Clarendon Parish, Jamaica – one of the original parishes of 1664
Clarendon was one of the original seven Anglican parishes of Jamaica set up by Sir Thomas Modyford in 1664, and it was named in honour of the Lord Chancellor Sir Edward Hyde, Earl of Clarendon. Its church registers survive almost from its foundation, with the first recorded baptism dating from 1666 – a precious source for family historians.
Over time the parish was reorganised several times; today's Clarendon combines the old parishes of St. Dorothy, Vere and Clarendon. Before the merger its capital was Chapelton, while today it is May Pen, the largest town. Located on the south of the island between east and west, Clarendon is a parish of farms and communities. Have a Clarendon story? Share it with the community!