“…the great Calamity that hath befallen this Island by a terrible Earthquake, on the 7th instant, which hath thrown down almost all the Houses, Churches, Sugar-Works, Mills and Bridges, through the whole Country. It tore the Rocks and Mountains, destroyed some whole Plantations, and threw them into the Sea, Port-Royal had much the greatest share in this terrible Judgement of God.” – Dr. Emmanuel Heath, Anglican rector of St. Paul’s Church, Port Royal
In 1692, Port Royal was the main British base in Caribbean, which had been captured from the Spanish in 1655. The town became a thriving centre of trade and privateering, but by 1692 the focus had shifted to the cultivation of tobacco and sugar cane with an increased growth in the slave trade. Port Royal was built on a peninsula off the coast of Jamaica across from present-day Kingston and was religiously and culturally very diverse. At its height in 1692, the population of the town is estimated to have exceeded 6500 inhabitants, of which about 2500 were slaves. Port Royal consisted of approximately 2000 buildings densely packed into 51 acres. Although privateering had declined since the days of Henry Morgan, privateering against French was still sanctioned within the scope of the Nine Years’ War (1688-1697). The town was condemned by both the Catholic Church and protestant ministers as the “wickedest town in Christendom” for its state-sanctioned pirates and tolerance of human vice. Port Royal is said to have had more brothels and gambling dens than places of worship.
The earthquake
The first of a series of three earthquakes hit the town on 7th June 1692 at sometime around 11:43am. The exact time is know because of a pocket watch which was discovered in 1959. There were many eyewitness accounts of the the disaster, one of the most important being that the letters of Dr. Emmanuel Heath, the Anglican Rector of St. Paul’s Church. Although it wasn’t the first earthquake to hit Port Royal – there were also quakes in 1667 and 1688 – it was by far the most severe, believed by modern scientists to have had an intensity 7.5 on the Richer scale. As the damage caused by previous earthquakes had been limited, there appeared to be little cause for alarm when the one in 1692 hit. Many of the brick buildings, which had been built on sand, were swallowed by the wet ground, it is estimated that about two thirds of the buildings sank into the sea. The sand liquefied during the earthquake, sucking unsuspecting people into the ground, and fissures opened and closed swallowing many other people. When the earthquake ended, the ground solidified again, trapping many of those who had sunk into the wet sand. A large tsunami hit soon after, putting half of Port Royal under 40 feet of water. More than 20 ships capsized in the harbour, including the frigate HMS Swann, which was carried over the rooftops by the waves. In addition to the devastation in Port Royal, there were landslides and widespread damage across the whole island, including in nearby Spanish Town.
The aftermath
Although the earthquake was felt island-wide, the most extensive loss of life occurred at Port Royal, where a large portion of the town sank into the sea. Many of those who weren’t killed in the earthquake itself died of injuries or disease thereafter. About 2,000 people died as a result of the earthquake itself and the following tsunami. In addition, up to 3,000 people died as a result of an outbreak of yellow fever, which developed after the quake, exacerbated by unsanitary conditions and malnourishment. All buildings, including two forts, were made uninhabitable. There was also widespread looting of warehouses and houses during and after the event.
The fate of Port Royal
After the earthquake, the town was partially rebuilt, but a fire in 1703 and a series of Hurricanes in 1712, 1722, 1726 and 1744 damaged the town to such an extent that Port Royal never recovered its former significance as a trading town. The colonial government was relocated to Spanish Town, which had been the capital under Spanish rule, and later to Kingston, to which most of the sea trade shifted. Merchants were in favour of relocating as they claimed Kingston was healthier and safer than Port Royal, although it was not as easily accessible to ships as Port Royal had been. Port Royal’s role as a British Naval Station continued from 1713 onwards. From 1715 to 1763, the dockyard was expanded in order to facilitate large navy ships. Naval operations officially ceased in 1905. Today, Port Royal is a small fishing village with a population of about 2000.
For a detailed account of the earthquake of 1692 watch the video below by The Crewe of the Fancy. You can read Reverend Emmanuel Heath’s letters at the Port Royal – UNESCO – World Heritage website. For other eyewitness accounts visit the Jamaica Port Royal website.