Rectangular group portrait of Sister Bellamy, staff and students, mounted, inscribed and stamped.

The Wesleyan School was founded in 1836 and aimed to teach girls basic family values and skills, such as reading, religious instruction and sewing. During the 1800s the school flourished and in 1884 a secondary school was opened with an initial intake of 20 girls. After some problems with student numbers and funding in the late 19th century the school rebuilt its reputation in the first half of the 20th century with the help of deaconess, Sister Evelyn Bellamy, a reputation it still holds today. Today Cape Coast is an educational hub for both Ghana and West Africa at large, being home primarily to Cape Coast University which is Ghana’s leading institution for teaching and research.

Sister Evelyn Bellamy was a Methodist Missionary in Ghana and between 1914 and 1943, during which time she occupied the post of headmistress of Wesley Girls High School in Cape Coast. The Danford Collection is home to a large number of objects presented by Sister Evelyn Bellamy and some of her papers can be accesssed through the Cadbury Research Library.

Inscriptions / Translations:  ‘Girls and Staff of Wesley Girls High School Cape Coast 1936’ (on reverse)