Blanchisseuse (pronounced, in the local English dialect, "blan-chee-shears") is a village in

Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago (, ), officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean. Consisting of the main islands Trinidad and Tobago, and numerous much smaller islands, it is situated south of ...

. It is located about midway along the north coast of

Trinidad Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands of Trinidad and Tobago. The island lies off the northeastern coast of Venezuela and sits on the continental shelf of South America. It is often referred to as the southernmos ...

on the northern slope of the Northern Range, about 24 km north of

Arima Arima, officially The Royal Chartered Borough of Arima is the easternmost and second largest in area of the three boroughs of Trinidad and Tobago. It is geographically adjacent to Sangre Grande and Arouca at the south central foothills of ...

. The village was settled by the

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

following the '' Cedula of Population'' in 1783. When Captain Frederick Mallet was charting and surveying the island of Trinidad following its capitulation to the British in 1797, he was told that the village had no name. Observing the women washing clothes in the river, he simply wrote on his survey chart: "Ladies River". Later, the settlers called the place after the

washerwomen A washerwoman or laundress is a woman who takes in laundry. Both terms are now old-fashioned; equivalent work nowadays is done by a laundry worker in large commercial premises, or a laundrette (laundromat) attendant. Description As evidenced ...

the surveyor had seen, ''blanchisseuse'' being the

for "washerwoman". The difficult terrain meant there was little development or expansion, and no roads. The settlement was a clearing with thick forests and

mountains A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually higher th ...

behind and the sea in front. The village is accessible from

Port of Spain Port of Spain ( Spanish: ''Puerto España''), officially the City of Port of Spain (also stylized Port-of-Spain), is the capital of Trinidad and Tobago and the third largest municipality, after Chaguanas and San Fernando. The city has a muni ...

via the North Coast Road or through the Blanchisseuse Road via

through the northern Range. Blanchisseuse is located much further than Maracas Beach and Las Cuevas but it still remains a popular beach.

References

* {{Coord, 10, 47, N, 61, 18, W, region:TT_type:city, display=title Villages in Trinidad and Tobago Beaches of Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad (island)