In 1508, the first Spanish settlers arrived in Jamaica.[1] The Spaniards first settled on that part of the northern coast of Jamaica which is now known as the parish of St. Ann. There they built a town called Sevilla Nueva, or New Seville. Afterwards they moved to the southern part of the island and built the town of St. Jago de la Vega, which is still called Spanish Town. The island was given to the Columbus family as a personal estate in 1540, but they did nothing to develop it. The Spanish colony in Jamaica was never a very large or a very flourishing one.
The reminders of this historical period are the names of places all over the island, Such as Ocho Rios, Rio Bueno, Santa Cruz, Rio Cobre, Port Antonio and most importantly Spanish Town, formerly known as St. Jago de la Vega, the capital under the Spanish.[2]
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