Halse Hall
Encyclopedia
Halse Hall is a plantation
great house
in Clarendon, Jamaica
.
During the Spanish
occupation of Jamaica the estate was known as "Hato de Buena Vista". In 1655, following the English
capture of Jamaica the site was given to Major Thomas Halse who came from Barbados
with Penn
and Venables. Here he raised hogs, grazed cattle and built Halse Hall. The house had thick walls and served as the centre of the estate and a rallying point for defence. At the time of Thomas Halse death in 1702, the Great House was just a single storey building. By the late 1740s the building was owned by his son, Francis Saddler Halse, who developed the property into a more imposing and beautiful two-storey structure. A new entrance was erected, accessed by an elaborate arrangement of stone steps flanked by columns and capped with a fanlight. A peaked portico was added later.
The Halse Hall Burial-Ground contains a tomb of the Halse family— Major Thomas Halse (d. 1702) and Thomas Halse (d. 1727).
The property belonged to Henry De la Beche
who stayed there during 1823–24, while he made his geological survey of Jamaica. His Notes on the present condition of the negroes in Jamaica was based on his experiences on the estate.
In 1969 it was purchased by Alcoa Minerals of Jamaica
who added an additional wing. Halse Hall is the oldest English building in Jamaica which is still used as a residence.
Plantation
A plantation is a long artificially established forest, farm or estate, where crops are grown for sale, often in distant markets rather than for local on-site consumption...
great house
Great house
A great house is a large and stately residence; the term encompasses different styles of dwelling in different countries. The name refers to the makeup of the household rather than to any particular architectural style...
in Clarendon, Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
.
During the Spanish
Spanish Empire
The Spanish Empire comprised territories and colonies administered directly by Spain in Europe, in America, Africa, Asia and Oceania. It originated during the Age of Exploration and was therefore one of the first global empires. At the time of Habsburgs, Spain reached the peak of its world power....
occupation of Jamaica the estate was known as "Hato de Buena Vista". In 1655, following the English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
capture of Jamaica the site was given to Major Thomas Halse who came from Barbados
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
with Penn
Penn
-Places:England*Penn, Buckinghamshire*Penn, West MidlandsUnited States*Penn, North Dakota*Pennsylvania**Penn, Pennsylvania*Penn Lake Park, Pennsylvania*Penn Township , several municipalities-Education:...
and Venables. Here he raised hogs, grazed cattle and built Halse Hall. The house had thick walls and served as the centre of the estate and a rallying point for defence. At the time of Thomas Halse death in 1702, the Great House was just a single storey building. By the late 1740s the building was owned by his son, Francis Saddler Halse, who developed the property into a more imposing and beautiful two-storey structure. A new entrance was erected, accessed by an elaborate arrangement of stone steps flanked by columns and capped with a fanlight. A peaked portico was added later.
The Halse Hall Burial-Ground contains a tomb of the Halse family— Major Thomas Halse (d. 1702) and Thomas Halse (d. 1727).
The property belonged to Henry De la Beche
Henry De la Beche
Sir Henry Thomas De la Beche FRS was an English geologist and palaeontologist who helped pioneer early geological survey methods.-Biography:...
who stayed there during 1823–24, while he made his geological survey of Jamaica. His Notes on the present condition of the negroes in Jamaica was based on his experiences on the estate.
In 1969 it was purchased by Alcoa Minerals of Jamaica
Alcoa
Alcoa Inc. is the world's third largest producer of aluminum, behind Rio Tinto Alcan and Rusal. From its operational headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Alcoa conducts operations in 31 countries...
who added an additional wing. Halse Hall is the oldest English building in Jamaica which is still used as a residence.