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W. Thomas Linton |
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In 2002 Henry Guy, a remarkable man, then celebrating his hundredth birthday, mentioned in a Gleaner interview that, after elementary school, he had attended 'Teacher Linton High School which was located at the corner of Church and Sutton Streets.' There cannot be many others who remember W. Thomas Linton and the Boys' Continuation School he ran from 1908 until his death in 1919. At that time the topic of 'Continuation Schools' was very widely discussed. These were to be schools providing a further two years of training for boys and girls who had finished elementary school at age 14. There were already a few other such schools, including the Kingston Technical and Continuation School, as it was known until the mid-1930s. Teacher Linton, who was a devout Roman Catholic, operated his school under the sponsorship of the church. W. Thomas Linton was born in Barbados in 1859. Before coming to Jamaica, around 1894, he had been a teacher in Barbados, Demerara, Trinidad, Grenada and Belize, gaining a wide experience of West Indian life. In Jamaica he worked very successfully in schools in Stony Hill, Above Rocks and in Port Maria, always maintaining his close links with the Catholic Church. He was also an enthusiastic member of the Teachers' Associations wherever he worked, being vice president in Stony Hill and secretary in St Mary. While at Above Rocks he was a member of the local branch of the Jamaica Agricultural Society, and represented the Branch at central JAS meetings, even after he had left the area. 1907 saw increasing discussion of the need for Continuation Schools, even before the earthquake of January 14 disrupted much in the existing school system. At the end of August 1908 Mr Linton opened a continuation school for boys at 26 North Street, with a small number of students and the promise of later introducing manual and trade classes. By October the school had moved to Gordon Hall at the corner of Church and Sutton Streets, which became its permanent home. The school at this point taught basic subjects such as writing, drawing and manual occupations, and in addition vocal music, bookkeeping and shorthand. The first prize giving was held in December 1908, the prizes being handed out by Bishop Collins, the Roman Catholic bishop, who spoke highly of Mr Linton and his abilities as a teacher. The school grew and flourished over the succeeding years, increasing in numbers - by 1912 it had 97 pupils - and widening its curriculum. Prominent Kingston teachers gave an annual report on the school, its staff and students, at the prize giving each year. Sports became an important part of the school's life and the annual sports day at Winchester Park was a big event. The school also had a flourishing Scout Troop. It was one of the leading boys' schools in Kingston. Mr Linton continued his involvement with the teachers' movement, being for a time a member of the executive of the JUT. Shortly before his final illness he attended the conference of the Kingston Teachers' Association in February 1919. When Teacher Linton died in April of that year the Gleaner's obituary said of him that he was 'a man of whom the teaching profession ought justly to be proud', and one of his students still remembered him after more than 80 years. |
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The only pictures I can find of Gordon Hall are of the damage caused to it by the earthquake
of January 14, 1907; I imagine it was repaired to look much as it had before.
of January 14, 1907; I imagine it was repaired to look much as it had before.
