addresses to the Governor, 1678 – 1686 (in Vol. III). The Assembly began printing its journals in 1749 under the title “Votes of the Honourable House of Assembly of Jamaica” and the Archives has for the period 1787 – 1866.  In addition a 14 volume edition of all the journals from 1664 to 1828 was printed.

b.  The Council (later the Privy Council) (1661 – 1945) – Civil government was established by the English in Jamaica in 1661. The instruments of legislature were a governor and council with the addition of an Assembly in 1664.  From 1664, the Council acted as both an advisory body to the Governor and as part of the legislature and its dual functions produced two separate record classes of proceedings; Minutes and Journals.  The Minutes cover its advisory activities as the Governor’s Privy Council. They are less formal and more varied than the journals and include many letters written at length to and from the Lords of Trade in the eighteenth Century. The Journals cover the period 1711 – 1854.

c. The Legislative Council (1854 –1865) – The Legislative Council was established in 1854 as a result of an act “for the better government of this island, and for raising a Revenue in support thereof.”  (17 Victoria chapter 29) The Council formed a second chamber of the island’s Legislature and during this period, journals were produced. It was abolished in 1866 along with the House of Assembly