Former MP to be honoured in West St Mary
KINGSTON, October 10, 2026 (JIS):
Members of the House of Representatives recently paid glowing tribute to late former parliamentarian, Hyacinth Knight, and observed a moment of silence in honour of her dedicated service to her community and country.
She died Wednesday, September 9. She was 86.
Ms. Knight served in the House of Representatives from 1983 to 1989 as Member of Parliament for St. Mary Western. Prior to entering Parliament, she served as Deputy Mayor of Port Maria in 1981 and later as Mayor from 1982 to 1983.
In 2011, she was recognised by the Government of Jamaica for her philanthropy and community service and was conferred with the Order of Distinction in the rank of Commander (CD).
Speaker of the House of Representatives Juliet Holness said Ms.
Knight embodied the principle of service above self. “Her commitment to the people of St. Mary was reflected in her involvement in education, community development, and philosophy. Her legacy of service has left an indelible mark on St. Mary and on the country, and will inspire generations to come,” Mrs Holness said.
(Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness giving tribute to Ms Knight)
In his tribute, Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness expressed gratitude for Ms. Knight’s dedicated service, describing her as a lady of great honour and dignity. “Hyacinth Knight opened her house to me during various campaigns, and I can attest that [she] was the mother for all…She was a strong and loyal supporter… but she spoke truth to power as she saw it.”
Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Infrastructure Development with Responsibility for Land Titling and Settlements, and sitting St Mary Western MP Robert Montague, described Ms. Knight as a kind and caring soul. He said her lifelong motto was that she came to serve, not to be served.
“Ms. Knight was never too big to serve her fellow Jamaicans. She did so in the classroom. She did so on the political hustings, and she did so in church,” Montague said.
Mr Montague announced that a scholarship would be established in her honour to support a student attending Shortwood Teachers’ College in St. Andrew, where Ms. Knight studied.
“The Government will be moving apace to rename the Fellowship Hall Square…the Hyacinth May Knight Square,” he said.
In honouring her memory, Leader of the Opposition, Mark Golding, said that although he did not know Ms. Knight personally, she was a role model and pioneer.
Meanwhile, Member of Parliament for St. Mary Central, Omar Newell, stated that
Ms. Knight’s contributions deserved the respect of both the House and the nation.
