St. Mary's Town and Country School
Encyclopedia
St. Mary's Town and Country School was an independent, non-denominational, co-educational progressive day and boarding school, founded in Belsize Park
, London
in 1937. It closed at the end of 1982.
The school was owned and run by Mrs Elisabeth Paul PhD
(née Selver), assisted by her husband Henry Paul, both of German-Jewish origin. In 1937 they bought the school, originally called St. Mary's School, at 1 Belsize Avenue. The school curriculum was biased toward the learning of languages and the arts from an early age, and the pupils, aged 4 to 18 years, were primarily the children of artists, musicians, writers, film producers and actors.
coast at Beesands
. Many of the pupils then were from Jewish refugee families which had escaped from Germany.
When France surrendered, with the threat of a German invasion, the school was moved inland to Yarkhill
Court near Hereford
, and stayed there until the end of the war. Yarkhill Court was a small Victorian manor house attached to a working mixed farm, and next to the river Frome. Accommodation was on three floors, but there was only one bathroom. Pupils could volunteer to cultivate the kitchen garden, they could go hop-picking, and there were pottery classes. The barn was used to stage school plays in French and German. Pupils were allowed to camp "wild" on the local common at half-term weekends. Mr Paul, in London, joined the Home Guard.
The next year the country branch moved to Stanford Hall near Rugby
, with Mr. and Mrs. Paul as principals. In this period academic teaching became more rigorous, with more science subjects being introduced; advantage was taken of the large picturesque grounds, and there were more sports: horse-riding, tennis, football and athletics were introduced; advantage was taken of the large ballroom to provide facilities for music and dancing. The two schools were run in close conjunction, with exchanges of pupils and staff.
In 1949 the school left Stanford Hall, which was in serious need of repair, but continued at Eton Avenue when it was still called St. Mary's Town and Country School. Mrs Paul's residence and a boarding house was established at 87 Belsize Park Gardens.
In 1951 Hedgerley
Wood was acquired, a woodland property of 16 acres (64,749.8 m²), near Chinnor
in the Chilterns, with a small swimming-pool and open-air theatre and all facilities for games and projects. This was a weekend house for a small group of boarders and day children and also for a French/English summer school for children. The Junior School regularly spent a week or more there during the summer term with its form teachers.
The school continued to be popular, and was recognized as efficient by 1960. In 1969 it was proposed to adapt the house at 31 Glenloch Road, formerly used for boarders, for teachers' accommodation and as a laboratory. By 1974 it had 186 girls and boys aged 4 to 16.
(the lessors of the school buildings) and four teachers who, through their Union, claimed back pay. Ten years earlier the school had 300 pupils, but since then the numbers had gradually diminished. Incredibly the inspectors who had visited the school only the year before had decided to do nothing when they had been told about the dire financial situation. For that summer term there were just seven pupils and seven teachers, three of who were working loyally without claiming pay to get their pupils through their O-levels. The school had been recognised as efficient in 1969, but due to the system of recognition being abolished in 1976, there was nothing the inspectors could do as long as they were satifisfied with the teaching.
Mrs Paul, living in her house at 87 Belsize Park Gardens, had become more "autocratic and withdrawn", refusing offers of help. On being interviewed, she did not want to admit her age, saying that "if people knew, I would not be allowed to be headmistress". She said she would re-open the school "once this debt business is settled" and preferred to read Victor Hugo
aloud. She lived on an eccentric diet, and admitted to being a lifelong adherent of the Alexander Technique
. She owned two large houses in Hampstead, a house in the south of France and a property in Oxfordshire (probably Hedgerley Wood).
Early in 1985 Mrs Paul was ill and owed an estimated £300,000. In November of that year the "Hampstead and Highgate Express" reported that Mrs Paul "now mentally ill" had been offered an unfair price (£225,000) for her house by the owner of the neighbouring property "Fine Art Tutors", who wanted to extend. Had a fair price been offered, Mrs Paul would have been able to pay off her creditors: ironically, the property was soon put on the market again, selling for £350,000.
Elisabeth Paul (née Selver) was born in Darmstadt
, Germany on 11 March 1892, and according to her death certificate died at Elmhurst Residential Home, 81-85 Holden Road, London N12 on 4 February 1991, of Bronchopneumonia
and Extreme Old Age. She was nearly 99.
Belsize Park
Belsize Park is an area of north-west London, England, in the London Borough of Camden.It is located north-west of Charing Cross and situated on the Northern Line. It borders Hampstead to the north and west, Kentish Town and Gospel Oak to the east, Camden Town to the south east and Primrose Hill...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1937. It closed at the end of 1982.
