| 1660 |
English under Colonel Tyson discover Lluidas Vale. |
| 1665 |
First patents for land in Lluidas Vale, to Richard Garland and John Eaton. |
| 1670 |
Francis Price's patent for 840 acres "Wood Land" at Worthy Park, filed on November 28. |
| 1680 |
Worthy Park "Great House", with six rooms, built (it fell down c. 1895). |
| 1710 |
First sugar grown in Lluidas Vale, on Thetford. Worthy Park was producing about 250 hogsheads a year from 200 acres by 1730. |
| 1740 (Dec) |
Improved road into Lluidas Vale from Old Harbour and Guanaboa Vale authorized by Jamaican Assembly. |
| 1741 |
First record of rum production 3,000 gallons produced. |
| 1752 (Oct.) |
Aqueduct from Murmuring Brook to Worthy Park authorized by special Act of Assembly steered through by Speaker Charles Price. |
| 1783 |
Beginning of continuous estate records, ordered from Cornwall by absentee proprietor John Price of Penzance. |
| 1791-5 |
Resident management of young Rose Price. Great improvements in
production and efficiency, including "New Road" to Ewarton and Port Henderson.
|
| 1812 |
Peak of production of original estate: 705 Hogsheads sugar, 350 puncheons rum, worth £20,000. |
| 1838 |
"Full Freedom" for Worthy Park's 400 slaves. Sugar production down to 140 hogsheads by 1840. |
| 1843-8 |
George Price's vain attempt to save Worthy Park by mechanization. |
| 1845-1917 |
Intermittent importation of indentured labourers from India helps to solve Worthy Park's perennial labour shortage. |
| 1863 (June) |
Sale of Worthy Park by Encumbered Estates Commission to Earl of Shrewsbury and Talbot, for £8,550. This ended the Price era. |
| 1874 |
Area doubled by purchase of Swansea for £640. |
| 1875-84 |
Building of Public Market, Post Office, Police Station and Anglican Church at Lluidas Vale on land donated by Worthy Park. |
| 1875-84 |
Building of Public Market, Post Office, Police Station and Anglican Church at Lluidas Vale on land donated by Worthy Park. |
| 1881 |
Area raised to 10,000 acres by purchase of Thetford for £1,300. |
| 1899 (July) |
Worthy Park purchased for £8,200 by J. B. Calder, who raises cattle population to 800 and introduces cocoa and bananas. |
| 1918 (Aug.) |
Frederick L. Clarke of Westmoreland buys Worthy Park for £44,000. |
| 1920 |
World sugar price, £25 in 1919 (and 1921), reaches £108 per ton. Ancient waterwheel retired and factory modernization begun. |
| 1930 |
Plummeting sugar price reaches £4.15.0 c.i.f. London. Establishment of Sugar Manufacturers Association, in which Frederick Clarke closely involved. |
| 1932 (Aug.) |
Death of Frederick Clarke. Clement K. Clarke Manager, 1932-64 |
| 1941 |
Formation of All Island Cane Farmers' Association and beginning of large purchases of farmers' canes by Worthy Park (50% by 1958). |
| 1949 |
Worthy Park organized as limited liability company. Large-scale citrus growing started. Playing field and pavilion provided for workers. |
| 1951 |
First Commonwealth Sugar Agreement. Clinic set up at Worthy Park as on 15 other estates. |
| 1955 |
Purchase of Tydixon. |
| 1962 |
Sugar shipments, made from St. Ann's Bay since 1952, switched to Ocho Rios. Beginning of field mechanization with loading operations. |
| 1963 |
Peter McConnell joins the Company as an accounting clerk. |
| 1968 |
Worthy Park donates 278 acres to Government for low-cost housing development in Dodd's Valley. |
| 1970 |
Record cane production: Estate, 55,261 - Farmers, 99542. Total 154,803 tons. Celebration of Worthy Park's Tercentenary on November 28 and publication. The History of Worthy Park, 1670-1970. |
| 1970 |
Robert Clarke joins the Company as an agronomist. |
| 1970 |
Cattle Head count stands at 1422 |
| 1975 |
George Clarke retires. Production is at 124,245 tons cane crushed and 15,894 tons sugar made. |
| 1977 |
Smut and Rust diseases attack the sugar cane. It spreads to Jamaica from Guyana, Trinidad, and Martinique. |
| 1986 |
A decision is taken to use pasture land for citrus eventually reaching 900 acres. |
| 1987 |
Company offices are destroyed by fire and valuable documents are lost. |
| 1988 |
Hurricane Gilbert passes over Worthy Park. The damage is substantial. Production of sugar falls to 16,213 tonnes down from 21,191 tonnes the previous year. |
| 1993 |
Record Cane Ground by the Sugar Factory reaches 241,301 tonnes. |
| 1994 |
Tristeza Virus attacks Citrus as well as market prices being very low. |
| 1996 |
A decision is taken to put all available land into cane production, including the 900 acres of citrus. |
| 2000 |
Record sugar produced reaches 25,188 tonnes. |
| 2004 |
A decision is made to build a Distillery and reenter the Rum Market. |
| 2005 |
Rum production commences on June 17, 2005. |
| 2005 |
Worthy Park is 335 years old as of November 28, 2005. |
HERITAGE
