Germans in Jamaica
| Related ethnic groups | |
|---|---|
| German people |
A German Jamaican (including few ethnic German-speaking former Polish citizens due to Partitions of Poland) is a Jamaican of German ancestry. The population was established in the 1830s when the abolition of slavery resulted in a labour shortage on the Caribbean island. Lord Seaford, who owned the Montpelier Estate and Shettlewood Pen in St. James established a European settlement in Westmoreland in order to combat the shortage, and over one thousand Germans migrated to Jamaica.[1]
The German language is no longer used on the island, but some German words have entered the Jamaican vernacular.[1] Many Jamaicans in Seaford Town and German Town in Trelawny carry heavy European features such as blue eyes, blond hair, freckles, and white skin, as a result of the German genetic influences.[1]
