Manchester Parish – formed in 1814 around Mandeville
Manchester is one of Jamaica's newest parishes. It was created in 1814 by an Act of the House of Assembly, combining parts of St. Elizabeth and Clarendon with the whole of Vere, after residents of Mile Gully, May Pen and Carpenters Mountain complained they lived too far from an administrative centre. It was named after William Montagu, 5th Duke of Manchester, who served as governor for a record 19 years.
Much older history lies in its hills: in 1792 a surveyor found three carvings, believed to be Taíno zemis, in a cave in the Carpenter's Mountains; they are now in the British Museum. Today Manchester's capital, Mandeville, is a major business centre. Have a Manchester story? Share it with the community!