Germans in Jamaica

Germans in Jamaica
Related ethnic groups
German people

A German Jamaican (including few ethnic German-speaking former Polish citizens due to Partitions of Poland) is a Jamaican 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]

The German language is no longer used on the island, but some German words have entered the Jamaican vernacular.[1] Many Jamaicans in Seaford Town 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.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Seaford Town: Westmoreland". Jamaica National Heritage Trust. 2005. Archived from the original on June 29, 2011. Retrieved 2009-04-08.
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