St. Catherine – Some Famous Persons
Prime Minister Bruce Golding
Though Orette Bruce Golding, Prime Minister of Jamaica was born in Clarendon, he has been mostly associated with the parish of St. Catherine where he spent most of his years. He was born at the home of his godmother, Mrs. Winnifred Stuart (the mother of Mrs. Percival Broderick) where his mother was staying in order to be close to her doctor. A few days after he was born he was taken to the family home at Ginger Ridge, St. Catherine where his birth was officially registered. His parents were Tacius Golding and Enid Golding (nee Bent), both teachers.
In 1949, when he was only two years old, his family moved to St. Faiths district near Browns Hall, St. Catherine where he spent the next five years. He attended the Watermount Elementary School in the parish.
Mallica Kapo Reynolds
Jamaican Intuitive master Mallica “Kapo” Reynolds was born February 10, 1911 in Byndloss, St. Catherine, to David Reynolds and Rebecca Morgan. A highly celebrated self-taught artist, Kapo began his prolific career in art by scraping on a stone with homemade tools.
Leonard Percival Howell – Gong
Though born in Crooked River Clarendon in 1898, Howell has come to be most associated with St. Catherine. He was a mystic and has been credited with founding the Rastafarian Movement in Jamaica during the 1930s. He and his followers, known as Howellites, lived in Pinnacle, Sligoville and later Simon, St. Catherine.
Asafa Powell
Asafa Powell was born on November 23, 1982 in Spanish Town, St. Catherine. He attended the Charlemont High School in Ewarton, St. Catherine. This outstanding Jamaican sprinter held the 100m world record between June 2005 and May 2008, with times of 9.77 and 9.74 seconds respectively. He has run the 100m in under 10 seconds more times than any other athlete in the world.
Alfred M.W. Sangster
Well known educator, Alfred Sangster was president of the University of Technology (the College of Arts Science and Technology). He has contributed much to the development of Science in Jamaica and has published numerous scientific works.
Ena Collymore-Woodstock
Recipient of the Order of Distinction and Member of the British Empire, Ena Collymore- Woodstock was born in Spanish Town on September 10, 1917. She was actively involved in many aspects of Jamaican life, including Civil Service, guiding, education, law and social work, and rendered legal services in the Turks and Caicos Islands, Montserrat and Anguilla.
Ivy E.A. Baxter
Born in Spanish Town on March 3, 1923, Ivy Baxter was best known for her pioneering work in Jamaican dance. She fostered the development of creative dance in Jamaica and the wider Caribbean, and was also actively involved in education up to the time of her death.