The Migration from Surinam to Jamaica. 153 



In June, Lynch wrote from Barbados, en route to take up the 

 governorship of Jamaica, " in Barbados and even Antigua, Jamaica was 

 regarded favourably to settle in — they regarding it ' oleum ei cpera [m] 

 perdere ' to endeavour to settle the Leeward Islands." 



Banister, by an order from Lynch for 2.940 acres, dated 8th 

 November, 1671, took up 2,000 acres bordering on the sea and including 

 Banister's Cove — now known as Scott's Cove, bordering southerly on the 

 land of George Brimican, who, in 1665 had surveyed 43 acres " unto 



myself in the parish of St. Elizabeth, called Luanna." Banister's 



Cove had become Scott's Cove as early as 1684, the date of the second 

 edition of " The Laws of Jamaica," in which appears Bochart and 

 Knollis's map of the island. On his plat Brimican, (or Bremingham) 

 made a crude drawing of his house, one of the oldest sketches extant of a 

 house in Jamaica built by an Englishman. The remaining 940 acres of 

 Banister's land was " in the inlands of Banister Bay." It is apparent 

 that the district bordering on the sea was known as Banister's Bay, as in 

 other surveys reference is made to the inlands of Banister's Bay. In 

 August, 16 3, Banister took up another 1,000 acres " lying in Luanna 

 near the Lime Tree Pond " bounding northerly on Banister's own land. 

 This was known as Fonthill, and he also had 435 acres of land bordering 

 on the sea down to Luanna point, which later came into the possession of 

 Bichard Beckford. 



In April, 1672, Banister, " the better to attend to the duties of his 

 commission" took up 11 J acres at the north of Archbould's Savannah 

 of 1340 acres in St. Dorothy (now St, Catherine) near Old Harbour, 

 which in 1668 had been set aside for the use of the inhabitants of the 

 neighbourhood, with the exception of 60 acres in the centre reserved for 

 Colonel Colebeck. The property is known as " Banisters " to-day. 



In 1673 Banister took up a house plot at Old Harbour Bay, 120 feet 

 square, between the main street and the sea. In Bochart and Knollis's 

 map of 1684 two properties of Banister's are marked in St. Dorothy's, 

 a sugar works and a pen ; and also the property by Luanna in St. 

 Elizabeth. 



As an evidence of the value of land in those days, it may be 

 mentioned that in 1673 Thomas Piper sold 60 acres at Cabarita for thirty 

 shillings, but this was in an out of the way locality. 



On the 29th of March, 1671, Banister was sworn of the Council and 

 thenceforward he took precedence of all but the governor and lieutenant- 

 governor. In August he was judge, with Samuel Long and Captain 

 William Parker, of Clarendon and St. Elizabeth, which parishes had 

 recently been united for judicial purposes. Samuel Long, with William 

 Beeston, later succeeded in maintaining the privileges of the island as 

 against the restriction attempted to be imposed by the Crown, acthog 

 through the Earl of Carlisle. Captain William Parker was member for 



