Where HWT got its name
published: Thursday | August 14, 2003

THE EDITOR Sir:

WHILE DOING other research last week I serendipitously found a possible answer to the question about the origin of the name "Half-Way-Tree" (July 25th). In The Daily Gleaner of July 1, 1905, on p12, I found a letter from "J" (the nom-de-plume of George Fortunatus Judah, of Spanish Town) which contained the following passage in answer to the same question, nearly 100 years ago:"Greenwich, now the property of the children of the late Mr John Parry, District Engineer for Kingston, is situated on the sea beach of the parish of St Andrew. Before Kingston was a city with its own barracks whenever the troops were drafted from Port Royal they landed at Greenwich and then proceeded to Stony Hill, where the first barracks, out of Port Royal, were erected.

"The cotton tree with its amply partitioned trunks, and widely spreading and overshadowing boughs, stood about mid-way between the two places, and was used as a halting place for the troops, who, starting after breakfast from Greenwich performed half the journey to this spot, rested from the heat of the mid-day sun, and finished the journey in the cool of the afternoon. The same rule was observed when the troops started from Stony Hill for Greenwich - which was really the barracking quarters for all the troops outside of Port Royal where the forts stood."

This seems a reasonable explanation, taking the name well back before the development of the city of Kingston. Inez Sibley in her book on Jamaican place names has a similar explanation, but, mistakenly it would seem, identifies "Greenwich" with the district beyond Newcastle, and has no mention of the "Greenwich" on Kingston Harbour in her book.

"J" was a recognised authority on Jamaica's past in his day, and may well have known what he was talking about. It would be interesting to hear from other people who might have earlier explanations of the name.

I am etc.,

Joy Lumsden

joyous@lycos.co.uk

Via Go-Jamaica

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