The school was owned and run by Mrs Elisabeth Paul PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
(née Selver), assisted by her husband Henry Paul, both of German-Jewish origin. In 1937 they bought the school, originally called St. Mary's School, at 1 Belsize Avenue. The school curriculum was biased toward the learning of languages and the arts from an early age, and the pupils, aged 4 to 18 years, were primarily the children of artists, musicians, writers, film producers and actors.
Pre-war
The school, as St. Mary's School, was run by Mrs A. Geary from 1932 at 1 Belsize Avenue until taken over by Mrs Paul.Wartime
At the onset of the war the school moved a short distance to 16 Wedderburn Road, where Mrs Paul and Mrs Ena Curry (of Dartington Hall School) were joint principals, but soon the school was evacuated to a house on the south DevonDevon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
coast at Beesands
Beesands
Beesands is located midway between Hallsands and Torcross in South Devon. Once a famous fishing village, it is now more important as a tourist destination with its setting on Start Bay. The local pub is famous for its crab sandwiches. There is an in the village dedicated to St Andrew...
. Many of the pupils then were from Jewish refugee families which had escaped from Germany.
When France surrendered, with the threat of a German invasion, the school was moved inland to Yarkhill
Yarkhill
Yarkhill is a village in Herefordshire, England located about from both Hereford and Ledbury.The village is Anglo-Saxon in origin and is a much dispersed parish, with no definable nucleus, of approximately 145 homes spread over some , comprising about 300 people. It borders the villages of...
Court near Hereford
Hereford
Hereford is a cathedral city, civil parish and county town of Herefordshire, England. It lies on the River Wye, approximately east of the border with Wales, southwest of Worcester, and northwest of Gloucester...
, and stayed there until the end of the war. Yarkhill Court was a small Victorian manor house attached to a working mixed farm, and next to the river Frome. Accommodation was on three floors, but there was only one bathroom. Pupils could volunteer to cultivate the kitchen garden, they could go hop-picking, and there were pottery classes. The barn was used to stage school plays in French and German. Pupils were allowed to camp "wild" on the local common at half-term weekends. Mr Paul, in London, joined the Home Guard.
Post-war
After the war was the most successful period for the school: in 1946 the day school re-started at two large houses at 38-40 Eton Avenue.Rugby, Warwickshire
Rugby is a market town in Warwickshire, England, located on the River Avon. The town has a population of 61,988 making it the second largest town in the county...
, with Mr. and Mrs. Paul as principals. In this period academic teaching became more rigorous, with more science subjects being introduced; advantage was taken of the large picturesque grounds, and there were more sports: horse-riding, tennis, football and athletics were introduced; advantage was taken of the large ballroom to provide facilities for music and dancing. The two schools were run in close conjunction, with exchanges of pupils and staff.
In 1949 the school left Stanford Hall, which was in serious need of repair, but continued at Eton Avenue when it was still called St. Mary's Town and Country School. Mrs Paul's residence and a boarding house was established at 87 Belsize Park Gardens.
In 1951 Hedgerley
Hedgerley
Hedgerley is a village and civil parish in South Bucks district in Buckinghamshire, England. The parish is west of Gerrards Cross and south-east of Beaconsfield...
Wood was acquired, a woodland property of 16 acres (64,749.8 m²), near Chinnor
Chinnor
Chinnor is a village and civil parish in South Oxfordshire about southeast of Thame. The village is a Spring line settlement on the Icknield Way below the Chiltern escarpment...
in the Chilterns, with a small swimming-pool and open-air theatre and all facilities for games and projects. This was a weekend house for a small group of boarders and day children and also for a French/English summer school for children. The Junior School regularly spent a week or more there during the summer term with its form teachers.
The school continued to be popular, and was recognized as efficient by 1960. In 1969 it was proposed to adapt the house at 31 Glenloch Road, formerly used for boarders, for teachers' accommodation and as a laboratory. By 1974 it had 186 girls and boys aged 4 to 16.
The end of the school
The school closed at the end of the Summer term of 1982. It was reported in the Daily Telegraph that Mrs Paul owed the Inland Revenue £84,000: other creditors included Eton CollegeEton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
(the lessors of the school buildings) and four teachers who, through their Union, claimed back pay. Ten years earlier the school had 300 pupils, but since then the numbers had gradually diminished. Incredibly the inspectors who had visited the school only the year before had decided to do nothing when they had been told about the dire financial situation. For that summer term there were just seven pupils and seven teachers, three of who were working loyally without claiming pay to get their pupils through their O-levels. The school had been recognised as efficient in 1969, but due to the system of recognition being abolished in 1976, there was nothing the inspectors could do as long as they were satifisfied with the teaching.
