Born in a Methodist Sunday School and an AME Church: Bermuda Schools With Church Roots Face Closure

• Bermuda proposed closing several primary schools under education reform in 2021
• St George’s Preparatory began in 1876 in a Methodist Sunday school room
• St David’s Primary began in 1893 in a wooden building owned by St Luke’s AME Church
• Elliot Primary’s later site was on land bequeathed in 1653 for education

When Bermuda’s government proposed closing primary schools as part of education reform in 2021, the Royal Gazette published the histories of nine of them. Several began in church buildings or on land set aside for public good centuries ago.

St George’s Preparatory School opened on January 10, 1876, with one room in the former Sunday school of Ebenezer Methodist Church. Its first trustees were Albert Inglis, R.L. Brown, George Spurling and George Boyle. It was recognised by the Board of Education in 1880, closed between 1885 and 1910, and moved to its current site in 1923, built through community effort. “The children are primarily from the St. George’s area and there are many deep ties to the community,” said principal Gail Smith.

St David’s Primary School began in 1893 as a one-room wooden building belonging to St Luke’s AME Church. It is recognised as Bermuda’s oldest integrated school and moved to its current campus in 1949. Principal Gladstone Thompson called it “a community school in the truest sense.”

Elliot Primary School opened in 1848 with support from the Society for the Promotion of Christian Knowledge, and church catechism was on its early timetable. In 1951, the government acquired five acres on Hermitage Road, land that had been part of the Devonshire College estates bequeathed in 1653 for educational purposes.

In Jamaica, too, many primary schools began in church halls or on church land, and churches still own a number of school sites. When schools close or merge, questions follow about what happens to those buildings and who controls them. Churches, past students and diaspora associations who value these schools should know the history of the land, whether it was given, leased or bought, before decisions are made about its future.

Follow Jamaica Homes on Youtube @jamaicahomes and Instagram @jamaica_homes and on Facebook @jamaicahomesnews Send us a message or email us at onlinefeedback@jamaica-homes.com or editor@jamaica-homes.com