The Convent of the Assumption at

Sidmouth Sidmouth () is a town on the English Channel in Devon, South West England, southeast of Exeter. With a population of 12,569 in 2011, it is a tourist resort and a gateway to the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site. A large part of the town has ...

Devon Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devon is ...

, was a

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

girls-only, private boarding school.

History

Arrival of the Sisters of the Assumption (1882-1914)

The Sisters of the

Religious of the Assumption The Religious of the Assumption is an international Roman Catholic women's congregation founded by Saint Marie Eugénie Milleret in Paris in 1839, and dedicated to the education of young girls. The Assumption Mission Associates is an affiliated ...

are a

, female congregation founded in Paris in 1839 by Saint Anne Eugenie Milleret (in her religious life took the name Marie Eugenie of Jesus) along with Fr. Theodore Combalot. The nuns of this congregation arrived in Sidmouth in 1882 first settling at Cottington House, before relocating to their new, purpose-built convent two years later (in 1884). The convent's chapel served the local Catholic parish at this time.

A school is established (1914 - 1976)

One of the founding motivations for the congregation was the "regeneration of society through the education of girls and women" therefore, when three Belgium girls sheltering from the devastation of the Great War were not able to return home (and were subsequently joined by other girls from Belgium), the sisters decided to begin teaching at the site. The first lessons were held on 13 September 1914. The convent's Mother Superior from 1911 to 1928, Ellen Lansdell (9 April 1861 - 18 June 1949), a nun who was also known as Mother Lelia, is credited with starting to teach at the site (along with two other sisters), effectively founding the school.

House system

There were two houses that the students gained admission to once they had achieved high academic and sporting prowess and demonstrated good conduct; these were St. Paul's (green) and St. Peter's (red).

British Council association

The convent school at Sidmouth was the first and only independent preparatory school to be members of the British Council's Education Counselling Service, which accounts for the large international presence from the school's earliest days.

Associated people

*The English hymn writer

Matthew Bridges Matthew Bridges (14 July 1800 – 6 October 1894) was a British-Canadian hymnodist. Life Bridges was born in Essex, England on 14 July 1800, the youngest son of John Bridges of Maldon, Essex and brother of the Rev Charles Bridges, a priest of th ...

(14 July 1800 - 6 October 1894), who wrote the lyrics to

Crown Him with Many Crowns "Crown Him with Many Crowns" is an 1851 hymn with lyrics written by Matthew Bridges and Godfrey Thring and sung to the tune 'Diademata' by Sir George Job Elvey. The hymn appears in many hymnals. The full twelve verses of the song (which has two- ...

along with

Godfrey Thring Godfrey Thring (25 March 1823 – 13 September 1903), was an Anglican clergyman and hymn writer. Life Godfrey Thring was born at Alford, Somerset, the son of the rector, Rev. John Gale Dalton Thring and Sarah née Jenkyns. He was brother of Th ...

, had a home at the site and is buried there. *Mother Margaret McFarlin, nun and educator, and the person credited with steering

Siegfried Sassoon Siegfried Loraine Sassoon (8 September 1886 – 1 September 1967) was an English war poet, writer, and soldier. Decorated for bravery on the Western Front, he became one of the leading poets of the First World War. His poetry both describ ...

towards the Catholic faith, taught at the convent. Sassoon once described her as "the greatest benefactor of my life". *The English scholar,

Christopher Dawson Christopher Henry Dawson (12 October 188925 May 1970) was a British independent scholar, who wrote many books on cultural history and Christendom. Dawson has been called "the greatest English-speaking Catholic historian of the twentieth century ...

sent both his daughters to board at the convent in Sidmouth.

St. John's International School, Devon (1976 - present)

The former convent's buildings now form St John's International School, a lay, independent, co-educational day and boarding school. In 2007, the school was brought under the International Education Systems (IES) umbrella.

References

{{authority control Boarding schools in Devon Girls' schools in Devon Defunct schools in Devon Defunct Catholic schools in the Diocese of Plymouth Sidmouth Defunct boarding schools in England