NEVER FORGET YOUR BEGINNINGS-THE FIRST ELLIOT SCHOOL

The building of the Elliot school was started in 1847 and opened in 1848. The deed of Trust for the 35×25 feet property dated March 1858.

This school is recorded to have been built by twelve black men who had the dream to see to it that their children had an education.. Certainly during that era it is very likely they were slaves or off springs of slaves. So they sat about getting this work done. The home for the school was on Jubilee Road. These twelve men were determined to have the school completed for future generations. The land for the school was purchased in 1840, six years after emancipation of slavery. The purchase price was 80. Pounds and it was brought by William Robinson and John Williams. The others that joined this venture were William Thomas Robinson, Thomas Robinson, William Butterfield Jennings, Richard James Jennings, Israel Smith, Thomas Smith, Thomas Peter Burch, Daniel James Johnson, Richard Tuzo, and Richard Thomas Zuill. Their regular professions were Masons, Carpenters, Planters, Preachers and a Constable. After the building of the school the two gentlemen that had originally purchased the land William and John sold the land on which the school was built for 1 shillings to the Trustees of the school.

Bad luck came their way when the school was destroyed in a storm in 1926. The school moved to it’s new and larger premises East along Jubilee Road, it was at that time that an extra letter L was added to the name and it changed from Eliot to Elliott after Governor Elliott.

To further identify these noble men John Williams married Christina Trott in 1958, William Robinson was a sexton at Devonshire Church, Richard Tuzo was a member of the Young Men’s Friendly Institution in Pembroke,. Thomas Peter Burch was a Hearse Keeper, Richard Zuill who helped to build Christ Church in Devonshire was a widower and married Rachal Mallory a slave. Daniel James Johnson was a pew owner in 1856 and married Ruth Ann Harvey. William Butterfield Jennings was a Planter, Constable and Preacher, he was a deacon in the BME Church he married Sarah Lowe. Israel Smith sold his property to Charles Henry Robinson. Thomas Robinson a carpenter by Trade married Venus Mallory. Richard James Jennings also a Carpenter married Deborah Saunders and he was a pounds Keeper. Thomas Smith was a Mason and William Thomas Robinson a Stone Mason. Many off these family titles where eventually found in the boundaries of the North Village Area and still flourish there today.

I have notably written this on Elliott being one of the first schools for black students a history that should never be forgotten and the road that followed for it to remain apart of Black Bermudian History. The New Elliott school is very much in operation and now located on Hermitage Road Devonshire.

Researched and submitted Joy Wilson-Tucker

further info can be found in the Architectural NT