The remote community of John Hughes, which has less ties to the parish as a whole than to Swetes in Saint Paul, is one of the few settlements found inside the Sherkerley Mountains.

[citation needed] Saint Mary was created in August 1681, when Antigua was divided into five parishes.

The majority of the parish's agricultural lands, with the exception of the mountains, were formerly home to sugar mills.

Numerous historical relics from the parish can still be seen today, including the Yorke's[5] and Sawcolt's plantations.

The term "archaic age" refers to a time when agricultural practices and pottery production were not even possible due to a lack of technological advancements.

Similar tools have been discovered in South America, suggesting that the Jolly Beach people originated there.

As opposed to the later Tainos and Island Caribs who were spotted by the European missionaries and explorers, it is unknown the name of the tribe who resided there or the language they spoke.

Nestled in the lee of the Sherkerley Mountains, this lush coastal plain is shielded by a substantial barrier reef.

[11] Boggy Peak, formerly known as Mount Obama, is the highest point in both the parish and Antigua and Barbuda.

[16] South Antiguan Creole is native to the parish and the village of Swetes in Saint Paul.