In 1839 William Knibb, Thomas Burchell and James Phillipo, the three leading English Baptist Missionaries working in Jamaica, moved for the creation of a College for training native Baptist Ministers.

 

Out of this Calabar Theological College came into being in 1843 and was first sited in the little village of Calabar, near Rio Bueno, Trelawny.

 

The name "Calabar" was brought to Jamaica by slaves from Nigeria, West Africa, where there is an old river-port city by that name. In 1868 Calabar College was removed to East Queen Street, Kingston, where a "Normal" school for training teachers and a high school for boys were added.

 

Shortly after, the high school went out of operation and the teacher-training activities ceased, leaving the practicing school-now Calabar All-Age on Sutton Street. The Theological College was relocated to Chetolah Park on Slipe Pen Road in 1901.