Sligoville, in the hills of St. Catherine, was established in 1835 by Reverend James Mursell Phillippo, a Baptist Minister and abolitionist, to provide former enslaved people with land after the abolition of the apprenticeship system. Phillippo purchased land and divided it into lots for sale to freed individuals.
Henry Lunan, a former enslaved headman from Hampstead Estate, bought the first lot, starting the settlement.
The village was named in honor of Howe Peter Browne, the 2nd Marquis of Sligo, Governor of Jamaica, who played a key role in the emancipation process.
Sligoville, about 10 miles north of Spanish Town, was the first free village in Jamaica, symbolizing independence and hope for the formerly enslaved. It remains a significant part of the country’s history.
