The Wolmer’s Trust · Kingston, Jamaica

History

Age Quod Agis

1729John Wolmer’s will · 21 May

1736The Trust is established

23Rhodes Scholars · Gleaner, 2015

2019Wolmer’s Day proclaimed

The oldest high school in the English-speaking Caribbean

On 21 May 1729 John Wolmer, a Kingston goldsmith, left £2,360 for a free school. The 1736 Act made no distinction of colour, class or creed, nor between boys and girls.

The three schools sit in Kingston: Wolmer’s Preparatory, Learning and Enrichment Centre; Wolmer’s Trust High School for Girls; and Wolmer’s Trust High School for Boys. The motto is Age Quod Agis.

Little is known of John Wolmer except that he was a goldsmith and had practised his craft in Kingston for more than twenty years. It is possible that he was originally from Switzerland or Germany. He was married at St Andrew Parish Church, Half Way Tree, to Mary Elizabeth Lombard; his wife died in 1717. He died in Kingston on 29 June 1729.

On 21 May 1729 he made his last will and testament, leaving the bulk of his estate — 2,360 pounds sterling — for the foundation of a free school in the parish of his death. After delays, amendments, and conferences between the House of Assembly and the Council, a law was passed and in 1736 the Wolmer’s Trust, which would manage the affairs of the school, was established.

The law which established the school made no distinction in respect of colour, class or creed, nor between boys and girls. In 1782 there were 64 boys and 15 girls on roll. The original school stood downtown at what is still known as Wolmer’s Yard, beside Kingston Parish Church. In 1896 the schools were separated and independent heads appointed. After the 1907 earthquake destroyed most of the buildings, the schools moved to their present site north of what is now National Heroes Park.

A section of Wolmer’s Boys’ School. National Library of Jamaica. — A section of Wolmer’s Boys’ School. National Library of Jamaica Digital Collection.

Marble sculpture commemorating John Wolmer’s gift of a free school. — Marble sculpture in Kingston Parish Church: Liberty holding a medallion of the school crest — the sun of Learning breaking through the clouds of Ignorance.

In 1941, at the instigation of Miss Skempton, then headmistress of Wolmer’s Trust High School for Girls, Wolmer’s Preparatory, Learning and Enrichment Centre was established to feed the girls’ school. It opened — in the area which now houses the canteen and art room — with six little girls.

Wolmer’s Day is 21 May — the date of John Wolmer’s will. The Governor-General, Sir Patrick Allen, proclaimed it at King’s House on 17 May 2019. Wolmer’s is the only Jamaican school so recognised.

The largest recorded early legacy after Wolmer’s own was Ellis Wolfe’s £1,000 in 1831. In 1998 Vernon A. Barrett, an Old Boy, endowed the Trust with $5 million for the three schools. Glasspole House is named for Sir Florizel Glasspole, former Governor-General and Old Boy, who chaired the 250th Anniversary committee and was instrumental in the joint sixth-form block, completed in 1984.

The Wolmer’s Trust owns all the lands housing the three schools, and is responsible for their maintenance and repair. The Gleaner in 2015 counted 23 Rhodes Scholars from the schools since 1904.

Crest, colours, and school song

The crest

A replica of the original school seal from the 1700s. The sun of Learning bursting through the cloud of Ignorance.

The colours

Maroon

Gold

Maroon and gold. The motto is Age Quod Agis — whatever you do, do it to the best of your ability.

