Holetown

File:Holetown Monument, Saint James, Barbados-1.jpg

In 1625, Holetown (formerly as St. James Town) was the site of initial English settlement of Barbados (although Captain Cataline had previously landed to collect water in 1620). The envoy (led by John Powell) was blown off-course from South America to England and took the opportunity to claim the island for the Kingdom of England. Some personal possessions were left behind and the crew departed Holetown for England.

On 17 February 1627 the brother of Captain John Powell (Captain Henry Powell) aboard the "Olive Blossom" returned with his benefactor, Sir William Courteen, a Dutch-born English merchant trader, and fifty other shareholder settlers (and 10 captive negroes). A monument erected to commemorate this first landing on the island erroneously records the date as 1605. Since 1977, the town has also celebrated the Barbados Holetown Festival to commemorate this landing.

The name Holetown comes from the stream, The Hole, which provided a safe landing place for the settlers.{{cite web|url=http://www.barbados.org/htown.htm|title=Holetown|publisher=barbados.org}} Also sometimes called Saint James Town, the settlement was, until 1629, the island's only town.{{Citation needed|date=May 2009}} Holetown celebrates the founding of the first five plantations in Barbados, the first major fortification, the first place of Justice, and the first Governor's House. The town was also involved in the transatlantic trade with Bristol, London, and Boston, although this last was deemed illegal. After Lord Carlisle gained control of Barbados as a protectorate of The Crown, he decided to found his own settlement in the southern part of the island. Carlisle's move gave way to Bridgetown being settled along Carlisle Bay and a shift of the capital for the island to that location.

The Island's oldest church, St. James Parish Church, was erected here in 1628, a year after the first settlers landed.

The town is the home of McGill University's Bellairs Research Institute.

Holetown is located at {{coord|13|11|00|N|59|39|00|W|type:city}} (13.183333, −59.65).[http://www.maplandia.com/barbados/holetown/ Holetown Coordinates and Satellite Imagery]

Through Statutory Instrument (S.I) 1984 No. 141, Road Traffic Act, CAP. 295, ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATIONS, and under Schedule Section # 6:{{Cite web |url=http://208.109.177.6/en/showdoc/cr/1984_141/se:105?splitmode=true#Pd61946487e5056 |title=Road Traffic Act |access-date=17 February 2018 |archive-date=18 February 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180218090249/http://208.109.177.6/en/showdoc/cr/1984_141/se:105?splitmode=true#Pd61946487e5056 |url-status=dead }} The Boundaries of Bridgetown, Speightstown, Holetown and Oistins are cited as follows: 3) "Holetown: The section of Highway 1 (formerly West Coast Rd.) from its junction with Lascelles Road at Limegrove Lifestyle Centre to its junction with Trents Road".

Holetown has been twinned with:

• {{flagicon|UK}} – Borough of Haringey, London, England, United Kingdom{{cite web |url= http://www.foreign.gov.bb/Userfiles/File/Press%20release%2033.pdf |title= Twinning of London Borough of Haringey with Holetown: 10 December 2009 |access-date= 28 December 2009 |archive-date= 3 March 2016 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160303172039/http://www.foreign.gov.bb/Userfiles/File/Press%20release%2033.pdf |url-status= dead }} {{small|(13 KB)}} – Barbados Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade[http://www.gisbarbados.gov.bb/index.php?categoryid=13&p2_articleid=2948 Twinning Of London Borough Of Haringey With Holetown] (since 2009)[http://barbadosadvocate.com/newsitem.asp?NewsID=15794 Holetown, Haringey officially linked]{{Dead link|date=January 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, 15 February 2011 Barbados Advocate

• Maple Cricket Club

{{Reflist}}

• {{cite book |last1=Greenridge |first1=Morris |year=2004 |title=Holetown Barbados : Settlement Revisited and Other Accounts |url= |url-access= |publisher=Genesis Press/ MG Events |publication-date=1 January 2004 |page=B000HXMVF2 |access-date= |quote= }}
• {{cite web |url=https://www.barbadospocketguide.com/our-island-barbados/towns/holetown.html |url-access= |title=Holetown |author=Staff writer |year=2022 |website=www.barbadospocketguide.com |agency=Sun Group Inc. |access-date=29 March 2022 |quote= }}
• {{cite web |url=http://www.sunsetcrest.org/documents/Sunset_Crest_Rise_Fall_&_Rebirth.pdf |url-access= |title=Sunset Crest: The Rise, Fall and Rebirth of the Barbados Holiday Village |last=Dodge, Ed.D. |first=R. Bruce |year=2019 |website=www.sunsetcrest.org |agency=Sunset Crest Property Owners |access-date=29 March 2022 |quote= }}

{{Commons category|Holetown}}

• [https://www.holetownchamber.com/ Holetown Chamber of Trade]
• [http://www.totallybarbados.com/barbados/About_Barbados/Local_Information/Towns_and_Places_of_Interest/Holetown/ Holetown – TotallyBarbados.com]
• [http://www.barbados.org/htown.htm Holetown – barbados.org]

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Category:Populated places established in 1627

Category:Populated places in Barbados

Category:Saint James, Barbados

Category:Former colonial capitals

Category:1627 establishments in the British Empire