Events coinciding with the history of Port Royal.

Here are some events/traditions that are a part of Jamaica’s cultural heritage that occurred around the time when the Giddy House was built. These are not necessarily directly related but relationships exist due to either proximity of the event, some bear relationship because the people mentioned in the stories were brought to the island through the port where the object is located or the relocation spot after the area was destroyed. However, all of these are a big part of Jamaica’s cultural heritage. I chose them because they fit under the domains of cultural heritage, either oral traditions as is the case of Brer Anansi, performing arts for the Brukins, social practices as the Morant Bay rebellion and the National Heroes are still remembered at our Emancipation and Independence day celebrations and also knowledge and practices as is the case of cookery, games and commerce brought by the Chinese.

Title: The Great Earthquake of 1907

Description:

The famous Port Royal earthquake of June 7, 1692 is considered to be the largest and most damaging natural disaster in Jamaica. Felt all over the island, major loss of life happened in Port Royal, where a portion of the town sank into the sea. However, The Great Kingston Quake of 1907 which occurred on January 14 also affected the Port Royal area which is considered to be an extension of Kingston. Of the 48,000 people living in Kingston at the time, over 1000 perished, mostly in the fires following the shocks (main and after-shocks). The aftershocks continued for the rest of the year. Some 9,000 people were left homeless throughout the island. Damage to buildings for that event was estimated at two million pounds at the time. It was during this earthquake that the Giddy House was shifted to its present 45-degree angle when it gained the repute that has made it a heritage site and contributes to its fame.

Title: Morant Bay Rebellion

Description:

Morant Bay rebellion began with a protest march that day to the courthouse by hundreds of black peasants led by preacher, later national hero, Paul Bogle. On 7 October 1865, a black man was put on trial, convicted and imprisoned for trespassing on a long-abandoned sugar plantation, a charge and sentence that angered black Jamaicans. During the proceedings, James Geoghegon, a black spectator, disrupted the trial in Morant Bay. In the police's attempts to seize him and remove him from the courthouse, a fight broke out between the police and other spectators. A few days later, Bogle marched with hundreds of Jamaican peasant-labourers to Morant Bay. They were met by local officials and a small and inexperienced volunteer militia, gathered from personnel from the plantations, the crowd began pelting the militia with rocks and sticks, and the militia opened fire on the protesters. More than 25 people were killed on both sides, before the militia retreated. In response, Governor John Eyre sent government troops, under Brigadier-General Alexander Nelson, to hunt down the poorly armed rebels and bring Bogle back to Morant Bay for trial. The troops met with no organized resistance, but they killed blacks indiscriminately, most of whom had not been involved in either the riot at the courthouse or the later rebellion. Many of the soldiers involved in the conflict first entered Jamaica through Port Royal. Also, Morant Bay is within close proximity to Port Royal.

Title: Brukins

Type: Traditional Folk Dance / Performing Arts

Description:

A member of a group of creolized dances, this dance is a mix of European and African cultural influences. It involves a stately, dipping-gliding dance typified by the "thrust and recovery" action of the hip and leg. It was at first done to commemorate the Emancipation of slaves on August 1, 1838. Parties at which Brukins was performed are called Brukins parties and would usually begin late in the evening. Dancers, got into two sets, and would proceed from one house to another, parading their costumes and displaying their dance skills. The set was parted into two, one in red and the other in blue, consisting a King, Queen and courtiers known as grand-sons and grand-daughters, sergeants, soldiers, pages. This was a direct imitation of what the newly-freed slaves saw as the Royal Family and their military complement. The two sets are rivals and often kept their costumes a secret until day of the celebration. The queen of each set would first come out and have the dance competition for the duration of one song to see which would "bruck" the better. Bruckins includes music from the drum, knocking of the sticks, a fife and singing songs. The drummers and singers do not dance but move with the procession. Nowadays, this dance can still be seen performed by school children and community folk groups at Emancipation Day celebrations. A lot of the observations about the English traditions that influenced the dance came from the observations the local people made of the lavish parties that used to occur in Port Royal.

Title: The Chinese arrive in Jamaica

Type: Historical with cultural implications / Knowledge and practices

Description:

The culture of grocery shops, and shops that have a large variety of items inside them to be found in almost every major township in Jamaica was started and is still run by Chinese people, Chinese Jamaicans and their descendants. The first large group of 267 Chinese immigrants came from Hong Kong on July 30, 1854, just months before those from Panama, on a ship called Epsom. They came to Jamaica as indentured servants. Beyond the culture of commerce brought by the Chinese some other Chinese traditions have been merged into Jamaican culture such as the numbers game "drop pan." Drop Pan in Cantonese "Jih Fah" and Hakka "Sue Fah," is named for the fact that tickets numbered 1 to 36 are dropped in a pan to see who wins. Many players play based on dreams and portents, although some play by odds based on a study of the pattern of play. Chinese Jamaicans hold a large number of shops and stores that can be found in Jamaica.

Title: Brer Anansi

Type: Stories / Oral Traditions

Description:

This is the first known recording of an Anansi story. It was collected by Pamela Milne-Holne. The story was title Anansi and Tiger. A big part of growing up in Jamaica is listening to the countless tricks, schemes, and adventures of Br'er Anancy. All Anancy tales, and folk tales in general, have similar beginnings and endings reminders not to blur illusion with reality. Anancy stories are often made up on the spot by the story-teller, who can add as many or as few elements desired. The stories always end with the phrase, 'Jack Mandora, me nuh choose none' which is, a kind of disclaimer. These stories were most often told by elders to children and had at the heart of them cautionary tales, although they can be used as social commentary, but the stories are always funny.