Historical Significance
The St. Ann Parish Church is among the Anglican Churches in Jamaica erected
during the latter half of the nineteenth century. The Anglican Church of Jamaica was formerly known as the Church of England, until the Church was disestablished in 1872. Prior to its disestablishment, the Church of England was financed by the Government. With its new status in 1872, it had to support itself. The money saved from the salaries previously paid to the clergymen was used instead for education. From the establishment of the Church of England in the island, the Law required that a Parish Church should be provided and maintained at the charge of the Parish.
The contract to erect the St. Ann Parish Church was awarded to Climie who was assisted by his nephew Richmond. Climie was a Colonial Engineer who had also directed the renovation of the Half Way Tree Parish Church in 1879.
The cost to construct the Church without internal fittings was two thousand five hundred pounds. Climie completed the internal fittings, which included communion vessels, cushions, cloths, and chandeliers at a cost of four hundred and one pounds, seventeen shillings and two pence. This sum was obtained from private subscriptions.
The Church was eventually completed in September 1871, and was consecrated by His Lordship the Bishop of Kingston, Rt. Reverend Reginald Courtney on Wednesday September 20, 1871 as the Church of "St. Anne".
The first Rector of the St. Ann Parish Church was the Reverend Josiah Cork, who died in 1892. During the incumbency of Rev. K. D. Pronger, 1940 - 1945, the floor of the Church was resurfaced and the tombstones, which were removed from the Old Church at Priory, were inserted. As plantations developed to the east of St. Ann's Bay, and the centre of population shifted, the Priory Church fell into disuse. The ruins of this Church are still visible.
Inherent Features
The main walls of this two storey Church are constructed of cut stone blocks. Along each elevation of the building a series of pointed arch windows are used. Between each window bay are buttresses. The apse of the Church is of a semi-octagonal shape with buttresses on the corner of each side, in between which are pointed arch stained glass windows with the largest being the east end of the building.
The timber walls of the upper floor, both north and south elevations have five triple bay pointed arch windows, above which is a brown asphalt shingle gable roof. The roof on the apse is a matching multi-sided brown asphalt shingle hip roof. The ground floor is also covered by a brown asphalt single shed roof on the north and south elevations which slopes upward to the upper level. A stained glass pointed arch window is located on the east elevation of the building.
Sources
Senior, Olive A - Z of Jamaican Heritage (Kingston: Heinemann
Educational Books Ltd. & The Gleaner Co. Ltd., 1987)
The Parish Church of "St. Anne" 1871 - 1971, National Library of Jamaica, Kingston.
The St. Ann Parish Church is among the Anglican Churches in Jamaica erected
during the latter half of the nineteenth century. The Anglican Church of Jamaica was formerly known as the Church of England, until the Church was disestablished in 1872. Prior to its disestablishment, the Church of England was financed by the Government. With its new status in 1872, it had to support itself. The money saved from the salaries previously paid to the clergymen was used instead for education. From the establishment of the Church of England in the island, the Law required that a Parish Church should be provided and maintained at the charge of the Parish.
The contract to erect the St. Ann Parish Church was awarded to Climie who was assisted by his nephew Richmond. Climie was a Colonial Engineer who had also directed the renovation of the Half Way Tree Parish Church in 1879.
The cost to construct the Church without internal fittings was two thousand five hundred pounds. Climie completed the internal fittings, which included communion vessels, cushions, cloths, and chandeliers at a cost of four hundred and one pounds, seventeen shillings and two pence. This sum was obtained from private subscriptions.
The Church was eventually completed in September 1871, and was consecrated by His Lordship the Bishop of Kingston, Rt. Reverend Reginald Courtney on Wednesday September 20, 1871 as the Church of "St. Anne".
The first Rector of the St. Ann Parish Church was the Reverend Josiah Cork, who died in 1892. During the incumbency of Rev. K. D. Pronger, 1940 - 1945, the floor of the Church was resurfaced and the tombstones, which were removed from the Old Church at Priory, were inserted. As plantations developed to the east of St. Ann's Bay, and the centre of population shifted, the Priory Church fell into disuse. The ruins of this Church are still visible.
Inherent Features
The main walls of this two storey Church are constructed of cut stone blocks. Along each elevation of the building a series of pointed arch windows are used. Between each window bay are buttresses. The apse of the Church is of a semi-octagonal shape with buttresses on the corner of each side, in between which are pointed arch stained glass windows with the largest being the east end of the building.
The timber walls of the upper floor, both north and south elevations have five triple bay pointed arch windows, above which is a brown asphalt shingle gable roof. The roof on the apse is a matching multi-sided brown asphalt shingle hip roof. The ground floor is also covered by a brown asphalt single shed roof on the north and south elevations which slopes upward to the upper level. A stained glass pointed arch window is located on the east elevation of the building.
Sources
Senior, Olive A - Z of Jamaican Heritage (Kingston: Heinemann
Educational Books Ltd. & The Gleaner Co. Ltd., 1987)
The Parish Church of "St. Anne" 1871 - 1971, National Library of Jamaica, Kingston.
