Southover Manor School
Encyclopedia
Southover Manor School was an independent
boarding school
for girls at Lewes
, East Sussex
, with a preparatory department
.
In 1937, a Southover girl won a major scholarship to Newnham College, Cambridge
. During the Second World War, the school was evacuated from Lewes to Firle Place
, and in January 1940 the school announced that "Southover French Finishing School, specializing in French language
and literature, and French cooking and dressmaking, will be opened after Easter in a country house
near Lewes, under the direction of M. le Baron and Madame la Baronne de Saint-Péreuse".
In about 1960, the mother of one girl was said to have chosen the school "on account of the pleasing decoration in the headmistress's study".
By 1963, the school was "recognized as efficient" by the Ministry of Education
.
On 30 May 1974, the school marked its Golden Jubilee
with an event at Goldsmiths' Hall, in the City of London
. In 1979, the number of girls in the school was reported as 125.
In 1983, the school had 120 girls, of whom 110 were boarders. The core curriculum then consisted of English, History, Geography, Maths, French, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Music and Physical Education. In that year, plans for the future closure of the school were set in motion and Lewes District Council produced a development brief for its land.
In 1988, the school closed and its premises were sold, the proceeds being used to establish Southover Manor General Educational Trust Limited, the object of which is "to advance for the public benefit the education of boys and girls under the age of 25 years in any manner being exclusively charitable as the Governing Body of the Trust may from time to time determine". Houses were built on the school's former playing fields, street names including Cluny Street.
Records of the school and its educational trust between the years 1939 and 1988 are held at the East Sussex Record Office, accession number ACC 9256. Draft conveyances and leases for the school between 1929 and 1939 (part of the papers of Adams and Remers of Lewes, Solicitors) are also in the Record Office.
Independent school (UK)
An independent school is a school that is not financed through the taxation system by local or national government and is instead funded by private sources, predominantly in the form of tuition charges, gifts and long-term charitable endowments, and so is not subject to the conditions imposed by...
boarding school
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
for girls at Lewes
Lewes
Lewes is the county town of East Sussex, England and historically of all of Sussex. It is a civil parish and is the centre of the Lewes local government district. The settlement has a history as a bridging point and as a market town, and today as a communications hub and tourist-oriented town...
, East Sussex
East Sussex
East Sussex is a county in South East England. It is bordered by the counties of Kent, Surrey and West Sussex, and to the south by the English Channel.-History:...
, with a preparatory department
Preparatory school (UK)
In English language usage in the former British Empire, the present-day Commonwealth, a preparatory school is an independent school preparing children up to the age of eleven or thirteen for entry into fee-paying, secondary independent schools, some of which are known as public schools...
.
History
The school was founded in 1924 at Lewes by Winifred Ponsonby. Initially a convent school, it was based at Southover Manor, which later became a Grade II listed building.In 1937, a Southover girl won a major scholarship to Newnham College, Cambridge
Newnham College, Cambridge
Newnham College is a women-only constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The college was founded in 1871 by Henry Sidgwick, and was the second Cambridge college to admit women after Girton College...
. During the Second World War, the school was evacuated from Lewes to Firle Place
Firle Place
Firle Place is a Manor house in Firle, East Sussex, United Kingdom and is the family seat of Nicolas Gage, 8th Viscount Gage, whose family the Viscounts Gage have owned the land at Firle since acquiring it from the Levett family in the 15th century. The manor house was first built in the late 15th...
, and in January 1940 the school announced that "Southover French Finishing School, specializing in French language
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
and literature, and French cooking and dressmaking, will be opened after Easter in a country house
English country house
The English country house is a large house or mansion in the English countryside. Such houses were often owned by individuals who also owned a London house. This allowed to them to spend time in the country and in the city—hence, for these people, the term distinguished between town and country...
near Lewes, under the direction of M. le Baron and Madame la Baronne de Saint-Péreuse".
In about 1960, the mother of one girl was said to have chosen the school "on account of the pleasing decoration in the headmistress's study".
By 1963, the school was "recognized as efficient" by the Ministry of Education
Ministry of Education (United Kingdom)
The administration of education policy in the United Kingdom began in the 19th century. Official mandation of education began with the Elementary Education Act 1870 for England and Wales, and the Education Act 1872 for Scotland...
.
On 30 May 1974, the school marked its Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee
A Golden Jubilee is a celebration held to mark a 50th anniversary.- In Thailand :King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the world's longest-reigning monarch, celebrated his Golden Jubilee on 9 June 1996.- In the Commonwealth Realms :...
with an event at Goldsmiths' Hall, in the City of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
. In 1979, the number of girls in the school was reported as 125.
In 1983, the school had 120 girls, of whom 110 were boarders. The core curriculum then consisted of English, History, Geography, Maths, French, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Music and Physical Education. In that year, plans for the future closure of the school were set in motion and Lewes District Council produced a development brief for its land.
In 1988, the school closed and its premises were sold, the proceeds being used to establish Southover Manor General Educational Trust Limited, the object of which is "to advance for the public benefit the education of boys and girls under the age of 25 years in any manner being exclusively charitable as the Governing Body of the Trust may from time to time determine". Houses were built on the school's former playing fields, street names including Cluny Street.
Records of the school and its educational trust between the years 1939 and 1988 are held at the East Sussex Record Office, accession number ACC 9256. Draft conveyances and leases for the school between 1929 and 1939 (part of the papers of Adams and Remers of Lewes, Solicitors) are also in the Record Office.
Headmistresses
- 1929–1959: Miss J. I. E. Aspden, d. 1963
- 1959–1970: Priscilla Stucley, Countess Zamoyska
- 1970–1980: Mrs M. B. Proctor (later Lady Downward), d. aged 83 in 2008.
- Mrs Edward Forrest LGSM LTCL, appointed 1980
Notable old girls
- Lady Annabel GoldsmithLady Annabel GoldsmithLady Annabel Goldsmith is a British socialite and the eponym for a celebrated London nightclub of the late 20th century, Annabel's. She was first married for two decades to entrepreneur Mark Birley, the creator of Annabel's, which she helped make a glamorous success as her husband's inaugural...
- Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall
- Hermione, Countess of RanfurlyHermione, Countess of RanfurlyHermione, Countess of Ranfurly, OBE, , was the British author of To War With Whitaker: The Wartime Diaries of the Countess of Ranfurly, 1939–1945...
(1913-2000), author - Christina DodwellChristina DodwellChristina Dodwell FRGS is a British explorer, travel writer, and lecturer. She is Chairman of the Dodwell Trust and was awarded the Mungo Park Medal in 1989....
- Lady Digby (born 1934)
- Pamela Sharples, Baroness SharplesPamela Sharples, Baroness SharplesPamela Sharples, Baroness Sharples is a British Conservative Party politician. She was made a life peer after the assassination of her husband, Sir Richard Sharples, Governor of Bermuda....
(born 1923) - Mary Fagan (born 1939), Lord-Lieutenant of Hampshire since 1994
- Nicky Ferguson (1949–2007), botanical author
- Katherine Hamilton (b. 1954), artist
External links
- Southover Manor School on facebook.com