St. Anthony [Montserrat] St. Vincent

Early view of Jamestown, St. Helena showing the landing place and the chapel.

The Portuguese discoverers of St Helena built a chapel near their landing place in what is now Jamestown, thus giving the valley its original name ‘Chappell Valley or Church Valley’. In 1657 Oliver Cromwell granted a new charter to the English East India Company which gave the Company the right to fortify and colonize any of its establishments. Because of the strategic importance of Saint Helena as a fortress and staging post on the way home from India, the Company claimed the island on 5 May 1659. The building of the fort was commenced immediately and a little town sprang up in the valley with the chapel and was subsequently named Jamestown, after James, Duke of York. 

The valley, now generally known as James Valley, was called either Saint James Valley or Chapel Valley, after the chapel which was a prominent building as viewed from the bay.