Vera MacLeavy
Encyclopedia
Vera Alice MacLeavy née Black (25 September 1919 – 20 July 2008) was librarian of Bethlehem Teacher Training College in Malvern
, Jamaica
from 1954–1972 and archivist of the Moravian Church in Jamaica from 1957–1986.
, Yorkshire
, England
. After graduating from the University of Leeds
in 1943, she was an assistant teacher at Fulneck Boys' School
where she was one of the first two female teachers on an otherwise all male teaching staff. In 1945 she married the Rev. Basil LaTrobe MacLeavy.
In 1947, after a nine month separation due to the war, she travelled to Jamaica to join her husband who had taken up the post of Principal at the Bethlehem Teacher Training College. Here they had three sons.
, she saw to the development of the Bethlehem Teacher Training College library's collection from its inception in 1954. Through her connections with the Moravian Church she was able to attract generous gifts of books and other resources from England and the USA.
As archivist
she toured the island collecting church records no longer in use, catalogued them and arranged for conservation where required. The archives were originally housed on the ground floor of the Bethlehem Teacher Training College library but were transferred to the Jamaica Archives in Spanish Town in 1972 upon the retirement of Mrs. MacLeavy from Bethlehem. However, she continued as archivist until 1986 when she returned to the UK with her husband to retire in Leominster
near Bristol.
Malvern, Jamaica
Malvern is a village in the Santa Cruz Mountains in Jamaica's St. Elizabeth parish.It is the site of Bethlehem Moravian College, Munro College and Hampton School which is just as old....
, Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
from 1954–1972 and archivist of the Moravian Church in Jamaica from 1957–1986.
Early life
Mrs MacLeavy was born in RedcarRedcar
Redcar is a seaside resort in the north east of England, and a major town in the unitary authority of Redcar and Cleveland in the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire. It lies east-northeast of Middlesbrough by the North Sea coast...
, Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. After graduating from the University of Leeds
University of Leeds
The University of Leeds is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England...
in 1943, she was an assistant teacher at Fulneck Boys' School
Fulneck School
Fulneck school is a small, independent boarding school, situated in the Fulneck Moravian Settlement, in Pudsey, West Yorkshire, England. It provides education for pupils between the ages of 3 and 18.-History:...
where she was one of the first two female teachers on an otherwise all male teaching staff. In 1945 she married the Rev. Basil LaTrobe MacLeavy.
In 1947, after a nine month separation due to the war, she travelled to Jamaica to join her husband who had taken up the post of Principal at the Bethlehem Teacher Training College. Here they had three sons.
Major work
As librarianLibrarian
A librarian is an information professional trained in library and information science, which is the organization and management of information services or materials for those with information needs...
, she saw to the development of the Bethlehem Teacher Training College library's collection from its inception in 1954. Through her connections with the Moravian Church she was able to attract generous gifts of books and other resources from England and the USA.
As archivist
Archivist
An archivist is a professional who assesses, collects, organizes, preserves, maintains control over, and provides access to information determined to have long-term value. The information maintained by an archivist can be any form of media...
she toured the island collecting church records no longer in use, catalogued them and arranged for conservation where required. The archives were originally housed on the ground floor of the Bethlehem Teacher Training College library but were transferred to the Jamaica Archives in Spanish Town in 1972 upon the retirement of Mrs. MacLeavy from Bethlehem. However, she continued as archivist until 1986 when she returned to the UK with her husband to retire in Leominster
Leominster
Leominster is a market town in Herefordshire, England, located approximately north of the city of Hereford and south of Ludlow, at...
near Bristol.