Mrs Paul, living in her house at 87 Belsize Park Gardens, had become more "autocratic and withdrawn", refusing offers of help. On being interviewed, she did not want to admit her age, saying that "if people knew, I would not be allowed to be headmistress". She said she would re-open the school "once this debt business is settled" and preferred to read Victor Hugo
Victor Hugo
Victor-Marie Hugo was a Frenchpoet, playwright, novelist, essayist, visual artist, statesman, human rights activist and exponent of the Romantic movement in France....
aloud. She lived on an eccentric diet, and admitted to being a lifelong adherent of the Alexander Technique
Alexander Technique
The Alexander Technique teaches the ability to improve physical postural habits, particularly those that have become ingrained and conditioned responses...
. She owned two large houses in Hampstead, a house in the south of France and a property in Oxfordshire (probably Hedgerley Wood).
Early in 1985 Mrs Paul was ill and owed an estimated £300,000. In November of that year the "Hampstead and Highgate Express" reported that Mrs Paul "now mentally ill" had been offered an unfair price (£225,000) for her house by the owner of the neighbouring property "Fine Art Tutors", who wanted to extend. Had a fair price been offered, Mrs Paul would have been able to pay off her creditors: ironically, the property was soon put on the market again, selling for £350,000.
Elisabeth Paul (née Selver) was born in Darmstadt
Darmstadt
Darmstadt is a city in the Bundesland of Hesse in Germany, located in the southern part of the Rhine Main Area.The sandy soils in the Darmstadt area, ill-suited for agriculture in times before industrial fertilisation, prevented any larger settlement from developing, until the city became the seat...
, Germany on 11 March 1892, and according to her death certificate died at Elmhurst Residential Home, 81-85 Holden Road, London N12 on 4 February 1991, of Bronchopneumonia
Bronchopneumonia
Bronchopneumonia or bronchial pneumonia or "Bronchogenic pneumonia" is the acute inflammation of the walls of the bronchioles...
and Extreme Old Age. She was nearly 99.
Notable students
- Ellen Adler - daughter of actress Stella AdlerStella AdlerStella Adler was an American actress and an acclaimed acting teacher, who founded the Stella Adler Studio of Acting in New York City and the The Stella Adler Academy of Acting in Los Angeles with long-time protege Joanne Linville, who continues to teach and furthers Adler's legacy...
- Norman Barrington - 70s Pirate DJ and creator of St. Mary's Town & Country School website from which much of the material here was gleaned.
- John Cannon - pianist and composer
- Julian Chagrin (also known as Julian Joy Chagrin) - comedian, mime artist, writer and director, son of composer Francis ChagrinFrancis ChagrinFrancis Chagrin ,) was a composer of film scores and popular orchestral music, as well as a conductor.- Career :...
and husband of actress and comedian Rolanda ChagrinRolanda Chagrin-Biography:Rolanda Chagrin was born in Bucharest and immigrated to Israel on 1961.Her childhood days she spent in Tel-Aviv, and studied in 'Ironi Daled' high school.... - Zuleika Dobson - former director of the Camden Arts CentreCamden Arts CentreCamden Arts Centre is a contemporary visual art gallery, dedicated to engaging living artists from across the world. Positioning the artist at the centre of the programme, Camden Arts Centre strives to involve the public in the ideas and work of today's artists.The exhibition and education...
in London - Peter Friedmann - dermatologist
- Inam Ikramullah - son of Mohammed IkramullahMohammed IkramullahMohammad Ikramullah KCMG was a prominent figure in the administration of Pakistan at the time of independence. As a member of the provisional government of Pakistan, before the independence, he was Secretary and Advisor at the Ministries of Commerce, Information and Broadcasting, Commonwealth...
(the first Foreign Secretary of PakistanForeign Secretary of PakistanThe Foreign Secretaries of Pakistan is the bureaucratic head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Secretary, as in all other ministries of Government of Pakistan, works under the Minister who is the member of National Assembly...
) and Begum Shaista Suhrawardy IkramullahShaista Suhrawardy IkramullahBegum Shaista Suhrawardy Ikramullah , was a prominent Pakistani female politician, diplomat and author. She was the Ambassador of Pakistan to many countries.-Family and education:...
(one of the first women in Pakistan's Constituent AssemblyConstituent Assembly of PakistanThe Constituent Assembly of Pakistan was formed to write Pakistan's constitution, and serve as its first parliament. It first convened on 11 August 1947, before the end of British rule on August 15, 1947. Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah was the first President of this Assembly until his death on...
