Germans in Jamaica

Summary

Germans in Jamaica or German Jamaicans, are Jamaicans of German ancestry. The population was established in the 1830s when the abolition of slavery resulted in a labour shortage on the Caribbean island. Lord Seaford, who owned the Montpelier Estate and Shettlewood Pen in St. James established a European settlement in Westmoreland in order to combat the shortage, and over one thousand Germans migrated to Jamaica.[1]

Germans in Jamaica
Deutsche siedlung in Jamaika
Regions with significant populations
Westmoreland, Trelawny
Languages
Jamaican English, German
Religion
Seventh-day Adventist
Related ethnic groups
Other Germans, other White Jamaicans

The German language is no longer used on the island, but some German words have entered the Jamaican vernacular.[2] Many Jamaicans in Seaford and German Town in Trelawny carry heavy European features such as blue eyes, blond hair, freckles and white skin, as a result of the German genetic influences.[2]

Notable people edit

References edit

  1. ^ "The Arrival of the GERMANS". Jamaica Gleaner. 2 March 2004. Archived from the original on 29 May 2012. Retrieved 29 May 2012.
  2. ^ a b "Seaford Town: Westmoreland". Jamaica National Heritage Trust. 2005. Archived from the original on June 29, 2011. Retrieved 2009-04-08.