Allan, Harold Egbert, Sir (1894-1953)
Dates
- Existence: 1894-1953
Biographical Statement
Sir Harold Egbert Allan was an educator, businessman, and politician in Jamaica. His political career spanned from 1926 until his death in 1953. During that time he held numerous positions within the colonial government and was vocal in lobbying for improved social, trade, and economic conditions on the island.
Sir Harold Egbert Allan was born on March 15, 1894, in Springbank, Portland. His parents were Patrick Kerr Allan and Charlotte Elizabeth Pearce. Allan graduated from Mico College and became the assistant master at Calabar Elementary School. He later became the head master at Titchfield Upper School. He dedicated fourteen years of his life to education. In 1919, he introduced motion pictures to Portland. In 1924, he established the Capitol Theatre, and from 1926 to 1935, Allan was elected to the Portland Parochial Board. In 1928, he founded the Parochial Boards Association and held the executive post until his death. He was appointed Justice of Peace for Portland in 1930, and in 1935, he became the elected member of the Legislative Council of Portland and the founder of the Association of elected Members of Jamaica Legislature.
Allan was appointed by the Secretary of State for the colony in 1938 to investigate the labor disturbances at Frome. He was appointed to the Conciliation and Arbitration Boards in 1939. He married Edris Elaine Trottman in 1941. In 1942, he became the recipient of the Order of the British Empire. For two years, 1942 to 1944, he served as Privy Councillor. He received the Mico Old Student's Service Medal in 1943, and the following year, he was elected to the first House of Representatives under new construction as a member for Eastern Portland. He lobbied the London Colonial Office for changes in low wages, abominable housing conditions, and unemployment of Jamaican Labor Department. He represented Jamaica at the Anglo-American Commission in Barbados, and was the forerunner of the Caribbean Commission. In 1945, he became the Minister of Finance and General Purposes and also became the Leader of the House and First Lieutenant in the Bustemante government. In 1946, he was named "Man of the Year," and the following year he served as chairman of the British West Indies Delegation to the World Trade Conference held in London and Geneva. In 1948, he became the first black Jamaican to receive the accolade of being a "Knight" from George VI in recognition of his long years of public service to the people of Jamaica and the British Commonwealth. Allan died February 18, 1953, and was buried at the Half Way Tree Cemetery.