Falmouth Historic Tour and Martha Brae Rafting

FALMOUTH TOWN

Falmouth is the chief town and capital of the parish of Trelawny in Jamaica. It is situated on Jamaica’s north coast 29 km (18 miles) east of Montego Bay. It is noted for being one of the Caribbean’s best-preserved Georgian towns. Founded by Thomas Reid in 1769, Falmouth flourished as a market centre and port for forty years at a time when Jamaica was the world’s leading sugar producer. During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Falmouth was one of the busiest ports in colonial Jamaica. It was home to masons, carpenters, tavern keepers, sailors, planters and people of other occupations. It was a wealthy town in a prosperous parish with a diverse ethnic mixture. The town was meticulously planned from the start, with wide streets in a regular grid, adequate water supply, and glorious public buildings. It had piped water earlier than New York City.

The following Falmouth natives have had a significant impact on the cultural or socio-political landscape of Jamaica:

Usain Bolt – Olympian sprinter and world record holder.

Veronica Campbell-Brown – Olympian sprinter.

Ben Johnson (Canadian sprinter) – Olympian and former world record holder.

Luther Blissett – former footballer for England, Watford, AC Milan and AFC Bournemouth.

Ky-Mani Marley – reggae artist and son of Bob Marley.

Anita Belnavis – former Jamaica and Caribbean table tennis champion, mother of Ky-Mani Marley.

Rex Nettleford – Rhodes Scholar, academic, former Vice Chancellor of the University of the West Indies.

Hugh Shearer – former Prime Minister of Jamaica.

Buildings of Note Include:

Falmout Court House

St Peter’s Anglican Church

St Peter’s Anglican Church is one of the oldest in Jamaica. Its supporting columns are of solid mahogany and its floor is inlaid with crosses of mahoe and mahogany.

Falmouth All-Age School

Falmouth All-Age School is housed in a former army barracks, Fort Balcarres.

Falmouth Post Office

Falmouth Post Office which is located on Market Street. It is in need of repair, but is still a functioning building from the Georgian era. A number of old colonial buildings on Market Street are from this period, however, they have not been kept in good condition throughout the years and are generally in a state of decay.