Norman Washington Manley was born on July 4, 1893, at Roxborough in Manchester and one

of four child of his father Thomas Albert Samuel Manley who’s a planter and produce dealer in
porus. He studied at Jamaica College, and overseas at Jesus College, Oxford, England. He
enlisted in the British Army in 1914 and served in an Artillery Regiment, gaining a Military
Medal. A Rhodes Scholar, he distinguished himself at Oxford and was called to the Bar at
Gray’s Inn in 1921. There, he gained the Certificate of Honor in the Bar Finals and copped the
Lee prizeman award. He was a brilliant scholar, athlete, Soldier (First World War) and lawyer.
Norman Manley was married to his cousin Edna nee Swithenbank (1 March 1900 – 2 February
1987) in 1921. They had two children together. Their second son, Michael Manley, went into
politics and rose to become the fourth Prime Minister of Jamaica. The elder son, Douglas
Manley, became a university lecturer, politician and government minister.

Manley identified himself with the cause of the workers at the time of the labour troubles of 1938
and donated time and advocacy to the cause. Then In September 1938, Manley founded the
People’s National Party (PNP) and was elected its President annually until his retirement in
1969. Manley and the PNP supported the trade union movement, then led by Alexander
Bustamante, while leading the demand for Universal Adult Suffrage. When Suffrage came,
Manley had to wait ten years and two terms before his party was elected to office. Manley later
became ill and died in September 1969.