Wolmer’s School Song

by Phyllis Khan

Our School We All Love Dearly,

We Think It Is The Best

Maroon And Gold Our Colours,

The Rising Sun Our Crest

Our Motto Means At All Times,

We Try To Do Our Best

At Home, At School, At Work, At Play

We Put It To The Test

Age Quod Agis,

On Maroon And Gold The Sun Won’t Set

Try To Do Your Best, Put It To The Test

Age, Age Quod Agis

To Those Who Love And Train Us,

We Owe A Special Debt

To Self We Owe It Also

High Moral Codes To Set

Our Emblem Sun Keeps Shining

And It Must Never Set

Our Hopes And Aspirations Placed As High

As They Can Get

Age Quod Agis,

On Maroon And Gold The Sun Won’t Set

Try To Do Your Best, Put It To The Test

Age, Age Quod Agis

Our Efforts Must Be Constant

In All Things Big And Small

The Rising Sun Our Target

Our Standards Must Not Fall

Our Motto Means A Great Deal,

It Is For One And All

The Home, The School, The Nation Hear

The Wolmer’s Clarion Call

Age Quod Agis,

On Maroon And Gold The Sun Won’t Set

Try To Do Your Best, Put It To The Test

Age, Age Quod Agis

From the archive

Wolmer’s Girls’ School. National Library of Jamaica.

Cenotaph dedicated to 21 Wolmerians who died in the First World War — Cenotaph to the 21 Wolmerians who died in the Great War. Unveiled 12 November 1924; moved 21–22 August 2014 for the auditorium.

Deborah Whittingham, Wolmer’s Girls’ head girl 1980–81, receiving awards from Mrs Mitzie Seaga. — Deborah Whittingham, 1980–81 head girl, receiving awards from Mrs Mitzie Seaga. Jamaica Information Service / NLJ.

Rosemarie Webster, Wolmer’s Girls graduate. — Rosemarie Webster, Wolmer’s Girls graduate; first Jamaican woman accountant at Royal Bank of Canada, Hagley Park. Daily News / NLJ.

Gleaner page, 13 November 1923: commemoration of a monument to Old Boys. — The Gleaner, 13 November 1923 — commemoration of a monument to Old Boys. Trust media library.

Cenotaph dedication inscription. — Cenotaph dedication. Trust library.

Names on the Wolmer’s cenotaph. — Names of the twenty-one Wolmerians recorded on the cenotaph.

Crest on the Wolmer’s cenotaph. — School crest on the cenotaph.

Wolmer’s Girls hockey side, undated print. — Girls’ hockey side. Undated print in the Trust library.

Proclamation of Wolmer’s Day, King’s House, 17 May 2019. Karla Small-Dwyer, Milton Samuda, Sir Patrick Allen, Lincoln McIntyre. Photo: Rudranath Fraser / JIS.

Chronology

1706

11 July — John Wolmer is married to Mary Elizabeth Lombard at Half Way Tree.

1729

21 May — he writes his will, leaving money for a free school in the parish of his death. He dies 29 June.

1736

An Act of the House of Assembly establishes the Trust. First trustees: John Gregory, William Nedham, George Ellis, and Rev. Dr May.

1742

The Trust buys six lots on Duke Street. First Foundation Scholars admitted; the school numbers 40 boys.

1755–57

Closed after the death of headmaster Michael Mill. Classes resume in rented quarters, probably at Parade.

1777

Set up at Church Street as Wolmer’s Academy. On 15 September the Trustees resolve that “none but children of white parents be admitted into this school of this corporation.”

1779

A female division is introduced under Miss Margaret Richardson.

1815

The limit on Jewish children is removed. Coloured children are also admitted.

1862

1 August — Rev. Robert Gordon is appointed the first Black headmaster.

1867

Ceases to be a grammar school; becomes an elementary school. Grammar status returns in 1894.

1895

Both schools open as secondary schools. Albert Dews heads Boys; Maud Barrows heads Girls.

1905

Wolmer’s Old Boys’ Association established. Old Girls’ Association follows on 20 April 1909.

1907–09

The Great Earthquake damages the schools. They relocate to the Quebec lands and occupy new buildings at Quebec Lodge in January 1909.

1937

Philip Sherlock introduces the house system at Boys: Crosse, Wolfe, Harrison, Patterson.

1939

Lewis Davidson introduces the khaki uniform.

1941

Prep is founded. The Parent-Teacher Association is inaugurated.

