Polam Hall
Encyclopedia
Polam Hall is an independent school located in the town of Darlington
, County Durham
, England
. The Head is John Moreland.
In 1825 Jonathan Backhouse a financial backer of the railways bought 'Polam Hill' and was responsible for renovations including the landscaping of the grounds; it was not until 1828 that his wife Hannah (née Chapman Gurney) and family moved in. As Members of the Darlington Society of Friends (Quakers) and Ministers they undertook missionary work resulting in them having to travel extensively around England and America. As cousins of Edward Pease, Joseph John Gurney
and Elizabeth Fry
they were able to work with each other to improve their world. In the 1841 census the family are listed as living in 'Polam Hall' but it is understood that both Jonathan who died in 1842 and Hannah who died in 1850 continued to refer to their home as 'Polam Hill'.
'Polam Hall' was sold to William and Robert Thompson who leased it to the Procter sisters for use as a Quaker ladies’ finishing school. The Thompsons went into liquidation in 1878 and one of their largest creditors, Arthur Pease, became Polam’s new owner.
Notable Old Scholars include:
Darlington
Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, part of the ceremonial county of County Durham, England. It lies on the small River Skerne, a tributary of the River Tees, not far from the main river. It is the main population centre in the borough, with a population of 97,838 as of 2001...
, County Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The Head is John Moreland.
History of Polam Hall
Mr Harrington Lee a prominent Darlington Merchant built a house in the country in 1794 and lived there with his family for twenty seven years; upon his death in 1824 his remaining family sold the property in the area referred to as 'Polam Hill'.In 1825 Jonathan Backhouse a financial backer of the railways bought 'Polam Hill' and was responsible for renovations including the landscaping of the grounds; it was not until 1828 that his wife Hannah (née Chapman Gurney) and family moved in. As Members of the Darlington Society of Friends (Quakers) and Ministers they undertook missionary work resulting in them having to travel extensively around England and America. As cousins of Edward Pease, Joseph John Gurney
Joseph John Gurney
Joseph John Gurney was a banker in Norwich, England and an evangelical Minister of the Religious Society of Friends , whose views and actions led, ultimately, to a schism among American Quakers.-Biography:...
and Elizabeth Fry
Elizabeth Fry
Elizabeth Fry , née Gurney, was an English prison reformer, social reformer and, as a Quaker, a Christian philanthropist...
they were able to work with each other to improve their world. In the 1841 census the family are listed as living in 'Polam Hall' but it is understood that both Jonathan who died in 1842 and Hannah who died in 1850 continued to refer to their home as 'Polam Hill'.
'Polam Hall' was sold to William and Robert Thompson who leased it to the Procter sisters for use as a Quaker ladies’ finishing school. The Thompsons went into liquidation in 1878 and one of their largest creditors, Arthur Pease, became Polam’s new owner.
School Census Statistics up to 1901
| Year | Residence | Staff | Visitors | Servants | Boarders | Age Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1841 | Church Lane, Selby | 3 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 7–15 |
| 1851 | Selby House, 78 Hungate, Darlington | 4 | 0 | 3 | 14 | 9–18 |
| 1861 | Polam Hall, Darlington | 4 | 0 | 7 | 31 | 11–18 |
| 1871 | Polam Hall, Darlington | 5 | 0 | 7 | 23 | 10–20 |
| 1881 | Polam Hall, Darlington | 5 | 1 | 9 | 31 | 12–18 |
| 1891 | Polam Hall, Darlington | 6 | 0 | 5 | 19 | 12–18 |
| 1901 | Polam Hall, Darlington | 2 | 0 | 17 | 11 | 12–19 |
| Location of Birth | 1841 | 1851 | 1861 | 1871 | 1881 | 1891 | 1901 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yorkshire | 7 | 7 | 10 | 13 | 16 | 5 | 5 |
| Durham | 0 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 19 | 4 | 11 |
| Newcastle Upon Tyne | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Northumberland | 1 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Lancashire | 0 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Cambridgeshire | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Huntingdon | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ireland | 0 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| France | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Germany | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Cheshire | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Worcester | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Coventry | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oxfordshire | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Westmoreland | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Surrey | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cornwall | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| London | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Scotland | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Wales | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Kent | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Warwickshire | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Herefordshire | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Suffolk | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Northamptonshire | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Somerset | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Cumberland | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Essex | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Polam Old Scholars
The Polam Hall Old Scholars Association (PHOSA) has existed since 1894 and now is a Registered Charity in its own right (No. 1058652), throughout the year the old scholars receive an annual Newsletter and have the opportunity to attend the PHOSA AGM at the school every June.Notable Old Scholars include:
- Ruth GemmellRuth Gemmell-Early life:Ruth Gemmell was born in Darlington, Durham, England. She has three brothers. She attended an all girls school in Darlington called Polam Hall.Her parents divorced when she was a child and she moved with her mother to Darlington from Barnard Castle....
Actor, Theatre Director & Playwright - Ann JellicoeAnn JellicoeAnn Jellicoe is a British actor, theatre director and playwright. Although her work has covered many areas of theatre and film, she is best known for "pushing the envelope" of the stage play, devising new forms which challenge and delight unconventional audiences...
Actor, Theatre Director & Playwright - Maria Jane Taylor (née Dyer) 19th century Protestant Christian missionary in China
External links
- polamhall.com, Polam Hall School's official website
- http://www.isbi.com/viewschool.asp?school=2570-Polam_Hall_School, Polam Hall on ISBI Schools
- http://www.pbase.com/search?q=polam+, Old Polam Hall Photos on pbase