English Puritans (1689-1820)
In the late 17th century, English traders and farmers known as Puritans settled in Stann Creek Town (now Dangriga) and surrounding communities like Placencia. They were members of a strict Protestant sect and fled religious persecution. The first settlers were from the Providencia Island, Colombia. Providencia Island is very near to the coast of Nicaragua. In 1689 Spain took control of the island which led the Puritans to settle in other English settlements like Belize and Jamaica. To this day the inhabitants of Providencia Island mostly speak English or San Andrés–Providencia Creole, an English-based creole similar to Belize Kriol, rather than Spanish.
The name Stann Creek was derived from the Puritans who settled the mouth of the North Stann Creek River who called trading posts where ships anchored as "stands", which over time was corrupted to "stann". These Puritans traded on the coast but also hunted inland in areas like the Stann Creek Valley. The North Stann Creek is very shallow and its bed is sandy for many miles inland. Some old maps show the river being called "Sand Creek".
In 1740 more Puritans came from Nova Scotia in Canada. They settled along the coast of Stann Creek but mostly on the remote peninsula of Placencia which the ancient Maya had used as a fishing camp. The tropical heat and diseases from the nearby swamps was too much for them and they abandoned the settlement in 1820.
The name Stann Creek was derived from the Puritans who settled the mouth of the North Stann Creek River who called trading posts where ships anchored as "stands", which over time was corrupted to "stann". These Puritans traded on the coast but also hunted inland in areas like the Stann Creek Valley. The North Stann Creek is very shallow and its bed is sandy for many miles inland. Some old maps show the river being called "Sand Creek".
In 1740 more Puritans came from Nova Scotia in Canada. They settled along the coast of Stann Creek but mostly on the remote peninsula of Placencia which the ancient Maya had used as a fishing camp. The tropical heat and diseases from the nearby swamps was too much for them and they abandoned the settlement in 1820.