Titbits on Jamaican Place Names

Welcome to ...... Cinchona Gardens

Cinchona Gardens, high in the Blue Mountains, close to Top Mountain and Clydesdale, was established in 1868 to facilitate commercial production of the cinchona tree which gave the property its name.

Cinchona bark was used to make quinine, a drug with antimalarial, painkilling and fever reducing properties.

High demand for quinine inspired the colonial government to consider planting cinchona in Jamaica. In 1861, on the reco-mmendation of W.J. Hooker of Kew Gardens in London, the British provided seeds, which were initially planted at Bath Botanic Gardens in St Thomas. However, the climate proved unsuitable and another attempt was made at Cold Spring coffee plantation in the cools hills of St Andrew. The Cinchona plantation, which is around 1,500 metres or 5,000 feet high, was subsequently opened, with several thousand cinchona trees. The plants flourished but the industry died when India intro-duced cheaper quinine alternatives to the market.

The present-day Cinchona property includes the Great House and remains of once immaculately tailored gardens with orderly terraces. The remaining cinchona trees are easily distinguished by their pink flowers, but more so by the fact that their leaves turn red before they fall. Other plants that distinguish the site are the striking giant eucalyptus trees, the Norfolk Island Pines, Podocarpus, Agapan-thus lilies, Hydrangeas, azaleas and Rhododendrons. These plants thrive in the garden where cool climatic conditions are similar to their European origins.

To many who knew it in its glory days, Cinchona now seems an abandoned property, though one that still has great potential. Even now, visitors have a picturesque view of St John's and St Catherine's Peaks and the main ridge of the Blue Mountains sweeping down to Strawberry Hill and Kingston Harbour.

- Institute of Jamaica

... Guanaboa Vale

Guanaboa Vale is located about eight miles south-west of Bog Walk, St Catherine. The area was once occupied by the Tainos, and it is believed that the word 'guanaboa' was derived from the Arawakan word for soursop, 'guanaba'. Under Spanish occu-pation, Guanaboa was used as a cattle ranch, and by the time of British rule, the surrounding area was known as 'Cowhides'.

Guanaboa is also the old name of the parish of St John, which in 1664 was one of the seven original parishes established by the British in Jamaica. In 1660, Guanaboa had been the scene of a regimental mutiny led by Lieutenant-Colonels Raymond and Tyson: Discontented with a lack of news concerning the restoration of King Charles II to the throne of England, the soldiers swore that they would no longer live as an army, but would rather settle the island and create positions as constables and civil officers. On August 3, 1660, the two officers were court-martialled under the orders of General Edward D'Oyley, Jamaica's Commander and first governor. They were shot in Spanish Town and order was restored to the Guanaboa Regiment.

John Styles one of Jamaica's early planters, became the largest landowner in St John; he wanted his 3,200 acres of land to be designated a distinct parish. However, two centuries later, by 1867, St John would be merged into the parish of St Catherine under an act to reduce the total number of parishes in the island.

Present-day Guanaboa Vale is a quaint, non-residential district that consists of a church, a primary school, a post office and a police station. There is scarcely any commercial activity, but this is expected to change due to the growing fame of the nearby Mountain River Cave, which has Taino pictograms and petroglyphs of birds, turtles, humans, etc., estimated to have been created 500-1,300 years ago.

- Institute of Jamaica