Manchester High School, Jamaica

Secondary school in Mandeville, Jamaica

Manchester High School is a coeducational secondary school located at 4 Perth Road in the town of Mandeville, Jamaica.

History

Manchester High School was established for the purpose of providing "a good middle class education" to boys and girls.^[1] Since portions of the current parish of Manchester were a part of Vere, the funds from the Vere Trust, a result of charitable donations from several individuals, were used in 1855 to establish several institutions.

Manchester Middle Grade and Elementary schools had separate sections for boys and girls and were conducted on premises adjacent to St. Mark's Anglican Church (Mandeville Parish Church) beginning April 20, 1861. Prior to this, the school was located in the lower storey of the Mandeville Court House, then on the premises of a private citizen.^[2] In 1952, the current site of the institution on Perth Road was acquired from the Anglican Church after the primary and middle schools moved to the campus currently known as Mandeville Primary and Junior High School and the school was officially opened in 1953.^[3]

Principals

• Matthew Forbes "M.F." Johns (1883 - 1927)
• Sir Phillip Sherlock (1927 - 1929)^[4]
• Clarence Webb-Harris (1929 - 1943)
• Lewis Davidson (acting 1943)
• P. J. Eyre (1944 - 1945)
• John "J.C." Sleggs (1946 - 1959)
• Raymond "Gerry" German (1960 - 1966)^[5]
• Herbert Neita (acting 1966 - 1968)
• Ferdinand Gunter (1968 - 1981)
• Caswell Burton (1982 - 1991)^[6]
• Branford Gayle (1992 - 2004)^[7]
• Jasford Gabriel (2006 - 2023)

Accomplishments

Rhodes Scholars

• Chevano Baker (2019)

Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA) Boys and Girls Championships

Girls' Championships

• 1961
• 1994
• 1995^[8]

Headley Cup

• 2013
• 2019^[9]
• 2024^[10]

TVJ's All Together Sing

• 2012
• 2015^[11]
• 2022

Schools Challenge Quiz

• 1976
• 1982^[12]

ISSA Basketball

• 2014 Boys' Under-14 Central Championship
• 2014 Boys' Under-14 All-Island Championship
• 2022 Boys' Under-19 Central Championship

Notable alumni

Politics and law

• Christopher Tufton, Member of Parliament for Saint Catherine West Central (Jamaica Parliament constituency), Minister of Health and Wellness
• Nicole Foster-Pusey, Court of Appeal Judge in the Judiciary of Jamaica
• Jewel Scott, Superior Court Judge in Clayton County, Georgia
• Alison Smith, first black female president of the Broward County Bar Association

Arts and culture

• Sheryl Lee Ralph, Jamaican-American actress, singer, author and activist
• Anton Phillips, Jamaican-born British actor
• Lila Iké, Reggae singer and songwriter
• Luciano, Roots Reggae singer and songwriter
• Nigel Staff, Songwriter, producer and composer

Sports

• Lorraine Fenton, sprinter, 400m national record holder and Olympic silver medallist ^[13]
• Sherone Simpson, sprinter, 4 × 100m relay Olympic champion
• Nesta Carter, sprinter, 4 × 100m relay Olympic champion
• Omar McLeod, hurdler, 110m hurdles national record holder and Olympic champion
• Elaine Thompson Herah, sprinter, 100m, 200m Olympic champion
• Natoya Goule, middle-distance runner, 800m national record holder and Olympian
• Sheri-Ann Brooks, sprinter, Commonwealth Games champion, Olympian
• Chanice Porter, long jump athlete and Olympian
• Jason Johnson, Major League Soccer and member of the Reggae Boyz
• Colin Heron, first-class cricket player

Medicine

• Carl Bruce, Neurosurgeon and Medical Chief of Staff at the University Hospital of the West Indies

Business

• Brian Paisley, President of the Advertising Agencies Association of Jamaica (AAAJ)
• Keith Duncan, Chief Executive of Jamaica Money Market Brokers, Former President of the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica ^[14]
• Donna Duncan-Scott, Executive Director of Culture and Human Development at Jamaica Money Market Brokers

References

1. Service., Jamaica. Information. The Handbook of Jamaica for ... : comprising historical, statistical and general information concerning the island compiled from official and other reliable records. Govt. Print. Establishment. pp. 329–331. OCLC 1038162257.
2. "Jamaica National Heritage Trust - Jamaica - Mandeville Court House". www.jnht.com. Retrieved 2021-06-17.
3. "Manchester High - Television Jamaica (TVJ)". www.televisionjamaica.com. Retrieved 2021-06-17.
4. "PHILIP SHERLOCK - man for all seasons" (PDF). The Sunday Gleaner Magazine. 7 December 1996. Retrieved 14 July 2021.
5. "Obituary - Gerry German - 1928-2012". Tes. Retrieved 2021-06-17.
6. "Caswell Burton's divine call to teach". jamaica-gleaner.com. 2012-05-05. Retrieved 2021-06-17.
7. "Jamaica Observer Limited". Jamaica Observer. Retrieved 2021-06-18.
8. Jamaica, diG (2015-03-19). "Champs School Profile - Manchester High —". diG Jamaica. Retrieved 2021-06-17.
9. "Manchester end STETHS Headley Cup winning streak". jamaica-gleaner.com. 2019-03-23. Retrieved 2021-06-18.
10. https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/2024/04/13/manchester-high-ecstacy-headley-cup-triumph/
11. "Manchester High - Television Jamaica (TVJ)". www.televisionjamaica.com. Retrieved 2021-06-17.
12. TVJ. "Past Winners". Television Jamaica (TVJ). Retrieved 2021-06-18.
13. "Gregory & Lorraine - 2 medals in 15 minutes in Sydney". 25 September 2020. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
14. "Manchester High alumni launch $100-m endowment trust fund". Jamaica Observer. 2023-04-01. Archived from the original on 2023-04-01. Retrieved 2024-01-15.

External links

• Official website