Sister Mary Ignatius Davis

Who was Sister Mary Ignatius Davis?

Sister Mary Ignatius Davis was a Jamaican nun and inspirational musician.

Born in Innswood, Saint Catherine Parish, Jamaica, Davis was baptised at the St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church in Spanish Town, and went to the St. Catherine Elementary School. After her family moved to Kingston, she attended Alpha Boys School. She joined the Sisters of Mercy on 1 February 1939, aged 17, and lived at the school for the remainder of her life. She died at the University Hospital of the West Indies, Jamaica, in 2003, aged 81.

She inspired many musicians from the Alpha school to become professional musicians. In particular, Sister Ignatius nurtured the talents of tenor saxophonist Tommy McCook, trombonist Don Drummond and trumpeter Johnny "Dizzy" Moore, who went on to form the Skatalites, as well as trombonist Rico Rodriguez, who moved to Great Britain, played with the Specials on their chart-topping Special A.K.A. EP of January 1980 and is currently a member of Jools Holland's Rhythm and Blues Orchestra. She contributed to Island Rock, a documentary series broadcast in 2002 on BBC Radio 2 to mark the 40th anniversary of Jamaican independence.

Sister Mary Ignatius had a large record collection that was the envy of many pupils at the Academy. For many years she ran a disco on Saturday nights at the Academy.