Parishes of Barbados
Encyclopedia
The country of Barbados
is currently subdivided into sub-regions known as parish
es. According to the Act of the Barbados Parliament they are officially styled as the "Parish of ("Parish name") as opposed to the U.S. styled naming convention with the name "Parish" coming after the name. The areas are called "parishes" because of the island's religious Anglican history under the Church of England
. This system of parish churches was based on the system that of the Church of England and was the visible expression forming the basis of the parliamentary representation in Barbados. The differing size and shape of each parish were primarily influenced by the mega plantation estates of cotton
, sugar cane and tobacco
that existed during the colonial
years of Barbados. As various chaples of ease were created during the 17th century across the island, some local churches were elevated to parish church
status, leading to the formation of new parishes surrounding those freshly created vestries.
By 1629, the English
settlers after landing at James Town
formed six original parishes on the island which were:
By 1645, the land holding of Barbados increased and the shape of the original six were reconfigured giving way to an additional five parishes Some prior churches of the state within the existing parishes were elevated to the level of Parish Church and as a consequence they formed new parishes around those new vestries]]:
Thus Barbados was converted into the current eleven parishes of today. As was common under the British system, each Parish had a single main parishional church
(or cathedral
in the case of Bridgetown having been elevated to city status), which acted as a sort of capital for each parish. The parishes each held their own Local Government Councils until these were abolished in 1959, following a brief administrative districting experiment
within Barbados until 1967.
The nation's capital Bridgetown
, which is located within the parish of Saint Michael, may one day be made into its own district.
Within the country, travel is unrestricted to everyone in moving about from parish-to-parish. With the rise of urban sprawl and new construction projects across the country many neighbourhoods and even parishional border-lines today are ill defined.
The eleven parishes are:
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...
is currently subdivided into sub-regions known as parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
es. According to the Act of the Barbados Parliament they are officially styled as the "Parish of ("Parish name") as opposed to the U.S. styled naming convention with the name "Parish" coming after the name. The areas are called "parishes" because of the island's religious Anglican history under the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
. This system of parish churches was based on the system that of the Church of England and was the visible expression forming the basis of the parliamentary representation in Barbados. The differing size and shape of each parish were primarily influenced by the mega plantation estates of cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
, sugar cane and tobacco
Tobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
that existed during the colonial
Colonialism
Colonialism is the establishment, maintenance, acquisition and expansion of colonies in one territory by people from another territory. It is a process whereby the metropole claims sovereignty over the colony and the social structure, government, and economics of the colony are changed by...
years of Barbados. As various chaples of ease were created during the 17th century across the island, some local churches were elevated to parish church
Church of England parish church
A parish church in the Church of England is the church which acts as the religious centre for the people within the smallest and most basic Church of England administrative region, known as a parish.-Parishes in England:...
status, leading to the formation of new parishes surrounding those freshly created vestries.
By 1629, the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
settlers after landing at James Town
Holetown
Holetown , is a small town located in the Caribbean island nation of Barbados. Holetown is located in the parish of Saint James on the sheltered west coast of the island.-History:...
formed six original parishes on the island which were:
- The Parish of St. James,
- The Parish of St. Lucy,
- The Parish of St. Michael,
- The Parish of St. Peter, and
- The Parish of St. Thomas
By 1645, the land holding of Barbados increased and the shape of the original six were reconfigured giving way to an additional five parishes Some prior churches of the state within the existing parishes were elevated to the level of Parish Church and as a consequence they formed new parishes around those new vestries]]:
- The Parish of St. Andrew,
- The Parish of St. George,
- The Parish of St. John,
- The Parish of St. Joseph, and
- The Parish of St. Philip.
Thus Barbados was converted into the current eleven parishes of today. As was common under the British system, each Parish had a single main parishional church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
(or cathedral
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
in the case of Bridgetown having been elevated to city status), which acted as a sort of capital for each parish. The parishes each held their own Local Government Councils until these were abolished in 1959, following a brief administrative districting experiment
Districts of Barbados
In 1959 the country of Barbados was changed from the Vestry system, into a more modern system of local government patterned after that of the United Kingdom....
within Barbados until 1967.
Today
Bridgetown
The city of Bridgetown , metropolitan pop 96,578 , is the capital and largest city of the nation of Barbados. Formerly, the Town of Saint Michael, the Greater Bridgetown area is located within the parish of Saint Michael...
