Boyhood Home of the Most Hon. Sir Donald Sangster

Historical Significance
The Most Honourable Sir Donald Burns Sangster, Jamaica’s second Prime Minister, was born on October 26, 1911, at the Victoria Jubilee Hospital (Neita, 2012). He was the son of William Burns Sangster, a Commissioned Land Surveyor, who combined his work with cattle rearing, and Cassandra Feodore Louise Plummer Sangster. However, he grew up on a property near the village of Mountainside in the parish of St. Elizabeth. Sangster’s father was a descendant of Scottish immigrant brothers, who first settled in the parish of Westmoreland in the 18th century (Ibid). One of the brothers later acquired property in St. Elizabeth known as Fullerswood. Donald Sangster’s father inherited a portion of the Fullerswood property, where he raised his family (Jamaican Family Search Website). The property was primarily used for cattle rearing, and a portion was also used for the cultivation of logwood from which dye was made (Neita, 2012).
Sangster was the third of about four children born to his parents – Louis Burns Sangster (1903-1963), Phyllis Evangeline Sangster (1905-1907), Donald Burns Sangster (1911-1967) and Lillian Sangster-Allen (1913-2008), affectionately known as ‘Miss Jeslyn’ (Jamaican Family Search Website & Jamaica Information Service). Sangster grew up in a middle-class family in the district of Mountainside. According to Hartley Neita (2012), the family had several housemaids, the chief being Miss Lilly. They had a driver – a Mr. Eustace Daley nicknamed “Moneyman”. The Sangsters also had a family pew at the St. Augustine’s Anglican Church in Mountainside. In 1965, during a rededication service of the church, Sangster, who was then Acting Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, read the lesson and, in his brief remarks afterwards, recalled his earlier association with the church from boyhood days until he became a member of the church committee and was for many years a lay representative to the Synod (The Gleaner, 1965). Neita (2012) also quoted residents of Mountainside, who knew Sangster as a boy. They described him as a people-person who moved around his property, mixed easily with all the workers, milked cows, and rode horses. At age seven, Sangster entered the elementary school in the district. At age 10, he commenced his secondary education at Munro College. He boarded at Munro but would return home on weekends (Ibid.). Sangster made his mark as a sportsman while at Munro; he participated in the 100 yards and 220 yards races, long jump, pole vault and cross country. He also represented Munro in cricket. Despite his wide-ranging sporting activities, his academics were not neglected, as he was placed second in the island in 1927 in the Senior Cambridge Examinations (Ibid.)

After graduating from Munro, Sangster became articled to Mervin T. King, a lawyer practising in Black River. He also studied bookkeeping and accounting through correspondence courses while pursuing his legal studies. Sangster also continued playing cricket for Mountainside and joined the Black River Football Club and played for that team. In 1937, Sangster came first in Jamaica in the final solicitor’s examination and was admitted to practice as a solicitor in Jamaica. He opened his law practice in Black River, and he also had an office in Santa Cruz. He became known as “Lawyer Sangster” (Ibid).
Sangster began his political career at the age of 21 when he campaigned and won a seat in the St. Elizabeth Parochial Board (now Municipal Corporation) on June 22, 1933 (The Gleaner, 1967). He became Vice Chairman of this Parochial Board in 1941 and Chairman in 1949. In December 1944, when Jamaica had its first general elections under the New Constitution, which granted Universal Adult Suffrage, Sangster made his first bid to enter national politics. He contested as an independent candidate for the South St. Elizabeth constituency seat and lost. He joined the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) in 1949 and, in the general elections of that year, he won the South St. Elizabeth seat. Sangster was Minister of Social Welfare from 1950 to 1953. He was also appointed Deputy Leader of the JLP in 1950 and served in that office for 17 years (Neita, 2012). In 1953, when Sir Harold Allan, the JLP’s Minister of Finance, died, Sangster was given that post; he was also given the added responsibility as Leader of the House (Ibid.). Sangster served as Minister of Finance until 1955, when the JLP lost the general elections. He was one of the major casualties in these elections; however, later that year, he successfully contested a by-election for the North East Clarendon constituency (The Gleaner, 1967).

