A brief history about Old Harbour Clock

Hence we wrote to the Jamaica National Heritage Trust (JNHT), the state’s gatekeeper of most if not all historical monuments or landmarks across the entire country.

In responding to our request for some literature about the Old Harbour Clock, the JNHT shared a little brief history which makes interesting reading.

According to this bit of info the Old Harbour Clock was the second monument of its kind to be erected in the parish of St Catherine, following that of the Spanish Town Clock which was built many, many years before.

• The Old Harbour Clock | Is this colonial relic still worth keeping?

However, in 1892 the St Catherine Parochial Board, more refer today as the Parish Council among locals but officially as the municipal corporation, agreed that a town clock be placed in Old Harbour Square. This motion was moved “on March 10, 1892” by “Granville Goldsboro (sometimes spelt Goldsburgh)”.

However, consent had to be first sought from the Governor of the parish, who in today’s day and age is most likely the mayor and chairman of the St Catherine Municipal Corporation. This was done and included in this letter of request was the approval and release £5 for the budget to erect the clock in Old Harbour.

Some 18 months later nothing happened, causing another member of the Parochial Board, this time one Moses Bravo to move a second motion with a £250 expenditure attached “for the purchase of a town clock and the erection of a laveo for the said clock for the general use and convenience of the inhabitants of the town of Old Harbour”.

The budget was amended several times. In fact between May 1894 and May 1895 the budget for the clock was adjusted three times, eventually settling at £373.

There’s no precise date mentioned of when the clock was erected, but what we can report based on this document from the JNHT, is that between the final approval of the budget in May 1895 and September 1895, Old Harbour had a town clock by then. In what appears to be excerpts from the minutes of a Parochial Board meeting in September 1895 the new clock was in need of repair with Mr Bravo (whom we believe to be the same Moses Bravo) suggesting “sending the Old Harbour Clock to England” for fixing. Mr Bravo’s suggestion was not taken up though by the board chairman, who remarked that the clock was “being repaired in Kingston”.

“Public Enthusiasm was infectious and the people of Linstead were only two years behind the people of Old Harbour in obtaining their own town clock,” the JNHT document stated in part.

“A Mr. Hiam Barrow was the generous benefactor but the colonial secretary put his foot down when they asked that the sum of £150 be taken from the Old Harbour Market Fund to build a tower for the Linstead Clock: he refused their request.”

The JNHT document did not mention when the Old Harbour Clock was returned to its pride of place in the town centre but what is certain is that we can safely say the clock has been a landmark feature of St Catherine South West for 125 years and still counting for the foreseeable future at the very least.