Saint Mary Parish, Jamaica – Puerto Santa Maria, the second Spanish town
Saint Mary was one of the first parts of Jamaica to be occupied by the Spanish, and Puerto Santa Maria was the second town they built on the island. After the English took Jamaica in 1655, it became known as Port Maria. There are also a few traces of earlier Taíno presence in the parish.
One of its most famous early residents was Sir Henry Morgan, whose hilltop home overlooked the harbour; it was later bought by Sir Noël Coward. Nearby Fort Haldane was built in 1759 to protect the strategic harbour. Today Saint Mary is one of Jamaica's smaller parishes and the birthplace of many well-known dancehall and reggae artists. Have a Saint Mary story? Share it with the community!