St. James is a suburban parish, located on the north-west end of the island of
Jamaica. Its
capital is
Montego Bay (derived from the Spanish word
manteca (lard) because many wild hogs were found there, from which lard was made). Montego Bay was officially named the second
city of Jamaica, behind
Kingston, in 1981, although Montego Bay became a city in 1980 through an act of the Jamaican Parliament. The parish is the birthplace of the Right Excellent
Samuel Sharpe (died 1833), one of Jamaica's seven National Heroes.