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From: "Chris Codrington" <>
Subject: RE: "Penn" per jamaican parlance
Date: Fri, 2 Mar 2001 19:13:09 -0500
In-Reply-To: <3.0.6.32.20010302124839.007d8900@127.0.0.1>


A "Pen" is a plantation given over to the raising or fattening or training
of livestock such as cattle, sheep,hogs etc usually the four footed kind.
Although there were pens in the earlier history of colonial Jamaica, they
become far more prevalent between 1776 and 1840. When the economics became
especially favorable, such as during the American Revolution and the War of
1812, (American shipping virtually ceased and home based shipping was
constantly interrupted in favor of supply to the troops on the mainland)
pens became very attractive business wise....and thereon the number
increases as marginal sugar properties(and others not suitable for sugar at
all) were converted.
With the advent of a parasite resistant strain of cattle(bred using a
resistant breed from India) pen keeping became an even better bet.


C.M. Codrington("american version # 1952)
Editor: Carib GenWeb "Historic Antigua and Barbuda" web-site
Member: Barbados Museum Historical Society,
Museum of Antigua and Barbuda Historical and Archaeological Society.

-----Original Message-----
From: Bob Leahy [mailto:]
Sent: Friday, March 02, 2001 12:49 PM
To:
Subject: Penns

Hi --

I have run across the term "penn" (or "pen") in Jamaican documents. It
seems to mean a plot of land, smaller than an estate, but larger than a
villa. The dictionary definition is "an enclosure".

Can someone enlighten me as to the Jamaican defintion of the word, and
perhaps its origin?

Thank you.


Bob

Easton, Maryland

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