1991

Fire destroys the principal’s office, assembly hall, prefects’ room, staff room and two classrooms.

1998

Vernon A. Barrett, an Old Boy, endows the Trust with $5 million for the three schools.

2014

The cenotaph is moved; groundbreaking for the auditorium on 5 September, after 23 years without one.

2015

2 October — the first sixteen are inducted into the Hall of Fame. The Douglas Orane Auditorium is dedicated at Boys.

2019

21 May — first Wolmer’s Day. The Governor-General had proclaimed it at King’s House on 17 May.

2024

295 years. The joint board announces the Wolmer’s 300 Technology and Multimedia Expansion Programme.

2024

November — a 954-panel solar array is commissioned across Boys, Girls and Prep. US$445,000, led by a gift of US$323,000 from Old Boy Lloyd Carney.

2026

297 years. Construction on a third storey of the Sixth Form Block began in July. The work.

Principals

Heads of the three schools.

Prep · since 1941

Mrs Evelyn Skempton Founding
Mrs Duperly
Miss Marjorie Fraser
Mrs Campbell
Miss Hope Valentine
Miss Orane
Mrs Freda DeMercado
Miss J. Mordecai 1960–1965
Miss Valerie Packer 1959, 1965–66
Mrs Patricia Bayston
Mrs H. Daley
Mrs Joyce Tyson
Mrs Hyacinth Bennett
Mrs Tyson
Mrs June Spence
Mrs Lorna Downie
Mrs Weida Saddler
Ms Janet Howard to 2020
Mrs Norma McNeil Acting 2020–2021
Ms Kemar Christie 2021 –

Girls · since 1896

Miss Maud Barrows 1896–1904
Miss Kate Howson 1904–1927
Miss Mary E. Cowper 1927–1940
Mrs Evelyn Skempton 1941–1962
Miss Audrey Pinto 1962–1985
Mrs Pamela Harrison 1985–2003
Mrs Colleen Montague 2003 –

Boys · first dated master 1738

Mr Bolton 1738
Rev. William Alcock 1743
Rev. Dedsbury 1744
Michael Mill 1745
Rev. Isaac Taaf 1757
Samuel Evans 1757
Francis Grant 1759–1774
Walter Gibbs 1774
Rev. Dr Morgan 1777
Rev. Alexander Cummins 1779–1789
Thomas Downes 1787
Rev. Robert Stanton Woodham 1789–1791
Rev. James Dymoke 1791–1799
Rev. David Duff 1799–1803
John P. Nugent 1803–1812
Bartholomew Owen Williams 1812–1815
Rev. Thomas Pearce Williams 1813
Rev. Ebenezer Reid (Snr.) 1815–1843
Ebenezer Reid (Jnr.) 1843–1847
William Augustus Hunt 1847–1852
Rev. Charles P. Street 1852–1855
Solomon Myers Oct 1855
William Carter 1855–1862
Rev. Robert Gordon 1862–1867
John Tillman 1868–1895
Albert Dews B.A. 1895–1901
William Cowper 1901–1915
F.M. Peachell 1915–1917
Rev. Symms 1917–1919
F.W. Day 1919–1920
Reginald Murray 1920–1933
Philip Sherlock 1933–1938
Lewis Davidson 1939–1942
J.R. Bunting 1943–1949
Dr Simpson 1950–1953
Norman Jackson 1953–1964
H.N. Walker 1964–1966
Donald Bogle 1966–1971
Richard Morris 1971–1978
Gilbert Smith 1978–1979
E. Coleridge Barnett 1979–1998
Mrs DeAnne Robb 1998–2000
Dave Myrie 2000–2007
Mrs DeAnne Robb 2007–2008
Dr Walton Small 2008–2019
Dwight Pennycooke 2019 –

Whatever you do, do it well

The Trust still owns the land and still keeps the schools. The work of the original bequest is not finished.

Give to Wolmer’s