HISTORY OF THE PAROTTEE ENVIRONS

Wallywash Great Pond

In the early 16th century a small number, about three or four hundred, Spanish and African colonizers established cattle ranches called hatos in southwest Jamaica. They made use of extensive grasslands probably cleared by Taino predecessors. One such ranch, the Hato de Pereda, occupied the area from Great Bay to the Rio Caobana, now known as the Black River. The names Pedro Plains and Parottee are both thought to have been derived from Pereda. Laguna Sucio (now Wallywash Great Pond) became the site of a small village of huts scattered among clumps of trees to avoid detection by pirates. The inhabitants settled there because the ranch had no fences so it was easy to catch the cows as they came to drink water. The settlement became known as Parottee.
The British, who arrived in Jamaica in 1655, attempted to destroy Parottee twice during the guerilla warfare which was fought against the Spanish and African insurgents until 1660. It was in Parottee that British forces learned of a Spanish plot to recapture the entire island. The threat of invasion led the British to fortify Port Royal as a defensive position, a decision that resulted in Jamaica remaining in British hands until 1962.
In 1774 the Jamaican historian Edward Long recorded the following description of Parottee. “This part (of the island) is swampy and principally inhabited by Mulattoes, Quaterons, and other castes; a poor but peaceable industrious race, who have long been settled here and live by fishing and breeding poultry.” The impression one gets of Parottee is that of a free village existing outside the plantation system that enveloped most of Jamaica at that time.
Some eighteenth and early nineteenth century accounts refer to people from Parottee as having a distinct appearance and being called ‘Parottees’ as if they were a different race of people. This is likely due to the presence of ‘Mosquito Indians’ originally brought to Jamaica from the Miskito coast (now part of Nicaragua) to track down Maroons in the early eighteenth century. Many of these settled in Parottee and an exchange of peoples between the Miskito Coast and Parottee occurred over several generations.

Allen C. Wais PhD
August 4, 2007

Salt Pond Geography: Parottee is situated on the south-western coast of the Island, 5 Kilometers from Black River, and the capital town of the Parish of St. Elizabeth. The land nestles between expanses of water, namely, the Salt Pond, the Wally Wash Pond, and the Caribbean Sea. The area is a predominantly flat wetland which forms part of the Lower Morass, and is protected under the Ramsar Convention of 1971. It is a natural habitat for crocodiles, small wild life, birds and plants.
Parottee is made of seven villages: Byberry, Gravesend, Hill Top, Parottee Beach, Spice Grove, Springfield, and Little Bridge. It has a population of some 1220 persons whose livelihoods are derived principally from fishing, farming, and small business.

Introduction

The community of Parottee is located in the parish of South West St. Elizabeth in the Black River Development Area and has six (7) districts. It is 4 km from the parish capital of Black River the main economic hub in the development area. The community has a diverse mix of local residents and a large contingent of returning residents. The area has a rich heritage and history. The land is predominantly flat, however the District of Hill Top lies on hilly terrain. Beachside is surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and the Salt Pond, while Hill Top and Spice Gove is surrounded by the Salt Pond to the south and the Wally Wash Pond to the north.

Community: Parottee

Development Area: Black River

Constituency: South West St. Elizabeth

Population:

Number of dwellings 534
Estimated population 2087
(SDC Survey house count 2009)

Community Borders
North-easterly: Pondside, Hopewell

South-easterly: Caribbean Sea, Hopewell

Southwesterly: Caribbean Sea

Northwesterly: Black River, Fullerswood

Social Services:

Schools: 1 Basic, 1 Primary, 1 Preparatory,
Churches: 7
Health Centre: 0
Postal Agency: 1
Community Centre: 0

Economic Activities:

Residents earn a living from a number of sources. There are Teachers, Policemen, Businessmen and Women, Guest Houses, Fishermen, Small & Large Farmers, Tradesmen and persons who depend on remittances.

Governance:

Member of Parliament: Dr. Christopher Tufton
Councillor: Mr. Derrick Sangster
Community Development Committee (C.D.C) and is represented at both DAC and PDC.

Social and Physical Amenities:

General road condition in the community is fair for the main thoroughfare however secondary roads are in need of repair.

Transportation:

Licensed Taxi
Unlicensed Taxi
Private Transportation
Motor Bike

Communication:

By means of Cell Phones
Land Lines not available, however majority of persons use cellular telephones, from Claro, LIME & Digicel. Internet is also available through wireless-Claro, LIME, & Digicel

Sanitation:

Garbage is collected by the National solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA). Garbage is also disposed of using informal sources such as burning and illegal dumping.

Community Issues:

1. Unemployment of young people
2. Unemployment of Adults
3. High illiteracy - : lack of skills
4. Inadequate land line service
5. Poor road service
6. Lack of recreational facilities
7. Water (some areas have low water pressure or no water)
8. Environmental problems-
-----Community is bounded by sea
-----Community is a wetland area
----- Hosts number of ponds
9. Mosquito eradication – control
10. Lack of health facility (even offering basic service)