Mannings' School Celebrates 275 years

Mannings School, Westmoreland

The Mannings School in Savanna-la-mar will for the entire year of 2013, is celebrating its 275th year anniversary, making it the 2nd oldest high school in Jamaica.

It was the first to be established in Jamiaca by the way of the will of Thomas Manning, an English plantation owner in 1710. However, the actual construction was not done until 1738, 100 years before Jamaica received full emancipation from slavery.

The school was built solely for white boys, for whom it started with 14 such boys and a teacher, but as time passed the school evolved into one of the finest educational institutions in the Caribbean.

"We can't say what Manning would make of today's world, but in 1820 when Samuel Fiddler became headmaster, he (Manning) would have supported some of the things he (Fiddler) did", High Commissioner at the British High Commission, at the launch of the year of activities.

"Had he been living in 1830 he (Manning) would have approved the widening of the school's intake to girls, and he would also welcome the acceptance of students from other parishes," she further stated.

"I would like to agree that he would also accept people from poorer economic background, and he would definitely embrace the achievement and standard of the school today, for which he would be immensely proud of the students and teachers”.

275 years in any regard is considered to be a long time, and the Board of Directors at Mannings' school along with the hand-picked committee, are bent on ensuring that the year does not slip by, but rather that it be celebrated in a way that highlights achievements, while recognizing those who have contributed substantially to the school's success.

The activities are being done under the theme "Celebrating the past, appreciating the present and charting the future," through the patronage of the Custos Rotolorum for Westmoreland, the Very Reverend Canon the Honorable Hartley D. Perrin, who himself is an alumnus.

At the media launch, Osmond Clarke who sits in two chairs, that of Board Chairman, and co chairman of the 275th anniversary committee, outlined the activities for the year, of which some of the activities will be in Kingston, where an active arm of the past students association resides.

Source: Western Mirror.

Editor's Note
See also: Mannings School and Miltonia Thompson Shines for Mannings and Jamaica

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