Alfred Lawrence Walcott was born in Manchester in October 1859; his mother came from Trelawny and his father from St. James.  He was educated at St. Andrew's, Albert Town, in Trelawny, and by the Rev. C. C. Douce, who was one of the earliest Black Anglican clergymen in Jamaica.  His teachers recognized his ability and he made rapid progress; Douce encouraged him to prepare himself for the teaching profession.

In January 1875 he entered the Government Training College at Stony Hill, which was moved to Spanish Town in the summer of 1876, where it was administered by Bishop C. F. Douet as Superintendent. His ability and good conduct led to him being chosen to take the place of the headmaster of the Model School whenever he was absent or indisposed.

Having successfully completed the course in Spanish Town, he spent a year as headmaster at Meylersfield School, Westmoreland; in September 1879 he returned to Spanish Town to take up the post of Assistant Master at the Training College. W. H. Plant, later the headmaster of Titchfield School, was one of the students at the college at that time, many of whom later had distinguished careers.

In 1881 he was appointed to the Mission Station, St. James, Gibraltar, St. Ann.  There he acted as Catechist, conducted the Day School, and gave occasional help at St. Thomas' Church, Stewart Town. In August 1882 Archbishop Nuttall appointed him to West Branch School, Kingston, where he spent the rest of his distinguished teaching career.

Under the leadership of ‘Teacher’ Walcott, West Branch School and the Anglican church of All Saints’, on West Street, south of the Public Hospital, grew and flourished. The school became, if not the foremost, one of the foremost schools in the Island; it provided an excellent start in life for pupils from all over the island and from Panama, many of them achieving distinction in their subsequent careers. Walcott was especially keen to provide a good education for girls.

His work for Jamaica’s youth, at West Branch, led to people describing him as the ‘Booker T. Washington’ of Jamaica. He was often urged to train for the Anglican priesthood, but he preferred to continue as a teacher, and to give his service as Catechist to advance the development of All Saints’ Church.

He was a founding member of the Jamaica Union of Teachers, and its President in 1900. Governor Blake appointed him to the Board of Education - the first elementary school teacher to serve as a member on that Board.