Black River

History

Black River is one of the oldest European towns in the island of Jamaica, being shown on John Sellers' 1685 map. Writing in the 1770s, Edward Long described Black River as a "village" and the "chief barquadier for all the plantations and settlements in the parish". The harbour was defended by two fortresses: a publicly-maintained battery of five guns and a private property belonging to a Mr Crutcher. A quarter mile from Black River there was a barracks capable of holding 30 soldiers as well as a church. In 1790, William Beckford described Black River as having 50 houses, "and a fine bay for shipping." It was designed by the Leyden brothers of England, three wealthy men who were substantial land proprietors in the area. Zong finally landed at Black River. Its owners later sued for insurance claims for the slaves who had been killed, and the case was litigated in 1783 in London. The court rejected the owners' claim, as it was shown that the crew had made navigation errors that kept the ship at sea and threatened its supplies. Abolitionists publicized it, and the case became a catalyst for the burgeoning British abolitionist movement. As a major sea port, Black River became a commercial center on the south coast of Jamaica. Due to its wealth, in 1893 this was the first town in Jamaica to be lit by electricity. Ten years later, in 1903, it was the first town on the island to have automobiles. A telephone system was installed 10 years after the instrument was invented. On 28 October 2025, Black River was directly hit by Category 5 Hurricane Melissa. The hurricane destroyed the majority of structures in the town including the hospital, Waterloo Guest House, courthouse, library, police station, and the 300-year old St John's Anglican church.

Most-observed species

• Turkey Vulture

  Cathartes aura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  396
• Loggerhead Kingbird

  Tyrannus caudifasciatus Orbigny, 1839 · Aves
  385
• Northern Mockingbird

  Mimus polyglottos (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  372
• Magnificent Frigatebird

  Fregata magnificens Mathews, 1914 · Aves
  367
• Bananaquit

  Coereba flaveola (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  355
• American Redstart

  Setophaga ruticilla (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  350
• Cattle Egret

  Bubulcus ibis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  349
• Brown Pelican

  Pelecanus occidentalis Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  349

Most recent

• M 4 — 2024-06-18
  2 km S of Maggotty, Jamaica
• M 4.5 — 2020-08-26
  Jamaica region
• M 2.9 — 2020-07-13
  7 km SSE of Falmouth, Jamaica
• M 3.1 — 2019-08-22
  3 km SE of Gayle, Jamaica
• M 3.7 — 2016-03-28
  1 km W of Kellits, Jamaica
• M 4.1 — 2013-12-21
  6 km W of Savanna-la-Mar, Jamaica