferred against him was that "he had caused himself to be elected Speaker at a meeting at Port Royal of members of Assembly whose authority, by the departure of Sir Charles Lyttleton, had ceased, and passed certain orders and votes, with intention to grasp the legislative power into his own hands, and traitorously and impudently refuse to take notice of the Deputy-Governor (Colonel Edward Morgan's) dissolution of the meeting, &c." On his being brought before the *As the proclamation issued by Sir Charles Lyttleton had no substantial effect with the Maroons as a body Juan de Bolas was sent in 1664 to effect their reduction; but in the prosecution of this service he fell into an ambuscade and was cut to pieces. St. Jago de la Vega (now Spanish Town) was founded as the first capital by Diego Columbus while he personally governed the island. |