Saint Peter, Antigua and Barbuda

Not to be confused with St. Peter (parliamentary constituency).
Parish of Saint Peter[1]
Parish
(from top: left to right) Betty's Hope, A street in Parham, another street in Parham, A field in Saint Peter
Location of Parish of Saint Peter[1]
CountryAntigua and Barbuda
EstablishedJanuary 11, 1692; 332 years ago (1692-01-11) (old style)
January 21, 1692; 332 years ago (1692-01-21) (new style)
CapitalParham
Largest cityAll Saints[A]
Largest major divisionAll Saints Northeast
Government
 • MPsAsot Michael, Jamale Pringle, Anthony Smith
Population
 (2018)
 • Total5,706[2]
Time zoneUTC-4 (AST)

Saint Peter, officially the Parish of Saint Peter, is a parish of Antigua and Barbuda on the island of Antigua. Saint Peter borders Saint Paul to the south, Saint Philip to the east, and Saint George and Saint John to the west. Saint Peter is dominated by farmland, savanna, and undeveloped fields, and its borders are not well-defined. The largest city fully within the parish is Parham, which is also the capital. However, the portion of the city of All Saints in Saint Peter is significantly larger than Parham. Saint Peter was created with the other four original parishes in 1692.[3] It had an estimated population of 5,706 in 2018.[4]

Saint Peter is mostly dominated by agriculture and industry, with the few populated places in the parish being portions of All Saints, Diamonds, Freemans, Pares, Parham, and Vernons. Most of the parish lives on the western border with Saint John. Pares is the only major settlement in the center of the parish. There is almost no settlement in the eastern portion of the parish other than the hamlets of Coconut Hall and Gilberts. In the northern areas of the parish, Saint Peter is home to Guiana Island and the Galley Islands, as well as the Crabbs Peninsula. Long Island, home to three permanent inhabitants, and Maiden Island are legally part of Saint George, but are politically and statistically part of Saint Peter. Long Island and Maiden Island are counted as parts of Saint Peter for purposes of the census.

Saint Peter is not home to many tourist attractions, and the mainland portion of the parish is home to very few, if any beaches. Parham Harbour is sometimes used by local residents, specifically children, for swimming. Saint Peter is however home to many historic Amerindian villages, and the Betty's Hope sugar plantation, one of the major symbols of the island. Saint Peter also has populations of European fallow deer on Guiana Island. On the offshore islands, there are many clear waters and reefs, and many of the offshore islands, like Great Bird Island, are frequented by tourists.

Saint Peter was created in August 1681, when Antigua was divided into five parishes.[3] Saint Peter and the four other parishes were permanently established in July 1692, and confirmed in January 1693.[3] The primary objective of the establishment of parishes was providing for the parish church. The majority of the parish's lands were, and still are, used for agricultural purposes. Numerous historical relics from the parish can still be seen today, including the Mercer's Creek[5] and Coconut Hall[6] plantations.

  1. ^ http://laws.gov.ag/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/cap-304.pdf [bare URL PDF]
  2. ^ "Antigua and Barbuda 2018 Labour Force Survey Report" (PDF). statistics.gov.ag. Statistics Division, Ministry of Finance and Corporate Governance, Antigua and Barbuda. October 2020.
  3. ^ a b c The Laws of the Island of Antigua: Consisting of the Acts of the Leeward Islands, Commencing 8th November 1690, Ending 21st April 1798; and the Acts of Antigua, Commencing 10th April 1668, Ending 7th May 1804. Strand, London: Samuel Bagster. 1805.
  4. ^ "Antigua and Barbuda 2018 Labour Force Survey Report" (PDF). statistics.gov.ag. Statistics Division, Ministry of Finance and Corporate Governance, Antigua and Barbuda. October 2020.
  5. ^ "Mercer's Creek – Antigua Sugar Mills". Retrieved 2023-10-14.
  6. ^ "Cocoa Nutt Hall/ Crump's – Antigua Sugar Mills". Retrieved 2023-10-14.


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