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| A brief
history of St. Edward’s Secondary School |
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The
Primary School
In 1864, Sierra Leone’s Catholic Community was without
spiritual guidance and had been so for six years (since
the death of Monsignor de Bresillac in 1859)
In 1864, Rev. Father Edward Blanchet, a French Priest
who was father Superior in the Gambia, received a directive
from Paris instructing him to go to Sierra Leone and establish
a mission there. He was accompanied by another French
man named Koeberie as his assistant in this important
mission. |
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After much difficulty in securing a place on a ship bound for
Freetown, both Priests were given deck passages with the help
of Governor Blackhall, then Governor of Sierra Leone.
On February 12th, 1864, they landed in Freetown and were given
residence at Rawdon Street where they slept on the bare floor
for sometime due to lack of furniture. On the following Sunday,
they held a mass for all fourteen Catholics in Freetown. The
house was later leased by Father Blanchet at sixty four pounds
a year and the first chapel was built.
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In 1865, Father Blanchet purchased a piece of land at Howe
Street (where St. Joseph’s convent now stands) and another
piece of land was purchased down the same street.
In 1865 Father Blanchet started a primary school at Rawdon Street
and named it St. Edward the Confessor (Father Blanchet’s
first name you will recall was also Edward). Due to the lack
of Catholic teachers, he hired Protestants teachers until 1866
when two lay brothers came to help. At this time, the school
had thirty pupils and by the end of 1866, this number grew to
120 boys. A year later, Father Bracken and another brother arrived
in Sierra Leone to help grow this institution. The Rawdon Street
Mission had become too small and on October 13th, 1867, the
feast of St. Edward work started on a permanent mission house
at Howe Street. The building was completed in 1868. It is not
certain as to when St. Edward’s moved from Rawdon Street
to Howe Street. Early in 1869, Father Blanchet left Freetown
for another mission elsewhere but returned ten years later in
1879. In 1889 after been granted a piece of land at Leicester,
he started the construction of the Sacred Heart Cathedral. |
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Father Blanchard left Sierra Leone for Senegal
where he stayed until his death on July 30th, 1896. This indefatigable
leader and Priest was succeeded by Father James Brown (1893-1903).
Father Brown was succeeded by Dr. John O’Gorman.
Around 1912, a new three storied building was built at Howe
Street in commemoration of Father Brown. History indicates that
a school was started there named the Father Brown Memorial School.
If this is true, it is safe to say that this school lasted for
a very short period. Some historians wrote that the already
established St. Edward’s got extended into this memorial
building and some people tended to think of the school as “Father
Brown School” when in fact it was only an extension of
St. Edward’s School. |
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The Secondary School
In 1921, the school leavers at the sixth standard had no Catholic
Secondary School to attend. By this time a lot of promises were
made that a secondary school will be built but such promises
were never fruitful until 1922. On this year it was decided
that the middle floor of the new building at Howe Street be
used for the new Secondary school. In January of 1922, publications
of this new development appeared in the Weekly News. The school
was set to open on 6th February 1922.
And so Monday February 6th 1922, St. Edward’s Secondary
School came into reality with the following foundation pupils:
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1. |
Anthony Tucker |
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2. |
Sylvester Tucker |
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3. |
James Massallay |
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4. |
Edward Farrah |
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5. |
Albert M. Margai |
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6. |
Willie Luke |
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7. |
Joseph Luke |
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Father Michael O’Connor served as the fist Principal with
Father Mulcahy who moved from Mobe in Sherbro Island to be his
assistant. In June of 1922, Father O’Connor’s health
deteorated. He left the country and Father Mulcahy took over
as the principal.
It was during Father Mulcahy’s era that the school became
an academic institution admired by so many. His name became
household name. In 1943, to make room for a more competitive
sportsmanship, he divided the school into four teams (houses)
namely: Blanchet, O’Gorman, Wilson and Brown
In 1946 the Secondary School moved to the Army huts at Brookfields.
Most of the huts have since been pulled down and St. Joseph’s
Convent now stands on that site.
In pursuance of his burning zeal for an active sporting life
for boys, Father Mulcahy considered of vital necessity to
obtain for his school a field of its own . In 1934 he entered
into negotiations with the owner of a huge piece of land in
Kingtom. The land was eventually purchased from Mr. A Golley
in May thus “MAY PARK”. The land was cleared and
made into a sporting field. St. Edward’s Secondary School
was moved to Kingtom in 1960. The primary school was moved
from How Street to Fort Street in 1960 as well.
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The history of the school will never be complete without mentioning
the following tutors:
Rev. Father Jeremiah O’Sullivan who came over from C.K.C
and took over principalship on October 16th 1956 which he retained
until October 17th 1979. Sixth form was introduced for both
boys and girls under his tenure. Upon his retirement in 1979,
he bequeathed a school band to the school. Mr. A.J Robinson
commonly known as “Sir Rob” succeeded Father O’Sullivan
as Principal. Rev. Father Hamelberg, alumnus and the first native
Priest of Sierra Leone, Dr. P.L Tucker, Professor Cyril Patrick
Foray and Professor H.M.Joko-Smart, B.S.Elliott and Felix Alinyoh.
All of these except Father O’Sullivan and Mr. Robinon
are past pupils of the school who found time to serve their
alma mater later on as teachers.
Some others have been called to higher service and include:
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Arthur Ola Williams, E.P.A Soneye, Patrick Kamara, A.J Sandy,
a. Labor, J.Tucker, Francis Massalay, Thomas Ganda and C.P Foray.
Amongst the school’s products are the Current president
Ahmad Tejan Kabbah and His Grace Archbishop Joseph H. Ganda
who is the current Bishop of Freetown and Bo.
The current Principal is Mr. J.P Kamara assisted by Mr. W. Johnson-Cole.
The school like always is under the supervision of a Board of
Directors. There are also heads of departments and a disciplinary
committee and a council of prefects that help in enforcing discipline.
The school has a Scripture Union, a literacy and debating
society, a drama group known as SET (St.Edward’s Theatre).
The School also has a Scout Toup- 8th Freetown.
Important dates of the School are October 13th marked for the
Feast of St. Edward and February 6th as Foundation Day.
St. Edward, the Patron Saint was Edward the Confessor King of
England, a compassionate ruler who showed much concern for the
poor.
The school’s motto in Latin is DIRIGE-NOS-IN VERITATE
translated in English as “Direct us in Truth”.
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