Morant Bay
| Morant Bay | |
|---|---|
| Town | |
  Morant Bay | |
| Coordinates: JM 17°52′55″N 76°24′27″W / 17.8819°N 76.4074°WCoordinates: JM 17°52′55″N 76°24′27″W / 17.8819°N 76.4074°W | |
| Country | Jamaica |
| Parish | St Thomas |
Morant Bay is a town in southeastern Jamaica and the capital of the parish of St. Thomas, located about 25 miles east of Kingston.
It was the starting point of the Morant Bay Rebellion in 1865, which was the only major peasant revolt (as distinguished from slave rebellions and worker uprisings), in Jamaican history.
Its sister city is Uxbridge, Ontario, Canada.
Attractions
- Memorial Garden
Opposite the court house is a memorial garden for the Jamaican soldiers who lost their lives during World War 1. At the centre of the gardens a monument has been erected in their honour.
- Morant Bay Fort
Behind the court house is a small park containing the ruins of the Morant Bay Fort. The fort dates from 1758 and was designed to hold nine guns. Three cannons remain there today. The bodies of 79 people were discovered during an excavation behind the court house in 1973. These were reinterred in a mass grave in the park, a plaque commemorates their lives.
- Morant Bay Court House
The Morant Bay Rebellion took place outside the court house, which was destroyed during the rebellion but was rebuilt afterwards. The court house was destroyed by fire in 2007, and has not yet been rebuilt. A statue of Paul Bogle, sculpted by Edna Manley (wife of Norman Manley and mother of Michael Manley), once stood outside of the court house but was removed after the court house burned down.
- St. Thomas Parish Church
Located to the West of the Court House. It was constructed in 1865 and supersedes another church which previously occupied the site.