Title: The Story of Hanover: A Jamaican Parish

Author: Marguerite Curtin

Publisher: Marguerite Curtin

Reviewer: Barbara Nelson

MARGUERITE CURTIN'S extensive experience as a teacher, editor, publisher and researcher, coupled with the six years (1995-2000) she served as project coordinator at the Hanover Museum in Lucea, has given her the focus and understanding to write the fascinating book The Story of Hanover.

The book is 244 pages long and is quite an easy read.

With more than 90 illustrations, including reproductions of maps and diagrams sourced from the Jamaica Archives and the National Library of Jamaica (NLJ), it is lavishly illustrated indeed.

Among the outstanding illustrations are: The arrival of Columbus by Meryl Bowden, artist; Aerial photograph of Haughton Hall; Kenilworth Sugar Works; French Set Girls by Isaac Mendes Belisario; View from Greenwich by Canaletto (1697- 769); The Providence and the Assistant in Adventure Bay, Treadmill.

arts and culture

The Story of Hanover was funded by the Culture, Health, Arts, Sport and Education Fund, at a cost of $2.7 million, under its arts and culture segment.

Curtin's book explains that Hanover was established in 1723 out of the older parishes of St Elizabeth and Westmoreland. It is the second smallest parish in Jamaica and has a population of 70,000 people.

The book has 20 chapters.

valuable collection

The Hanover community donated several artefacts and the town's valuable collection of weights and measures was saved for exhibit in the new museum.

"It was envisioned that the history of the parish should be researched, documented and shared with the young people of Hanover, so that an understanding of the past would equip them with confidence and thus become the springboard for future development and appreciation of a parish whose history is indelibly linked to the growth of the nation."

Out of this has come a very interesting, well researched and well written book.