St Brandon's School was an

independent school A private school or independent school is a school not administered or funded by the government, unlike a State school, public school. Private schools are schools that are not dependent upon national or local government to finance their fina ...

incorporating an infant and junior school and a senior boarding school for girls, located in the town of

Clevedon Clevedon (, ) is a seaside town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the unitary authority of North Somerset, England. It recorded a parish population of 21,281 in the United Kingdom Census 2011, estimated at 21,442 in 2019. It lies ...

Somerset Somerset ( , ), Archaism, archaically Somersetshire ( , , ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel, Gloucestershire, and Bristol to the north, Wiltshire to the east ...

, in South West England. The school was opened in 1831 and closed in 2004.

History

The school was founded in 1830 by Reverend Holmes, minister of Christ Church in Gloucester, and Miss Abraham, as the Clergy Daughters' School, opening in

Gloucester Gloucester ( ) is a cathedral city, non-metropolitan district and the county town of Gloucestershire in the South West England, South West of England. Gloucester lies on the River Severn, between the Cotswolds to the east and the Forest of Dean ...

in 1831. In 1833, the school moved '..to a house on the Royal Fort site', and in 1862 to Great George Street on St Brandon's Hill in Bristol, in premises for which the architect was

William Venn Gough William Venn Gough (1842–1918) was an architect responsible for a number of prominent buildings in Bristol. His works include the Cabot Tower, Colston's Girls' School (now Montpelier High School), Trinity Road Library, St Aldhelm's church ...

. The name of the school was changed to St Brandon's Clergy Daughters' School after its location in 1904 to distinguish it from other Clergy Daughters' Schools at Brighton, Casterton and Darley Dale, and this was shortened to St Brandon's School in the 1930s. A junior department was opened in Henbury in 1933, and plans were made to move the senior school there. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, the school was evacuated to the Bishop's Palace in Wells. In 1945, it bought and moved to Clevedon Hall, where it remained until 1991. It erected some additional school buildings in the grounds, including a new wing which was opened by the

Duchess of Gloucester Duchess of Gloucester is the principal Courtesy titles in the United Kingdom, courtesy title used by the wife of the Duke of Gloucester. There have been five titles referring to Gloucester since the 14th century. The current duchess is Birgitt ...

in 1958. The school had financial difficulties, with debts of about £1 million, in late 1990, and the senior school was closed in July 1991. The infant and junior schools were sold in 1992 and continued as coeducational institutions in lower grounds of the Clevedon Hall estate. St Brandon's School was closed in 2004,

Accident

In the

Burns' Day storm The Burns' Day Storm (also known as Cyclone Daria) was an extremely violent windstorm that took place on 25–26 January 1990 over North-Western Europe. It is one of the strongest European windstorms on record and caused many fatalities in the ...

in 1990, a conservatory collapsed, and a pupil was killed and four, or possibly five, others injured.

Notable former pupils

* Jenny Barraclough *

Monica Edwards Monica Edwards (née Monica le Doux Newton; 8 November 1912 – 18 January 1998) was an English children's writer of the mid-twentieth century best known for her Romney Marsh and Punchbowl Farm series of children's novels. Early life She was ...

* Margaret Gilmore * Sue Hamilton *

Daphne Pearson Joan Daphne Mary Pearson, (25 May 1911 – 25 July 2000) was a Women's Auxiliary Air Force officer during the Second World War and one of only thirteen female recipients of the George Cross, the highest decoration for gallantry not in the face ...

History

Accident

Notable former pupils

References

Further reading