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Sunday, October 28, 2007

Germans in Jamaica

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The motto of Jamaica is "Out of Many One People." This is the most accurate assessment of the make-up of the country. In May of 1834 64 Germans arrived on the island, from the town of Bremen. They were recruited by the brother of Solomon Myers. (yes the same connections with Myers rum company). Mr. Myers owned a coffee estate in St. George's (now part of Portland).

Myers tried again. This time however he help import 506 Germans (again with the support of the Assembly). After 37 days they arrived in Port Royal of that same year. He kept 20 for himself (as workers), the rest he gave to the planters in St. Anns by, Montego Bay, Manchester, St. Elizabeth and more to Clarendon.

Seaford Town German Settlement. This became the main hub of the German immigrants with hundreds settling in Seaford Town. It was here their tough road of surviving began including learning English and the island Patois dialect and learning to live off the earth, with whatever they planted and harvested.

In the present town of Seaford there are remnants of German names found such as Wedemire, Grosskoph, Schleifer and Kleinhans. A few German words are spoken by the older generation and white skinned blue-eyed people mixed with the African descent can be found here.

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Today the tidy little town is more popularly know as the “German Village” and is nestled in the hills of Westmoreland with cottage style homes with German chimneys.

Additional information can be found http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/pages/history/story0060.htm


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