| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
| Westmoreland, Trelawny | |
| Languages | |
| Jamaican English, German | |
| Religion | |
| Seventh-day Adventist | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Other Germans, other White Jamaicans |
Germans in Jamaica or German Jamaicans, are Jamaicans of German ancestry. The population was established in the 1830s when the abolition of slavery resulted in a labour shortage on the Caribbean island. Lord Seaford, who owned the Montpelier Estate and Shettlewood Pen in St. James established a European settlement in Westmoreland in order to combat the shortage, and over one thousand Germans migrated to Jamaica.[1]
The German language is no longer used on the island, but some German words have entered the Jamaican vernacular.[2] Many Jamaicans in Seaford and German Town in Trelawney carry heavy European features such as blue eyes, blond hair, freckles and white skin, as a result of the German genetic influences.[2]