The one-street town

WESTERN BUREAU:

The quiet one-street town of Petersfield in the parish of Westmoreland was founded in the 18th century and named after Peter Beckford, a slave owner who operated the Roaring River Estate at the time.

The Beckfords arrived in Jamaica shortly after the restoration of King Charles in England and built one of the largest fortunes in the region.

Petersfield is one of the older townships on the island and is home to over 9,000 residents, most of whom are employed in the sugar industry, the largest employer of labour in the parish.

self-sufficient

The town is also self-sufficient, with every form of business and basic amenity represented, and crime is almost nonexistent, with domestic disputes being the only form of disturbance on occasions.

However, the lottery scam now plaguing the tourist town of Montego Bay has resulted in the migration of criminal elements and subsequent serious crimes in adjoining districts.

One of the best-kept secrets in the area is the Roaring River, a subterranean channel that runs for miles underground before appearing at the mouth of a series of subterranean limestone caverns with a small mineral spring inside.

Reggae artiste, the late Peter Tosh, is one of Petersfield's greatest sons.