When the English conquered Jamaica in 1655 , they renamed the settlement as Spanish Town . Since the town was badly damaged during the conquest , Port Royal took on many administrative roles and functioned as an unofficial capital during the beginning of English rule . By the time Port Royal was devastated by an earthquake in 1692 , Spanish Town had been rebuilt and was again functioning as the capital . Spanish Town remained the capital until 1872 , when the seat of the colony was moved to Kingston
earthquake in 1692
1692 Jamaica earthquake
Spanish Town