During my five plus years as a student at Bishop Anstey High School there were two principals, Dorothy Shrewsbury and Christina Sutherland, both of whom have recently passed away.
Ironically, Miss Shrewsbury, who had served from 1938-1950, passed away in Auckland, New Zealand, on March 9, 2001, at age ninety- four, while Miss Sutherland, who arrived in Trinidad on Christmas Day 1950 and served until 1964, passed away in Devon, England on December 1, 2000, at age ninety-three.
She was the third "S", and last overseas headmistress, following Miss A.M. Stephen or "Madam" (1921-1938) and Miss Shrewsbury. Although a Memorial Service had already been held in early January for Ms Sutherland, the Old Hilarians Association and the School organised Holy Eucharist, In Memoriam, on Saturday April 7 in the School Hall, for these two women whose impact on the lives of so many women in this country, will never be forgotten. The Officiating Clergy were Assistant Bishop Rawle Douglin and Deacon Lystra Barclay.
Much has already been written by this columnist about Christina Sutherland or "Suds" as she was fondly called, who visited Trinidad several times in her later life, whereas very little was heard of Miss Shrewsbury after she left BAHS to take up the position of principal of the Anglican Diocesan School for Girls in Auckland, New Zealand. Dorothy Shrewsbury was actually born in Trinidad on June 6, 1906, where her father was the Government Chemist. She was educated in England and returned to her birthplace in 1936 as a teacher at B.A.H.S. In 1938, Bishop Anstey asked a reluctant Miss Shrewsbury to hold on as Principal after the departure of Ms Stephens. She was to remain in this position until 1950.
Esla Molineaux, a former head girl of the school, gave an appreciation of the life of Ms Shrewsbury, who "was kind, gentle, idealistic and never raised her voice - a dreamer who found it was more important for her girls to learn the art of living rather than how to earn a living." Under the guidance of this very devout Christian who was the first President of the Young Women's Christian Association, students learned to lead through production of a school magazine, organisation of their own clubs, and were taught braille and sign language.
While a Hilarian, Joy Ann De Four, who is currently in New Zealand on a Commonwealth Scholarship, and represented BAHS as a guest of the family at the funeral, reported by e-mail that Miss Shrewsbury passed away in her sleep. "Dorothy died in her favourite chair on Friday March 9, 2001. She seemed to have simply drifted off to sleep. She had an empty tea-cup next to her. She died as she lived: independently and doing her own thing. She leaves a niece and nephew, several great nieces and great nephews and a great-great- niece and great-great-nephew. Her funeral was on Wednesday 14 March at 2 p.m. in Auckland, New Zealand."
A recent letter from Patricia Atteck-Wright, a former BAHS pupil 1926-1931, who lives in Auckland, says that "the chief mourners William Burslem and Bridget Graham, Miss Shrewsbury's nephew and niece were also grandchildren of the late William Burslem, who was the Principal of Queen's Royal College, Trinidad, 1895-1920."
The funeral service was held at the Diocesan School's Chapel of Our Glorified Lord, where she had been principal for 15 years and writes Atteck-Wright: "As Headmistress Miss Shrewsbury was an outstanding person in many respects, her relationship with the girls, the scholastic levels attained and maintained under her direction, her insistence on high standards of conduct, her recognition of excellence and her sense of fairness. Her influence on many generations of Diocesan Girls is widely recognised."
"We who have known her more intimately in the later years of her retirement are aware that in addition to the qualities of her public identity she also had a lively sense of humour, a friendly sincerity of feeling and a tendency to depreciate her own achievements." This quiet woman's funeral was " a considerable event". Concelebrants were The Right Reverend John Paterson, Primate and Diocesan Bishop of Auckland and The Venerable Win Blyth, Chaplain and Archdeacon of Auckland. While The Right Honourable Dame Sian Elias, Chief Justice, paid tribute to Dorothy Shrewsbury.
Says De Four who "felt quite honoured to represent BAHS... The tributes to this visionary and independent woman were full of memories and examples of the way she touched others in her life. BAHS was mentioned on several occasions...At the end, the family members and friends followed the body to the gates of the school. The entire roadway was lined with silent girls who are now the present pupils. This was something that I will take with me forever how one woman could make a difference to so many other women on both sides of the globe."
At the January memorial for Miss Sutherland, a former student Jacqueline Cameron-Padmore, who had visited "Suds" at her home in Devon in November 1995, eulogised the woman who had helped to shape the lives of so many in this country who continue to live out the time-honoured traditions of Bishop Anstey High School. And also in Carriacou where upon retiring from BAHS in 1964 she became the Head Mistress of a small girls' high school.
At this last Memorial, former Minister of Education and Hilarian, Marilyn Gordon, gave an appreciation of Christina Sutherland's life: "A sensitive and warm woman who felt that what made a Hilarian different and distinctive was the fact that emphasis was placed not only only on scholarship but on the character of the girls. Hilarians, she insisted, were expected not only to to fulfil the maxim set out by Miss Stephens 'to be clean and tidy, gentle, kind, quiet voiced, hardworking and honest', additionally Miss Sutherland expected the Hilarian to be Godfearing, compassionate and prepared to go that extra step in service of her fellowman. She wanted to produce well- rounded young women."
Dorothy Shrewsbury June 06, 1906 - March 9, 2001, and Christina Sutherland May 03, 1907 - December 01, 2000.
Well done thou good and faithful servants. May you both rest in peace.