Oracabessa

The written history of Oracabessa dates to the year 1502, when Christopher Columbus sailed into Oracabessa Bay. He named it Santa Maria island, a property now located within the Goldeneye estate. At the time, the area was sparsely populated by Taino and Arawak Indians. The Spanish established a small supply post named Oracabeza, to support their exploration in the Caribbean. It remained a Spanish settlement until 1655, when the British captured the North Coast of Jamaica.{{cite web |url=http://scholar.library.miami.edu/slaves/Maroons/individual_essays/suzette1.html |title=The Maroons |work=miami.edu |access-date=10 April 2011 |archive-date=23 August 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100823070511/http://scholar.library.miami.edu/slaves/Maroons/individual_essays/suzette1.html |url-status=live }}

File:Oracabessa History2.jpg

For the next 200 years, Oracabessa functioned as a tiny agricultural community with its main crop, bananas, controlled by a small group of British landowners. The arrival of Baptist missionary James Phillippo in 1834 changed the course of Oracabessa's history. Phillippo built the first church in Oracabessa and led a defiant protest against the local landowner's refusal to sell land to former slaves after emancipation. The parish of St. Mary, where Oracabessa is located, had a large population of Jamaican Maroons, who had escaped from slavery and lived independently in the mountains. They worked closely with Phillippo in his quest for justice. With this show of force, combined with a decree from the British Government, the landowners relented and sold Phillippo enough land to build houses, schools, churches, and businesses for the hundreds of freedmen residents in the area.Masters, P., 2006: Missionary Triumph over Slavery. Wakeman Trust, London. {{ISBN|1-870855-53-1}}. pp. 15-16

Reverend Phillippo was a pioneer of Free Villages, settlements established to allow independent living by freedmen, on land they controlled. Phillippo purchased land from plantation owners (often secretly, through agents, as they did not want to sell to freedmen). He sold the land to the former slaves with terms that required them to repay only what they could afford. Within 3 years, Phillippo had received full payment and the residents of Oracabessa owned their land and businesses outright. Phillippo's belief and faith in the people of Oracabessa led to the development of other Free Villages throughout the island.File:phillippo.jpg]]

Phillippo successfully demonstrated that the Free Village concept worked and that it represented a great opportunity for a community to be self-sufficient. The Oracabessa farmers' market, which still operates today, was the first such market in Jamaica to be owned and operated by former slaves. Within a few years, an entire socio-economic system had developed, and a vibrant fishing and agricultural community was born. Oracabessa and the parish of St. Mary were largely left alone by the planter elite, but a series of devastating hurricanes and floods at the end of the 19th century brought an end to Oracabessa's brief success as an independent, self-sufficient community.{{cite book |first=James |last=Phillipo |title=Jamaica: Its Past and Present State |publisher=J. Snow |year=1843 |page=68 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=n1c6AAAAcAAJ&q=james+mursell+philippo }}

In 1910, Ruth Bryan Owen, the daughter of one of the richest men in the United States, had read the story of James Phillippo and his grand experiment in Oracabessa. She decided to continue his work. She convinced her husband, a senior British Military officer,{{cite news |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1910/05/04/105078012.pdf |work=The New York Times |title=BRYAN'S DAUGHTER MARRIES.; Mrs. Leavitt Is Now Wife of Lieut. Owen, a British Army Engineer |date=4 May 1910 |access-date=14 June 2018 |archive-date=8 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220408042757/https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1910/05/04/105078012.pdf |url-status=live }} to accept a posting in Jamaica. They moved to Oracabessa, where he would oversee the construction of new roads and schools, and she would help rebuild the local economy. Owen encouraged local residents to develop their skills as artisans and cultivated a community of painters and carvers. Given her social standing and wealthy friends in the U.S., she was able to send the artwork to various galleries for sale and gain a sustainable living for this artistic community.Caribbean Caravel, Ruth Brown Owen, New York: Dodd, Mead & Co. (1949), pp. 130.File:Ruth Bryan Owen (D–FL).jpg]]

In addition to her philanthropic work in Oracabessa, Owen built a mansion, Golden Clouds, which still stands today. She had many influential friends in politics and entertainment who visited her regularly in Oracabessa. Among them was the actor and director Charlie Chaplin.Caribbean Caravel, Ruth Brown Owen, Dodd, Mead & Co. (1949), New York, pp. 146. Owen eventually left Oracabessa for a life in politics. She achieved international fame by gaining appointment as the first female U.S. Ambassador in history, but she held on to Golden Clouds and returned faithfully every winter for the next 30 years.