) - Reina James - novelist and McKitterick PrizeMcKitterick PrizeThe McKitterick Prize is a United Kingdom literary prize. It is administered by the Society of Authors. It was endowed by Tom McKitterick, who had been an editor of The Political Quarterly but had also written a novel which was never published. The prize is awarded annually for a first novel by...
winner, and daughter of comedian Sid JamesSid JamesSid James was an English-based South African actor and comedian. He made his name as Tony Hancock's co-star in Hancock's Half Hour and also starred in the popular Carry On films. He was known for his trademark "dirty laugh" and lascivious persona... - Mark Landis - See entry for Laurel, Mississippi regarding Mark Landis art dealer - philanthropist - gifts to Savannah College of Art and DesignSavannah College of Art and DesignSCAD, the Savannah College of Art and Design, is a private, accredited and degree-granting university with locations in Savannah and Atlanta, Georgia, Hong Kong, and Lacoste, France.-History:...
and University of Southern Mississippi - Angus McDonald - photojournalist
- Gay Marks - writer (as Gabrielle Marks)
- Evelyne Masson-Forestier Hoover - former Field Master of the Pickering Hunt in Chester (PA), USA
- Seth Mydans - author, journalist for the New York Times and International Herald TribuneInternational Herald TribuneThe International Herald Tribune is a widely read English language international newspaper. It combines the resources of its own correspondents with those of The New York Times and is printed at 38 sites throughout the world, for sale in more than 160 countries and territories...
- Caroline MortimerCaroline MortimerCaroline Mortimer is a British actress.Caroline Mortimer was the daughter of the novelist Penelope Mortimer from her first marriage to the journalist Charles Dimont and the stepdaughter of the playwright Sir John Mortimer...
- actress - Angela PleasenceAngela PleasenceAngela Pleasence is an English actress. She is the daughter of actor Donald Pleasence and his first wife, Miriam Raymond. The surname for both daughter and father has occasionally been miscredited as "Pleasance"...
- actress - John Ravilious - writer and inventor, son of artist Eric RaviliousEric RaviliousEric William Ravilious was an English painter, designer, book illustrator and wood engraver.-Career:Ravilious studied at Eastbourne School of Art, and at the Royal College of Art, where he studied under Paul Nash and became close friends with Edward Bawden.He began his working life as a muralist,...
and brother of photographer James RaviliousJames Ravilious-Early life:Ravilious was born in Eastbourne, the second son of the neo-romantic artist Eric Ravilious.Having previously studied as an accountant, Ravilious made a career change and entered into St Martin's School of Art, London, in 1959 under the assumed name of Souryer... - Paul Robeson, Jr. - son of the legendary singer Paul RobesonPaul RobesonPaul Leroy Robeson was an American concert singer , recording artist, actor, athlete, scholar who was an advocate for the Civil Rights Movement in the first half of the twentieth century...
- Anthony (Tony) Roland - producer and director of films on art and creator of the Roland Collection
- Craig SamsCraig Sams-Early life and education:Craig Sams was born in Nebraska. He graduated from Wharton Business School in 1966.-Career:In October 1966, Sams went to England with plans to open a macrobiotic restaurant. He opened Seed, a macrobiotic restaurant in Paddington with his brother Greg Sams in 1968. The Sams...
- journalist, author and chocolatier - founder of Green and Black's chocolate - Gregory Sams - fractalFractalA fractal has been defined as "a rough or fragmented geometric shape that can be split into parts, each of which is a reduced-size copy of the whole," a property called self-similarity...
artist, social thinker, author, publisher, inventor, macrobioticist and creator of the VegeBurgerVeggie burgerA veggie burger is a hamburger-style patty that does not contain meat. The patty of a veggie burger may be made, for example, from vegetables, textured vegetable protein , legumes, nuts, dairy products, mushrooms, wheat, or eggs.... - Carole ShelleyCarole ShelleyCarole Shelley is an English actress. Among her many stage roles are the character of Madame Morrible in the original Broadway cast of the musical Wicked.-Life and career:...
- actress - Naomi Stadlen BABachelor of ArtsA Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
MAMaster of Arts (postgraduate)A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
(née Jacoby) - author and existential counselor specialising in young families and children - Alisha SufitAlisha SufitAlisha Sufit is best known as the singer-songwriter with the 1970s band Magic Carpet. She is also a visual artist and poet....
- singer, songwriter, visual artist and poet - Daughne Uniacke - photographer
- Christopher Weathersbee - author and goat farmer
Notable staff
- Mrs Elisabeth Paul PhDPHDPHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
(née Selver) - Head teacher - Miss Rosamund Gardner - Deputy head teacher
- Miss Jean Bennett N.S.RN. Certificate in Child Welfare
- Harrison BirtwistleHarrison BirtwistleSir Harrison Paul Birtwistle CH is a British contemporary composer.-Life:Birtwistle was born in Accrington, a mill town in Lancashire some 20 miles north of Manchester. His interest in music was encouraged by his mother, who bought him a clarinet when he was seven, and arranged for him to have...
External links
- Telling Tales - an early history created by Ernie Weiss, one of the school's first pupils
- St. Mary's Town & Country School website, with history, anecdotes and photographs - created by former pupil Norman Barrington
- ed. H. A. T. Child, joint principal Dartington Hall School, "The Independent Progressive School", 1962, London, Hutchinson.