Saint William Grant Park

The Park was named in honour of the 1938 Labour leader, St (Sergeant) William Grant (1894-1977), was an associate of the Rt. Excellent Sir Alexander Bustamante (1884-1977), National Hero and former Prime Minister.  The Park was previously known as Victoria Park in honour of Queen Victoria (1819-1901), but in 1977 it was renamed after William Grant for his role in Jamaica’s Labour movement. Grant was a follower of Marcus Garvey and joined forces with Alexander Bustamante in championing workers’ rights. In 1938, both he and Bustamante were arrested for fomenting upheavals among the early trade unions. In the early 1940s, Grant broke with Bustamante’s Industrial Trade Union and drifted into poverty and obscurity. Nevertheless, he was given the Honour of Distinction in 1974 for his contribution to the Labour movement, which paved the way for Jamaica’s independence.  Three years later Grant died. 

In the Park are several monuments, the principal one being that of Queen Victoria. To the north of the Park is the statue of National Hero, Rt. Excellent Norman Manley (1883-1969) and to the south is the statue of the Rt. Excellent Sir Alexander Bustamante.