Godolphin School is an independent

boarding Boarding may refer to: *Boarding, used in the sense of "room and board", i.e. lodging and meals as in a: ** Boarding house **Boarding school *Boarding (horses) (also known as a livery yard, livery stable, or boarding stable), is a stable where ho ...

and day school for girls in

Salisbury Salisbury ( ) is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England with a population of 41,820, at the confluence of the rivers Avon, Nadder and Bourne. The city is approximately from Southampton and from Bath. Salisbury is in the southeast of ...

, England, which was founded in 1726 and opened in 1784. The school educates girls between the ages of three and eighteen.

History

Godolphin was founded by Elizabeth Godolphin using her own money and some from the estate of her husband, Charles. She created the school originally for the education of eight young orphaned gentlewomen. According to the terms of the will, the beneficiaries were to be daughters of members of the

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Brit ...

, between eight and twelve years of age, born in Salisbury or some other Wiltshire town, and to have had "some portion left to them but not exceeding £400". The girls were to be taught to "dance, work, read, write, cast accounts and the business of housewifery". This was a fairly advanced curriculum for its time, since girls of this class were expected to be able to read but not necessarily to be able to write. The new charity was initially to be administered by her nephew William Godolphin and his heirs, The dean and chapter declined to take on the task on the grounds that the idea of educating women was "mere foolery and dreaming". Every year, in November, the school commemorates its founder Elizabeth Godolphin when the head girl, accompanied by members of the upper sixth, lay a wreath on her tomb in the cloister of

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. This ceremony is known to girls past and present as "Commem." The school did not open its doors until 9 August 1784, when it was set up in Rosemary Lane, in the Cathedral Close, Salisbury. It later occupied various houses in the vicinity, including Arundells, more recently the home of

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, and finally the King's House. A prospectus of 1789, written by the headmistress, Mrs Voysey, promised a regime of early rising, "agreeable exercise" and a diet of wholesome books "such as enlarge the heart to Virtue and excellency of Sentiment". Following an outbreak of

cholera Cholera is an infection of the small intestine by some strains of the bacterium '' Vibrio cholerae''. Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe. The classic symptom is large amounts of watery diarrhea that lasts a few days. Vomiting an ...

in 1848, the school moved to Milford Hill, where for nearly half a century it occupied various premises, including Fawcett House on Elm Grove, which was later to become the Swan School. Under the leadership of Miss Polhill (1854–1857) and M. T. Andrews (1875–1890), numbers were small and the curriculum narrow. Then, in 1890, Mary Douglas arrived. Described variously as a 'headmistress of genius' and 'the second founder of the School', her headship saw a tenfold increase in numbers from 23 in 1890 to 230 in 1920, the year she retired. In 1891, the distinctive red-brick building on the top of Milford Hill was opened at a cost of £4000, and in the years that followed several new boarding houses were added. During the 1890s school fees were 4 guineas per term for pupils under 12, 5 guineas for pupils from 12 to 15, and 6 guineas for pupils over 15. In 1904 an additional six acres were purchased to extend the school grounds, which were then landscaped on the side facing Laverstock. In 1914 oak panelling, which gives the hall its unique atmosphere, was installed; and in 1925 an open-air swimming pool was opened. Additions to the school since the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

have included a new library building, several new boarding houses, a science and technology block, a prep school, a performing arts centre, an indoor swimming pool with fitness centre, a new boarding house and a Sixth Form Centre. The arms and motto of the school are those of the Godolphin family. The motto ''Franc ha leal eto ge'' is Old Cornish and means 'Frank and loyal art thou'. The formal uniform includes a blazer, skirt, shirt, a traditional "pinny" and boater. Godolphin was awarded the ''Sunday Times'' Southwest Independent Secondary School of the Year 2019.

Headmistresses

* Mrs Voysey *1784–: Miss Giffard (Mrs Davis) *1815–: Anna Maria Alford *1829–: Miss Emily *1832–1854: Margaret Bazeley *1854–1857: Miss Polhill (Mrs Cother) *1857–1875: Emma Polhill *1875–1890: M. T. Andrews *1890–1919: Mary Alice Douglas *1920–1935: Cecily Ray Ash *1935–1940: D. M. M. Edwards-Rees *1940–1958: G. May Jerred *1958–1967: Miss Engledow *1968–1980: Veronica Fraser *1980–1989: Elizabeth Prescott-Decie (Hannay) *1989–1996: Hilary Fender *1996–2010: Jill Horsburgh *2010–2013: Samantha Price *2014–2022: Emma Hattersley *2022– : Jenny Price

Notable former pupils

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, actor * Sheila Callender, haematologist * Mary Cartwright, mathematician * Jilly Cooper, writer * Molly Harrower, psychologist * Deborah Meaden, business entrepreneur * Dame Anna Pauffley, High Court judge * Isabel Quigly, novelist and award-winning translator * Dorothy L. Sayers, writer * Mary Spender, singer and songwriter * Dorothy Spicer, aviatrix, first woman to gain an advanced qualification in

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Catherine Steadman Catherine Steadman is a British actress and author. Career Steadman trained at the Oxford School of Drama and made her screen debut playing Julia Bertram in ''Mansfield Park''. Since then she has appeared in television series such as ''The Tudo ...

, actor and writer * Theodora Turner, nurse * Minette Walters, writer * Hannah White, sailor

References

* *The Godolphin Book, compiled by Mary Alice Douglas, published 1928

External links

*
Muddy Stilettos ReviewGood Schools Guide ReviewTatler Schools Guide 2019Sunday Times Southwest Independent Secondary School of the Year 2019
*

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{{authority control Independent schools in Wiltshire Girls' schools in Wiltshire Educational institutions established in 1726 1726 establishments in England Boarding schools in Wiltshire Member schools of the Girls' Schools Association Schools in Salisbury