1881 - 1st Jamaica Scholar
An account of T W Halliday's family background comes from his father's obituary in 1918:
Daily Gleaner, July 29, 1918
Mr. William Halliday was the father of the Rev. Thomas Halliday, Wesleyan Minister of Brown's Town, and Dr. E. V. Halliday of Christiana. His daughters are Mrs. Lilla Peeling, wife of a Wesleyan minister who laboured in this island for some years, but who went back to England a number of years ago, but retired owing to ill-health; and Mrs. Fanny Edgar, wife of Mr. Edgar of the Canadian Agency, Kingston.
Mr. Halliday was much esteemed and respected by all sections of the community. His wife having passed away several years ago, and as Mrs. Edgar went to reside in Kingston, the old gentleman resides in a cottage on his property with two faithful servants.
Mr. Halliday was of a quiet and retiring nature. He carried on a butchery business from the eariy stages of his life up to the very day before his death, and was very successful.
He was the owner of that fine property "Newleigh", on which stands the well-known hotel which bears the same name as the property itself, which he built many years ago and carried on by himself and his daughter, then Miss Fanny Halliday. ( now Mrs. Edgar.) The hotel business proved very successful. Within the past two or more years, however, he retired from this business and the place was taken over by Mr. J, B. Dick.
Advertisement in the Gleaner in the 1890s:
Thomas William Halliday
York Castle High School
Rev. Thomas William Halliday was born July 29, 1863, at Mandeville, Jamaica, the son of William Halliday. He was educated at York Castle High School, Jamaica, and University College, London. He entered the Methodist ministry in 1887. He married Frances W. King, of Barbados, with whom he had four sons. He was engaged for some years under the Eastern W.I. Conference in educational work at Coke College, Antigua, and Kingston High School, British Guiana.
In 1902 he was transferred to Jamaica to the Coke Circuit, Kingston. After a ministry of 42 years the Rev Mr Halliday retired from the active ministry and took up his residence in Mandeville. He die suddenly on the morning of May 2, 1932. He was survived by his wife and four sons.
When Thomas William Halliday retired in 1928 the members of the Methodist Synod expressed their appreciation of his long years of service:
