PUBLIC LOCAL RECORDS

This collection consist of the surviving records of the Vestries, Municipal Boards, Parochial Boards and Parish Councils for seventeen (17) parishes – St. Thomas-ye-Vale, St. Catherine, St. James, Hanover, Trelawney, Kingston and St. Andrew, Westmoreland, Clarendon, St. Ann, St. Elizabeth, Portland, St. Thomas, St. Mary, Manchester, St. George, Port Royal and St. David.
 History of Local Government in Jamaica (contents on pp 24 –26)

Types of Records in Collection

In addition to minutes of meetings (dating back to Port Royal, 1735), the Local Government records include slave returns, accounts, tax rolls, poor relief Registers and related matters and correspondence to and from the Central Government authorities.  The records are organised by parishes.

St Thomas– Ye-Vale  - the records include Vestry Minutes (1789 – 1802, 1852 – 1867); Receivables & Deliverables of Slaves (1826-1834)

St Catherine– These records include Vestry Minutes (1758 – 1860); Accounts Current (1810 – 1824); Account books (1886 – 1892); Road Accounts (1870- 1873); Spanish Town Workhouse Accounts (1804-1806); Taxation Rolls 1807 – 1846); General Fund Cash Books (1904 – 1921); Road Fund Cash Books – 1904-1923); Cash Book for the Clerk (1898 – 1923); Road Ledger (1887– 1899) Minutes of Poor Relief Committee (1954 – 1967; Minutes of Parochial Board (1915 –1954)