In 1946, Ian Fleming became the next famous resident of Oracabessa.{{cite web |url=http://keepitjiggy.com/2010/04/ian-fleming-goldeneye-jamaica-and-james-bond-beach/ |title=keepitjiggy.com - Do Jamaica on Your Own - Jamaica Vacation, Reggae Music, Jamaican Food |work=keepitjiggy.com |date=30 April 2010 }}{{Dead link|date=May 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} Fleming purchased the land next door to Golden Clouds and built his house, Goldeneye, where he proceeded to write the James Bond novels and earned worldwide acclaim. Fleming's coterie of friends included actors, musicians, and filmmakers,{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/09/travel/09Jamaica.html |title=Ian Fleming's Jamaica: Where James Bond and His Creator Lived and Adventured |work=The New York Times |date=6 November 2008 |access-date=23 April 2018 |via=NYTimes.com |last1=Allan |first1=David G. }} who were enamoured with Oracabessa's main street, beautiful beach and its quiet, unassuming local population. In 1976, 12 years after Ian Fleming's death, Goldeneye was sold to Jamaican reggae star Bob Marley. Shortly before his own death, Marley sold the estate to Island Records founder Chris Blackwell.{{cite news |url=https://www.usatoday.com/travel/news/2007-02-06-jamaica-james-bond-goldeneye_x.htm |work=USA Today |title=Jamaica's Goldeneye to target residential tourists |date=6 February 2007 |access-date=4 December 2017 |archive-date=12 October 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081012153929/http://www.usatoday.com/travel/news/2007-02-06-jamaica-james-bond-goldeneye_x.htm |url-status=live }}

In the mid-1990s, the Island Outpost corporation owned by Blackwell bought 70 acres of prime coastal land and opened the village's main attraction, the James Bond Beach Club. Located just off Main Street along Old Wharf Road, this facility has changing rooms, a water sports centre, a bar, and a restaurant. Its expansive lawns are a regular venue for concerts by local and international artists.{{cite web |url=http://travel.yahoo.com/p-travelguide-486423-oracabessa_vacations-i |title=Yahoo Travel |work=yahoo.com |access-date=25 January 2010 |archive-date=29 January 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100129005136/http://travel.yahoo.com/p-travelguide-486423-oracabessa_vacations-i |url-status=live }} Scenes from the classic James Bond movie Dr. No, which features Ursula Andress, were filmed in and around the area. Honey Ryder (Andress) was filmed emerging from the sea at Laughing Waters further up the coast and at Dunn's River Falls.{{cite web |url=http://www.destination360.com/caribbean/jamaica/james-bond-beach |title=James Bond Beach |work=destination360.com |access-date=22 September 2010 |archive-date=25 November 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151125003030/http://www.destination360.com/caribbean/jamaica/james-bond-beach |url-status=live }}

In the 21st century, Oracabessa has again become known as an artist community with studios operated by musicians, painters, and carvers.{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DJND6k9YhS4C&dq=oracabessa%2C+artist+history&pg=PA143 |title=Jamaica |isbn=9781566915694 |last1=Hill |first1=Oliver |date=19 October 2007 |publisher=Avalon }} Art galleries in Oracabessa include Von White's studio and the Wilderness House of Art.{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0VtoMtLSaJUC&dq=oracabessa%2C+artists&pg=PA212 |title=The Rough Guide to Jamaica |first1=Polly |last1=Thomas |first2=Adam |last2=Vaitilingam |first3=Polly Rodger |last3=Brown |date=23 April 2018 |publisher=Rough Guides |isbn=9781843531111 |access-date=23 April 2018 |via=Google Books }} Oracabessa has a wide range of musicians who live, record, and perform in the area. The music group UB40 has a studio in Oracabessa{{cite web |url=http://www.reggae-vibes.com/rev_var/oracabes.htm |title=Review - Various : Oracabessa One |work=reggae-vibes.com }}{{Dead link|date=May 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} and large reggae concerts are presented at James Bond Beach, with artists such as Rihanna, Ziggy Marley, and Lauryn Hill performing.{{cite web |url=http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20091108/ent/ent3.html |title=Concerts at James Bond Beach |website=jamaica-gleaner.com |access-date=23 April 2018 |archive-date=28 December 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131228101021/http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20091108/ent/ent3.html |url-status=live }}{{cite web |url=http://www.jamaicans.com/news/events/BobMarley-01132011.shtml |title=News & Announcements - Jamaicans.com |work=Jamaicans.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110617012353/http://www.jamaicans.com/news/events/BobMarley-01132011.shtml |archive-date=17 June 2011 }} Oracabessa's unique landscape has served as a stunning backdrop for photo shoots by some of the world's top photographers. In 2012, Mikeal Jansson shot the Ferragamo campaign featuring Gisele Bündchen in Oracabessa and referred to it in Vogue magazine as "a dream-like location."{{cite web |url=http://www.vogue.it/en/shows/oddities/2012/01/salvatore-ferragamo-spring-summer-2012-adv |title=Gisele and Noah for Ferragamo |work=vogue.it |access-date=14 January 2012 |archive-date=30 December 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131230032535/http://www.vogue.it/en/shows/oddities/2012/01/salvatore-ferragamo-spring-summer-2012-adv |url-status=live }}

