The History of Montserrat

Historical Waterworks Estate.  Est 1668 (16.739541, -62.211019)

The history of Montserrat begins long before European arrival, when the island was inhabited by the Arawak and later the Carib peoples, who called it Alliouagana, or “Land of the Prickly Bush.” Christopher Columbus sighted the island in 1493 during his second voyage and named it Santa María de Montserrat after a monastery in Spain, though he never made landfall. For over a century after this sighting, the island remained under indigenous control until 1632, when it was settled by Irish Catholics. These settlers, many of whom were indentured servants or exiles sent away from neighboring St. Kitts, established a unique culture on Montserrat.  Between the history and the lushness of the island that was reminiscent of Ireland,  Montserrat earned the nickname “The Emerald Isle of the Caribbean.”

By the mid-17th century, the island’s economy had transitioned to plantation agriculture, relying heavily on the forced labor of enslaved Africans to cultivate sugar, tobacco, and cotton. This era was marked by the struggle for freedom, most notably the failed slave rebellion planned for St. Patrick’s Day in 1768. Today, Montserrat remains the only country outside of Ireland where St. Patrick’s Day is a public holiday, commemorated largely to honor this uprising.

Following decades of territorial disputes between Britain and France, the Treaty of Paris in 1783 secured the island as a British colony. When slavery was abolished in 1834, the economy shifted toward the cultivation of limes and Sea Island cotton, leading to a quieter period in the island’s history.  Today there is still a visible history of these territorial disputes left behind in the form of defensive fortifications, such as the Carr’s Bay gun battery.

Carr’s Bay Artillery Battery with Redonda and Nevis in distance (16.796336, -62.209289)
Air Studios sign from the former Hilltop Coffee House (16.776230, -62.210177)

In the late 20th century, Montserrat reinvented itself as a glamourous destination for the global elite, particularly after Beatles producer George Martin opened Air Studios in 1979, attracting rock legends to record in paradise. Memorabilia from the former Air Studio days can be viewed at the and Air Studios Tribute inside the Hilltop Coffee House in Forgathy’s Hill. However, this golden era was cut short by natural disasters.

After Hurricane Hugo devastated the island in 1989, the Soufrière Hills volcano, which had been dormant for centuries, erupted in 1995. The eruption buried the capital city of Plymouth in ash and volcanic rock, rendering the southern two-thirds of the island uninhabitable and forcing two-thirds of the population to flee. Today, as a British Overseas Territory, Montserrat is rebuilding its community in the safe northern zone and developing a new capital at Little Bay, while the buried city of Plymouth stands as a “modern Pompeii” and a testament to the island’s resilience.

Many businesses got their start in Montserrat, including LIAT (Leeward Islands Air Transport), which was  was founded at the Olveston House where it operated out of a small landings strip on the plantations property.  After damaging an aircraft on the rough runway during takeoff in 1956, the airline relocated to a new airport on the east coast.  The new airstrip, Blackburne Airport, was buried in the 1997 eruption of Soufriere Hills.  The replacement to Blackburne Airport, which didn’t open until 2005, was Gerald’s Airport, and was later renamed after the Chief Minister of the island, John A Osborne.  LIAT later dissolved in 2024 but was re-branded as LIAT Air and reopened as a partnership between the Antigua and Barbuda government and Nigerian airline Air Peace.

Major Events in Montserrat’s History

  • 2880 BCE

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    First humans

    The earliest humans on Montserrat date back to the 2880 BC with the first settlement being around 500 BC

  • 500 BCE

    First settlement

    The first settlement in Trants by the Amerindians

  • 1300 CE

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    Trade route establshed

    Artifacts show the Amerindians were involved in trading throughout the Windard Islands

  • 1493

    Island named by Christopher Columbus

    Christopher Columbus spotted the island during his second voyage and named it after the mountainous region in Spain without setting foot on the island.

  • 1632

    First English settlement

    The English established its first settlement near Old Road Bay

  • 1636

    First established church

    St Antony’s Church in Plymouth established

  • 1660

    Sugar cultivation begins

    The sugar cultivation by enslaved African laborers was introduced

  • 1667

    Attacked by the French & Caribs

    The French, after a failed attack in February, recruit the assistance of the Carib’s and attack again taking control of the island

  • 1678

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    First census recorded

    78% of the island shown to be of Irish decent.

  • 1712

    French invade Montserrat

    On July 7th, after a failed attack on Antigua, the French Royal Navy attacked Montserrat.

  • 1768

    St Patrick’s Day uprising

    on March 17th, with an enslaved population of over 10,000, a slave revolt was thwarted in its planning stages

  • 1782

    French occupation

    The French force Montserrat to surrender as they conquer the majority of the West Indies.

  • 1783

    Treaty of Paris

    Signed on September 3rd, the Treaty of Paris returns Montserrat to the British.

  • 1784

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    French leave Montserrat

    The last French force withdrawals from Montserrat returning control to appointed Governor Michael White

  • 1834

    Emancipation of slaves

    As part of the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833, slaves were emancipated but entered a system of apprenticeship in Montserrat

  • 1838

    Full emancipation of slaves on Montserrat

    Apprenticeship officially ended in Montserrat and slaves were fully emancipated

  • 1843

    Devastating earthquake

    An earthquake in February sends Montserrat into a depression and period of impoverishment

  • 1850

    Citrus lime industry

    The Sturge family began the Montserrat Company LTD and the citrus lime industry flourished

  • 1899

    Major Hurricane

    A major hurricane devastates the islands citrus lime crops and the Sturge family estate.

  • 1979

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    AirStudios opens

    Sir George Martin opens AirStudios

  • 1989

    Hurricane Hugo

    Hurricane Hugo damages 90% of the buildings on Montserrat and kills 10.

  • 1995

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    The Soufriere Hills Volcano Erupts

    On July 18th, the Soufriere Hills volcano erupts devastating half of the island.  No one died.

  • 1997

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    Dome collapse

    On June 25, 1997 when the dome collapsed generating a large pyroclastic flow, 19 people that had returned to the evacuation zone lost their lives.

  • Present Day

    Volcano Activity

    The Soufriere Hills volcano remains at a hazard level 1, meaning no surface activity has been detected for an extended period of time

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Dates and events are courtesy of Brown University’s “Montserrat’s Archaeology and History: Important Dates and Sites”, William Innanen’s “A Condensed History of Montserrat” and Marion Wheeler’s “Monsterrat West Indies”.