Leaders of Jamaica’s centuries old Accompong Maroon community in the parish of St. Elizabeth recently moved on to resolve a brewing land dispute in the neighbouring village of Quick Step.

The dispute is reportedly between maroons residing in Quick Step who use land in the area for farming and Aubrey Taylor who claims to own the land via his grandfather.

Colonel Ferron Williams and members of  his Accompong Maroon executive made the journey across to Quick Step in a bid to settle the matter amicably.

The maroons say the land was given to them by the British as part of a settlement at the end of the 18th century Maroon Wars.

The maroons say they received the land in 1738 and the boundary was shown to them in 1740.

They explained that Mr. Taylor’s grandfather was employed by the maroons to cut lumber for use by the Jamaica Railway Corporation (JRC).

The payment received from the JRC was reportedly to be shared between Mr. Taylor and the maroons However the maroons say they did not take the payment.

Instead they asked him to use the funds to make a road through the forest on their behalf.

His grandson Aubrey Taylor reportedly began making claims on the land in 1994.

In 2003 then colonel of the Accompong Town Maroon, Sydney Peddie, gave the community of Quick Step permission in writing to use the land.

The matter went to court.

The court reportedly told Mr. Taylor the land belonged to the maroons.

Deputy colonel of the Accompong maroons Meridie Rowe  says Mr. Taylor has still not adhered and has reportedly been trying to remove the farmers placed on the land by the maroons.

The Accompong Maroons in St Elizabeth recently opened an attraction to reignite interest in the historic village and generate much-needed revenue.

The project was financed by the Forest Conservation Fund (FCF) at a cost of more than J$5 million and resulted in the revitalisation of a seven-mile trail from Accompong to Quick Step on the border with Trelawny.

The trail was reportedly used by the maroons during the 80-plus years of war with the British.