Faith · Manchester · written in Patois with an English translation
When yuh reach Mandeville square, yuh cyaan miss di ol' parish church — St. Mark's Anglican. Dem finish i an consecrate i inna 1820, when di tung self did jus a build, an fi long-long time a did di only church inna di whole parish. Di grey stone walls dem see two hundred year a christening, weddn an berrin. But di deeper faith story come afta Emancipation. When freedom come inna 1838, di free people dem did have dem freedom but no lan — di planter dem neva waan sell dem none. A di church dem step een. Missionary church — Moravian, Baptist, Methodist — buy up piece a di ol' estate lan an cut i up inna likkle plot fi di freed people dem. Right ya inna Manchester, inna 1840, di Nazareth Moravian Church buy 341 acre an share i out, an so di free village a Maidstone born. Roun di church di people dem build dem house, plant dem grung, set up school fi di pickney dem — whole new life pon dem own lan. Dat pattern spread all ova Jamaica, an a so nuff country district start. Till tideh, church tan up a di centre a Manchester life: Sunday maanin di bell dem ring out ova di hills, evrybody inna dem Sunday clothes, an sankey a rise up fram evri district. Faith an freedom grow up togeda ya-so — yuh cyaan tell one story widout di oda.
When you reach Mandeville square, you can't miss the old parish church — St. Mark's Anglican. It was completed and consecrated in 1820, when the town itself was just being built, and for a very long time it was the only church in the whole parish. Its grey stone walls have seen two hundred years of christenings, weddings and burials. But the deeper faith story comes after Emancipation. When freedom came in 1838, the freed people had their freedom but no land — the planters didn't want to sell them any. It was the churches that stepped in. Missionary churches — Moravian, Baptist, Methodist — bought up pieces of the old estate lands and divided them into small plots for the freed people. Right here in Manchester, in 1840, the Nazareth Moravian Church bought 341 acres and shared them out, and so the free village of Maidstone was born. Around the church the people built their houses, planted their fields, and set up schools for the children — a whole new life on their own land. That pattern spread all over Jamaica, and that is how many country districts began. To this day, the church stands at the centre of Manchester life: on Sunday mornings the bells ring out over the hills, everybody is in their Sunday best, and hymns rise from every district. Faith and freedom grew up together here — you cannot tell one story without the other.
Wen yu riich Mandeville skwier, yu kyaahn mis di uol parish choch — St. Mark's Anglican. Dem finish i an kansikriet i iina 1820, wen di tong self did jos a bil, an fi lang-lang taim a did di uonli choch iina di uol parish. Di grie stuon waal dem si tuu hondrid yier a krisnin, wedn an berin. Bot di diipa fiet stuori kom afta Emancipation. Wen friidom kom iina 1838, di frii piipl dem did hav dem friidom bot no lan — di plaanta dem neva waahn sel dem non. A di choch dem step iin. Mishaneri choch — Moravian, Baptist, Methodist — bai op piis a di uol estiet lan an kot i op iina likl plat fi di friid piipl dem. Rait ya iina Manchester, iina 1840, di Nazareth Moravian Church bai 341 ieka an shier i out, an so di frii vilij a Maidstone baan. Roun di choch di piipl dem bil dem ous, plaant dem grong, set op skuul fi di pikni dem — uol nyuu laif pan dem uon lan. Dat patan spred aal uova Jamieka, an a so nof konchri dischrik staat. Til tide, choch tan op a di senta a Manchester laif: Sonde maanin di bel dem ring out uova di hilz, evribadi iina dem Sonde kluoz, an sangki a raiz op fram evri dischrik. Fiet an friidom gruo op togeda ya-so — yu kyaahn tel wan stuori widout di oda.
The history and the figures come from the sources above. The Patois is mine.
Hear this read aloud in Manchester →