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Hanover Heritage Sites

Blenheim

Blenheim, a small rural hilly district in Hanover, is the birthplace of Sir Alexander Bustamante, the first Jamaican to be awarded the honour of National Hero while alive.

Blenheim is believed to be named after Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire, England, the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill. The picture below is of a replica of the house in which Sir Alexander Bustamante was born.

It was reconstructed by the JNHT after it was destroyed by fire. The present building houses an exhibition on the Hero’s life and is now open to the public daily.

 

Fort Charlotte

Fort Charlotte, located in Lucea, in the parish of Hanover, is an almost perfect blend of love and war. The fort, built in the mid 18th Century by the British for the defence of the North North Westerly section of the island, was named after the consort of King George III of England, Charlotte.

The fort was built with a barrack capable of housing 50 men. The fort had 23 embrasures for 23 guns, 20 of which were mounted.

During the Napoleonic Wars it was thought that the guns at the fort were insufficient to guard the harbour, so in 1807, three 24 pounders on traversing carriages were installed on the seaward side of the fort.

The fort is built of rectangular cut stone and has several openings toward the sea. Inside the fort is the remains of the circular base for the rotation of guns which were placed there so that they could shoot from every possible angle. The Artillery Store still stands. A section of the fort currently forms part of the Rusea’s High School.

 

Heritage Sites by Parish

 

Learn more about Jamaican Heritage Sites here.

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