Places with 'Pen' names in Jamaica - What with them? How Many Are There?
by Wellesley
(Jamaica)
May Pen, Jamaica
QUESTION:
How many more places in Jamaica have the word "Pen" included in them? What is its significance in Jamaican place names?
Is it something like how the word "waite" is used in names in England's Lake District, such as Braithwaite? Do you know?
I know of 'May Pen', and now in your latest e-zine of 'Devon Pen'.
ANSWER: by Wellesley, May 15, 2013
Hi Glyden,
Very interesting question my friend! I know I can depend on you for such critical thinking.
Yes, place names does have some significance here and much of them are derived from the colonial days.
This page from the National Library of Jamaica list some of the unusual ones and the history of them, but it would appear that in general, most either have something to do with the uniqueness of the actual geographical location or the family name of the master, owner or plantation that it was on.
But what's special about the PEN? Beats me, but rest assured, I'll be checking around.
In the meantime though, I've done some brainstorming and researching and has created this list:
- Bamboo Pen (Old House, St. Andrew)
- Bonny Pen (St. Mary)
- Bowden Pen (Portland)
- Chambers Pen (Hanover)
- Christian Pen (Portmore, St. Catherine)
- Church Pen (Old Harbour, St. Catherine)
- Clermont Pen (St. Mary)
- Content Pen (St. Ann)
- Coopers Pen (Trelawny)
- Cottage Pen (Manchester)
- Cranbrook Pen (St. Anns Bay, St. Ann)
- Cuffes Pen (St. Elizabeth)
- Dean Pen (St. Mary)
- Dempshire Pen (St. Catherine)
- Devon Pen (St. Mary)
- Duncans Pen (St. Catherine)
- Ellerslie Pen (Spanish Town. St. Catherine)
- Ensom Pen (Now Ensom City, St. Catherine)
- Faith's Pen (St. Ann)
- Farm Pen (Westmoreland)
- Fyffe's Pen (St. Elizabeth)
- Gordon Pen (St. Catherine)
- Grants Pen (Kingston)
- Industry Pen (Three Hills, St Mary)
- Jew Pen (Bog Walk, St Catherine)
- Kingswood Pen (Westmoreland)
- Lakes Pen (St. Catherine)
- Lennox Pen (Darliston, Westmoreland)
- Luana Pen (Black River, St. Elizabeth)
- March Pen (St. Catherine)
- Marshall's Pen (Manchester)
- May Pen (Clarendon)
- McCooks Pen (St. Catherine)
- Nanse Pen (Kingston)
- Rhoden Pen (Old Harbour, St. Catherine)
- Slipe Pen (Kingston)
- Tawes Pen (St. Catherine)
- Thompson Pen (St. Catherine)
- Tinson Pen (Kingston)
- Trench Pen (Now Trench Town, Kingston)
- Waterhouse Pen (St. Andrew)
- Wild Pen (St. Elizabeth)
- Wynters Pen (St. Catherine)
It is not complete, but this is certainly eye-opening!
To my surprise, many of them are from the parish of St. Catherine! Did you notice?
I wonder if there are any historians in this audience who could shed some light on it?
I am also going to invite my readers to join in by submitting other places using the
comment form below.
But now, my thoughts are wandering, I am thinking I need to do the same for "Town" in Jamaica, eg. Albert Town (Trelawny) :-) That should be interesting.
Related:
Places in Jamaica with Spanish NamesSee also:
Famous Places In JamaicaRegards,
Wellesley