St Elizabeth’s first female custos to demit office; expresses pride in service, justice expansion

WESTERN BUREAU:

Beryl H. Rochester, the first woman to serve as custos rotulorum for St Elizabeth, is preparing to demit office after nearly 12 years of service, bringing to a close a historic tenure marked by expanded access to justice, strong community engagement, and increased public awareness of the role of the custos.

Rochester, who will retire upon attaining the mandatory retirement age of 75, was appointed custos in 2014, succeeding retired Custos Wilfred Nembhard, and will turn 75 on January 10, one month shy of her 12th anniversary in office.

Reflecting on her appointment and installation, Rochester said the moments carried significant weight.

“When first installed, I felt a great sense of responsibility to all the citizens firstly, and then to the female population,” she said. “Much as I felt when first promoted as the first female manager of Alumina Partners of Jamaica, which was a male-dominated workforce.”

As the first woman to hold the office in the largely rural parish, Rochester said her appointment sent an important message.

“I believe it signalled hope for their future and that they can climb as high as they want to,” she said, referring to women and girls across St Elizabeth.

Asked whether her tenure helped to shift perceptions about women in senior ceremonial and leadership roles in Jamaica, Rochester simply responded, “Yes.”

Rochester pointed to institutional strengthening and public education as the defining achievements of her tenure, particularly in relation to justices of the peace (JPs).

“Awareness of the office of the custos and the roles and functions” was among her most significant accomplishments, she said.

She said, during her tenure, “I was able to grow the population of justices of the peace from 150 to 545, as well as establish the Justice of the Peace Association for all justices.”

AIM

Those efforts, she said, were aimed at making justice services more accessible to citizens, especially in outlying communities.

Despite the stature of the role, Rochester in a Gleaner interview acknowledged that the office of custos comes without remuneration and carries practical challenges.

“Since the office is unpaid, financing of travelling and motor vehicle upkeep was a challenge,” she said. However, she credited collaboration for helping her to overcome those constraints.

“I collaborated with the business community and others and was able to overcome,” Rochester said.

Throughout her tenure, Rochester said she maintained strong working relationships with local government and community stakeholders.

“Extremely good – even with three different mayors,” she said in assessing the relationship between the custos’ office and the St Elizabeth Municipal Corporation. “Community stakeholders were very cooperative.”

She added that the office became more visible and engaged under her leadership.

“The office became more known to everyone, and we were able to collaborate with citizens in self-help projects,” Rochester said.

Rochester acknowledged that being the first woman to hold the office presented unique challenges.

“I managed this aspect mainly with the help and mentorship of other female custodes in other parishes,” she said.

Addressing the relevance of the custos’ office in modern Jamaica, particularly to younger citizens, Rochester pointed to sustained outreach efforts.

“The Ministry of Justice has held many sensitisation sessions with justices of the peace and citizens through town hall meetings and church services in almost all communities,” she said.

She noted that public misunderstanding had been an issue early on.

“I think they misunderstand how reachable the office is,” Rochester said, adding that, through outreach, “we have overcome”.

As she prepares to demit office, Rochester said her advice to her successor is grounded in community connection.

“Stay close to the citizens across the parish,” she said, acknowledging that there is more work to be done.

Rochester’s retirement will close a significant chapter in St Elizabeth’s civic life, one defined not only by a historic first, but by deliberate efforts to strengthen justice, accessibility, and public trust across the parish

albert.ferguson@gleanerjm.com.