Sangster continued as a member of the Opposition until 1962 when, after the dissolution of the Federation, general elections were held in April 1962 to determine which party would form the government to lead Jamaica into independence. The JLP was successful, and Sangster was given his old portfolios of Minister of Finance and Leader of the House (Ibid.). In March 1963, Alexander Bustamante appointed Sangster as Deputy Prime Minister (Neita, 2012). According to Neita (2012), the post established an office to fill an administrative gap within which Sangster himself had been functioning since the party was returned to office; and it also awarded Sangster for distinguished service, both to party and country.
Prior to independence, Sangster was also a member of the Joint Committee of Parliament which framed the Constitution for Independent Jamaica, and he was a member of the delegation which went to England in 1962 to discuss it with the British Government. With Independence, Sangster’s public activities increased tremendously. He sat on the Jamaican delegation that received formal admission to the United Nations on September 18, 1962. As Minister of Finance, he attended a number of international conferences at which his diplomacy, friendliness and charm won international respect not only for himself, but also for the new nation of Jamaica (The Gleaner, 1967).
In March 1964, Sir Alexander Bustamante fell ill, and Sangster acted as Prime Minister for a short while. Bustamante resumed office in June 1964 but with a reduced workload, and Sangster undertook some of the tasks of the Prime Minister’s Office. In January 1965, Bustamante fell ill again, but this time remained incapacitated. Sangster was appointed to act as Prime Minister, Minister of External Affairs and Minister of Defence; while acting, he retained the post of Minister of Finance (Ibid).
In 1966, Sangster was diagnosed as being hypertensive. He flew to Canada, where his hypertension was investigated. He was treated at the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital. He appeared to have recovered well (Neita, 2012).
Following the resignation of Sir Alexander Bustamante in January 1967 and victory of the JLP in the general elections of February 21, 1967, Sangster was appointed Prime Minister on February 22, 1967, retaining at the time the posts of Minister of Finance and Minister of Defence. Sangster fell ill on Saturday, March 18, 1967, while he was at Newcastle in the parish of St. Andrew, working on the details of the Budget for the financial year 1967-68 (The Gleaner, 1967). A diagnosis of subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) was made (Neita, 2012). On Monday, March 20, 1967, he was flown to the Montreal Neurological Institute in Canada. Despite expert medical attention at the Neurological Institute, he died there on Tuesday, April 11, 1967, four days after he had received a knighthood from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. The Canadian doctors confirmed the subarachnoid haemorrhage diagnosis. Sangster died without ever having the opportunity to preside over the first meeting of his Cabinet, which was held on Monday, March 20, 1967, the day he left Jamaica for the Montreal Neurological Institute (The Gleaner, 1967).
On the death of Sangster, there were six days of national mourning. His body came back to Jamaica on Thursday, April 12, 1967, on a special aircraft provided by the Canadian government. It arrived at the Montego Bay Airport at 9:00 am. The casket containing his remains was then placed aboard a special funeral train at the Montego Bay Railway Station (The Gleaner, 1967). From there it began a slow passage across Jamaica on its last, sad journey through the countryside. All along the route people wept, holding black mourning flags in their hands (Ibid). The procession stopped at Magotty in St. Elizabeth, where the casket was removed and taken by bearers to the village of Mountainside where Sangster grew up. For six hours, from 3:00 pm to 9:00 pm, the body lay in state at his boyhood church, the St. Augustine’s Anglican Church. The following day there was a stop at Chapleton in Clarendon, where the body lay in state at the St. Paul’s Anglican Church for six hours. There his constituents got an opportunity to pay their respects. The final lying-in-state was at the Kingston Parish on Saturday, April 15 and Sunday, April 16, 1967. Sangster was given a state funeral on Monday, April 17, 1967 at the Kingston parish Church and was buried in the National Heroes Park (then known as George VI Memorial Park), where a monument is erected in his honour (Ibid, Neita, 2012).

Inherent Features
The original design features of the Sangster’s boyhood home, which were apparent in 2008, showed a structure of the Jamaican Vernacular architectural style. It was made of a cut stone base, which raised the building off the ground to lessen the risk of flooding and assist with ventilation through wooden floorboards. The walls were of Spanish wall or nog composition with a smoothly rendered finish. The building also had a variety of window aperture sizes and styles. The types of windows found throughout the building were sash with sided louvre panels, single louvre rows and standalone sashes. The building also had a hip roof with galvanised zinc finish set to an approximate 45˚ gradient. These features are also noticeable from earlier images of the house provided by Derrick Sangster.
Since 2008, the structure has deteriorated considerably. The roof has failed in many areas and must be removed. The walls of the structure are severely compromised and should be carefully dismantled. However, the original stone steps can be easily repaired, and the stone columns on which the structure stands are in reasonable condition.
On the property to the rear of the house are the foundation remains of a coach house as well as a brick oven which was functional up until 2005. The brick oven is in sound condition and only needs to be carefully cleaned of bush overgrowth. There is also a well on the property.

Integrity/Sustainability
Much of the structure is in poor condition and may not be easily repaired or restored. However, the base of the structure appears to be structurally sound due to the material used in its construction – cut stone. The building occupies its original site.

Identity-National/Regional/Local
Sir Donald Sangster is revered for his life of dedication to public service, for his qualities of diplomacy, calmness, and kindness and for the favourable image he created for Jamaica abroad by the high standard of his participation at international and Commonwealth Conferences. The Income Tax Office on East Street in Kingston and the International Airport at Montego Bay have already been named after him in recognition of his contribution to the nation.