Hope Botanical Gardens Explained

Hope Botanical Gardens, also known as the Royal Botanical Gardens, is a 200acres park and gardens located in St Andrew, Jamaica.

History

Major Richard Hope's estate was established after 1655 when the British took over Jamaica from the Spanish.[1] Richard Hope was a commander in the British Army and received his estate due to his assistance in gaining control of Jamaica.[2] It was developed as a sugar plantation with a watermill.

In the 19th century the property was inherited by Richard Temple-Nugent-Brydges-Chandos-Grenville, 2nd Duke of Buckingham and Chandos.According to the Legacies of British Slave-Ownership research centre at University College London, Buckingham was the beneficiary of payment as a slave owner in the aftermath of the Slavery Abolition Act 1833 with the Slave Compensation Act 1837.[3]

The gardens were established in 1873 from a section of the estate.[4] They were initially used as a site for experimental cultivation, particularly of sugarcane, but also developed into public pleasure garden.[5] The gardens were closely connected with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, through regular correspondence and sharing of plants, research, and staff.[6] Hope became the headquarters of the Department of Botanical Gardens and Plantations in 1898, and of the Department of Agriculture in 1908.

Attractions

Attractions at the gardens include a palm grove, a cactus garden, an orchid house, and ornamental ponds.[2] This site is maintained by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (Jamaica).[7]

References

18.0225°N -76.7493°W

Notes and References

  1. Book: David Howard. Kingston: A Cultural and Literary History. 2005. Signal Books. 978-1-902669-37-3. 110–.
  2. Web site: Kingston, Hope Gardens . Jamaica Travel and Culture .com . 2015-10-13.
  3. Web site: Richard Plantagenet Temple-Nugent-Brydges-Chandos-Grenville, 2nd Duke of Buckingham and Chandos . Centre for the Study of the Legacies of British Slavery . 10 June 2021.
  4. Web site: Hope Botanical Gardens . Visit Jamaica . 2015-10-13.
  5. Fawcett . William . 1897 . The Public Gardens and Plantations of Jamaica . Botanical Gazette . 24 . 5 . 352-5 . 0006-8071.
  6. Book: McCracken, Donal P. . Gardens of Empire: botanical institutions of the Victorian British Empire . 1997 . Leicester University Press . 978-0-7185-0109-9 . 1st . London . 18-19.
  7. Web site: History . 2023-10-30 . Hope Royal Botanical Gardens . en-US.