FALMOUTH, Trelawny – FIFTY-TWO-YEAR-OLD farmer Paul Muschett has been appointed the new custos of Trelawny.

Muschett replaces Royland Barrett, the former custos of the parish, who died in the Kingston Public Hospital last Friday at the age of 71.

Muschett’s appointment was announced on Monday by acting custos of the parish Evelyn Dyer Spence during the swearing-in ceremony for 38 new Justices of the Peace at the Falmouth court house.

The announcement came within weeks of a lobby by Trelawny residents to convince Prime Minister Bruce Golding to recommend banker Winston Tomlinson as the parish’s next custos. Tomlinson was not among the 38 sworn in on Monday.

It is still not clear however when Muschett’s appointment will take effect.

Muschett, who was educated at the Decarteret College in Mandeville and Bloxham public school in Oxfordshire, England, holds business and industrial engineering degrees from Carlton University and Algonquin College in Canada, respectively.

He has been married for the past 15 years — a union that has produced two girls.

The custos designate, who also sits on the boards of RADA — Trelawny and the National Irrigation Commission, had told the Observer West in a recent interview that if he was appointed he would continue to promote of volunteerism in the same vein as outgoing custos Royland Barrett.

“It would be an honour to serve my parish in that capacity. I think that the JPs need to play a greater role in their communities with conflict resolution, which was what their mandate was in the old days,” he said. Other JPs who were sworn in alongside Muschett included Falmouth mayor, Colin Gager; former deputy mayor of Falmouth, Councillor Fitz Christie; Councillor for the Falmouth division Garth Wilkinson; hotelier Richard Bourke as well as several school administrators, health workers and members of the legal fraternity.

Acting Trelawny Custos Evelyn Dyer Spence charged the new JPs to be the vanguard of the people.

“You must take the office very seriously and realise that you are leaders in your respective communities, so you must be careful how you use your power,” she said.