The Owners of Seville Cherry Garden Great House―From Conquest to Heritage
Seville is the genesis of modern Jamaica. Unlike other estates defined by a single family drama, Seville’s history is a layer cake of civilizations. It began as Sevilla la Nueva (the first Spanish Capital founded in 1509), before transitioning into a massive British sugar plantation under the Hemmings dynasty, and finally becoming the heritage site preserved today.
The Pioneer. An officer in the conquering army of Penn and Venables (1655), Captain Hemmings was granted a 2,500-acre tract that included the ruins of the abandoned Spanish capital. He constructed the first Great House and sugar works directly on top of the Spanish foundations, symbolizing the literal English takeover of the island.
The Architect. The grandson of the Captain, Richard Hemming demolished his grandfather's aging structure to build the current Great House in 1745.
Note: The house he built was originally a two-story structure. The top floor was destroyed by a hurricane in the late 19th century (c. 1898) and never rebuilt, resulting in the single-story bungalow appearance seen today.
The Decline. As the sugar economy faltered and emancipation (1838) changed the labor landscape, the estate passed to absentee heirs in England. During this century, the property was largely managed by attorneys and overseers while the owners collected dwindling profits from abroad.
The Last Proprietors. Henry Smallwood Hoskins is recorded as the last private proprietor of the estate (died 1915). The family is noted for recognizing the historical value of the land; in 1925, William Hoskins donated 5 acres to the Catholic Church to preserve the ruins of the Peter Martyr Church (the first stone church in Jamaica).
Heritage Park. Today, the property is owned by the government of Jamaica. It operates as the Seville Heritage Park, the only site in the Caribbean where the distinct remains of the indigenous Taino (Maima village), the Spanish (Governor's Castle), and the British (Great House) settlements can be viewed in a single location.