The Most Rev. Enos  Nuttall has been lauded as  the  founding  father  of  St. Hugh’s High School.  Nuttall   was   the fifth  Archbishop   of  the  West   Indies between  1880-1916,  where  he  fought for   education of   blacks  and   further established   an   Anglican    Order   of Deaconesses  in   Jamaica.  It   was  this new order  and  through  his  prompting that  Sister  Madeline Thomas  opened the   doors   of   the Deaconess  Home School  on   Hanover   Street   in   1899.

The school opened in 1899 as an experiment in the education of young women. Later, the Deaconess Home School and the Deaconess Home High School (1913) for girls amalgamated in 1925 becoming the Deaconess High School starting with 90 students. In 1928 at the request of the Jamaica Schools’ Commission, the school changed its name toSt. Hugh’s High School. As the school expanded its core and extra curriculum its Hanover Street location became too small. In 1939, 1 Leinster Road was purchased as the new location for the School.

The Emblem, the Swan:
St. Hugh, the school’s patron saint was noted for his kindness to people and animals. He had a pet swan which lived in the Bishop’s house. It was from
St. Hugh’s association with the swan that the school derived part of its logo. The Swan reminds us of the loyalty and goodness of our patron saint and holds before the students an ideal for which they should strive all their lives.

School Motto, Fidelitas:
The motto, Fidelitas meaning faithfulness and loyalty is tagged with the swan.

The School Song
Sung at all events of St. Hugh's High School and Past Students' Associations, the song captures a bit of the school's history. 

St. Hugh of old was wise and bold,
A bishop of renown.
For man and bird and beast, we’re told
Loved Hugh of Lincoln Town.
He conquered self by fast and prayer.
And when the fight was won
He wrought and toiled with zealous care to lead his people on!

St. Hugh’s are we who loyally,
Doth sing his worthy praise.
Who strive in all fidelity to follow in his ways,
For still the lessons he would teach
Lead upwards to our goal,
but still the highest goals we reach,
by paths of self control!
(This stanza was removed in the 1950’s)

We build our name and spread our fame,
And honour good St. Hugh
Whene’er we bring to task or game, the best that we can do.
In willing service, ordered rule
And duty fairly met
We’ll write a record for our school
That time shall ne’er forget!

And when at last our school days past,
On other roads we fare,
Our hearts shall keep the sunshine cast
On these glad days we shared.
The knowledge won the vision gained,
God grant we may not lose; but cry from noble heights attained:
“We’ll still keep faith, St. Hugh!”