, which is located within the parish of Saint Michael, may one day be made into its own district.
Within the country, travel is unrestricted to everyone in moving about from parish-to-parish. With the rise of urban sprawl and new construction projects across the country many neighbourhoods and even parishional border-lines today are ill defined.
The eleven parishes are:
| Nr. | Parish (short name) | Official (long name) | Former Capitals | Land Area(km²) | Population(Census 2000) | Densitykm−2 | Historic vestry Vestry A vestry is a room in or attached to a church or synagogue in which the vestments, vessels, records, etc., are kept , and in which the clergy and choir robe or don their vestments for divine service.... |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Christ Church | The Parish of Christ Church | Oistins Oistins The coastal town of Oistins is an area located in the country of Barbados. Situated in the southern portion of the parish of Christ Church, Oistins operates mostly as a fishing village and a tourist hang out, and is the location of the parish church for Christ Church... |
57 | 49,498 | 868.4 |  |
| 2 | St. Andrew | The Parish of Saint Andrew | Greenland | 36 | 5,254 | 145.9 | |
| 3 | St. George | The Parish of Saint George | Bulkeley | 44 | 17,868 | 406.1 | |
| 4 | St. James | The Parish of Saint James | Holetown Holetown Holetown , is a small town located in the Caribbean island nation of Barbados. Holetown is located in the parish of Saint James on the sheltered west coast of the island.-History:... |
31 | 22,742 | 733.6 | |
| 5 | St. John | The Parish of Saint John | Four Roads | 34 | 8,873 | 261.0 |  |
| 6 | St. Joseph | The Parish of Saint Joseph | Bathsheba | 26 | 6,805 | 261.7 | |
| 7 | St. Lucy | The Parish of Saint Lucy | Crab Hill | 36 | 9,328 | 259.1 | |
| 8 | St. Michael | The Parish of Saint Michael | Bridgetown Bridgetown The city of Bridgetown , metropolitan pop 96,578 , is the capital and largest city of the nation of Barbados. Formerly, the Town of Saint Michael, the Greater Bridgetown area is located within the parish of Saint Michael... |
39 | 83,684 | 2,145.7 | |
| 9 | St. Peter | The Parish of Saint Peter | Speightstown Speightstown Speightstown , also known as Little Bristol, is the second largest town centre of Barbados. It is situated north of the capital city of Bridgetown, in the northern parish of Saint Peter.... |
34 | 10,699 | 314.7 | |
| 10 | St. Philip | The Parish of Saint Philip | Crane | 60 | 20,540 | 342.3 | |
| 11 | St. Thomas | The Parish of Saint Thomas | Hillaby | 34 | 11,590 | 340.9 | |
| 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... |
Bridgetown Bridgetown The city of Bridgetown , metropolitan pop 96,578 , is the capital and largest city of the nation of Barbados. Formerly, the Town of Saint Michael, the Greater Bridgetown area is located within the parish of Saint Michael... |
431 | 250,012 | 580,1 | ♦ |
See also
- Civil parishCivil parishIn England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
- Constituency CouncilsConstituency CouncilsConstituency Councils are the most local statutory representative bodies today in Barbados.The Constituency councils are somewhat similar to parish councils that existed in Barbados at one time, mainly to communicate local opinion to larger bodies in the central government.They were founded in 2008...
- Geography of BarbadosGeography of BarbadosBarbados is an Continental Island in the North Atlantic Ocean; and is located at 13°10' north of the equator, and 59°32' west of the Prime Meridian. As the easternmost isle of the Lesser Antilles in the West Indies, Barbados lies 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and Caribbean Sea...
- History of BarbadosHistory of BarbadosBarbados was inhabited by Arawaks and Caribs at the time of European colonization in the 16th century.The island was a British colony from 1625 until 1966....
- Transportation in Barbados
- Barbadian vehicle registration plates
- List of cities in Barbados
- ISO 3166-2:BBISO 3166-2:BBISO 3166-2:BB is the entry for Barbados in ISO 3166-2, part of the ISO 3166 standard published by the International Organization for Standardization , which defines codes for the names of the principal subdivisions of all countries coded in ISO 3166-1.Currently for Barbados, ISO 3166-2 codes are...