The Oracabessa Bay Fish Sanctuary was established in 2010 to protect Oracabessa's marine ecosystem.{{cite web |url=http://www.oracabessafishsanctuary.org/ |title=HOME |website=Oracabessa Bay Fish Sanctuary |access-date=23 April 2018 |archive-date=3 April 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180403203719/http://www.oracabessafishsanctuary.org/ |url-status=live }} The eastern shoreline of Oracabessa is located on the edge of the Cayman Trough with walls that begin at {{convert|60|ft|0|order=flip}} and drop down to over {{convert|150|ft|0|order=flip}}. These walls are covered in a large variety of hard and soft corals. The walls contain many overhangs and ledges, and are home to lobsters, king crab, green and spotted moray eels, and a host of other marine creatures. Beyond the boundaries of the Oracabessa Bay Fish Sanctuary, the Cayman Trough plunges to depths of over {{convert|25000|ft|0|order=flip}} and is renowned for deep-water sport fishing, including marlin and tuna.[https://web.archive.org/web/20221023053744/http://www.cometojamaica.com/images/Back_issues/Jam-boree%205.14.05_lowres.pdf]

File:JamesBondBeach2.jpg

Several scenes from the 1962 James Bond film Dr. No, which featured Sean Connery as Bond and Ursula Andress in her Golden Globe-winning role as Honey Ryder, were filmed at James Bond Beach.

In the 1973 film, Live and Let Die, James Bond and his guide, Quarrel Jr., drive through Oracabessa and stop at the triangular intersection in the main square to ask for directions.{{cite web |url=http://www.mi6.co.uk/sections/articles/literary_007world_jamaica.php3?s=locations |title=Oracabessa in Live and Let Die movie |website=mi6.co.uk |access-date=23 April 2018 }}{{dead link|date=May 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}

UB40's hit song "Oracabessa Moonshine" was written about Oracabessa's stunning sunsets and clear moonlit skies.{{cite web |url=http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/pid/1033187/a/Guns+In+The+Ghetto.htm |title=Ub 40 - Guns in the Ghetto CD |work=cduniverse.com |access-date=26 September 2010 |archive-date=10 June 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110610140208/http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/pid/1033187/a/Guns+In+The+Ghetto.htm |url-status=live }}

Interior and exterior scenes for the 1989 film, The Mighty Quinn, starring Denzel Washington, were filmed at Golden Clouds villa in Oracabessa."Franklin J. Schaffner (Scarecrow Filmmakers Series) (1995) Scarecrow Publishing P. 277 {{ISBN|978-0-8108-1799-9 }}

Sting wrote the song "Every Breath You Take" while on holiday in Oracabessa.{{cite web |url=http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=548 |title=Every Breath You Take by The Police Songfacts |work=songfacts.com |access-date=26 September 2010 |archive-date=14 June 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110614004735/http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=548 |url-status=live }}{{cite web |url=http://www.sting.com/discog/?v=si&a=2&id=155 |title=Sting.com |access-date=26 September 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110515122409/http://www.sting.com/discog/?v=si&a=2&id=155 |archive-date=15 May 2011 |url-status=dead }}

Oracabessa is also briefly mentioned in Dave's chart-topper Sprinter.

{{portal|Jamaica}}

• List of ships named Oracabessa
• Otram River

{{Reflist}}

• {{Official|http://www.oracabessa.com }}
• [http://wikimapia.org/#lat=18.4032139&lon=-76.9465899&z=18&l=0&m=b Aerial view]

{{Settlements in Jamaica}}

Category:Populated places in Saint Mary Parish, Jamaica

Category:Tourist attractions in Saint Mary Parish, Jamaica

Category:Tourism in Jamaica