Keeping the memories alive of Lonsdale School in Norwich

The select little day school had no need to advertise in this street of old charity and Sunday schools and then there was Mr Turner’s Classical and Commercial Academy of Young Gentlemen and the Lancastrian School for Boys nearby.

Shakespeare Cottages, 2 West Pottergate, Norwich, the birthplace of Lonsdale School (Image: Ivan Underwood of Diss)

Writing a wonderful book in 1963 to mark the first 140 years of what became known as Lonsdale School, teacher Miss S G Thicknesse, said the school opened by Mrs Garner provided young ladies with the pillars of the genteel feminine education of the time such as drawing and sketching, embroidery, sewing, singing and maybe playing the pianoforte, violin or viola.

Not forgetting deportment and dancing.

The book by Miss Thicknesse written in 1963 (Image: Newsquest Archive)

But above all Mrs Carver was said to place emphasis on religious instruction, charity, and on pleasantness towards other people, those basic verities of Evangelical education.

Jacqueline Waters and Hilary Spenceley in the purple forage caps adopted as part of the Lonsdale School uniform in 1960: Rita Belderson, Alice Brand and Jane Viney in the purple berets worn till then in the winter terms (Image: Sunday Pictorial)

Her school was flourishing in the second half of the 19th century and she presided over it for no less than 41-years during which time she had been responsible for teaching more than 200 young citizens.

In 1864 Mrs Philip Harrington acquired the Ladies’ seminary and a new era was to open in the life of the school in a Norwich which had not yet been crippled by the ruin of its ancient craft industries and the underselling of English-raised corn and meat.

Memories of Lonsdale School c. 1920s at the reunion. (Image: Lonsdale Reunion Committee)

She was among the small but growing handful of people who began to re-awaken the public conscience to the rights of women, particularly the right to professional education.

A mother of nine, three of her daughters, Annie, Mary and Jane joined her as teachers and the number of pupils grew so quickly they ran out of room.

A Lonsdale House school group, soon after the move onto Earlham Road, Norwich, near the end of the 19th century (Image: Lonsdale Reunion Committee)

In 1895 she moved the school into a big Victorian house standing in its own grounds among the fields and lanes on the country road leading to the Gurney’s House at Earlham.

The house she bought, standing to a small close then known as Lonsdale Place, was called Lonsdale House which went on to educate generations of young ladies until it closed in 1988.

The role this school played in so many lives is quite extraordinary.  It survived tough times, two world wars. It was much-loved, highly respected centre of education and more.

The Lonsdale School girls pictured in the 1960s (Image: Lonsdale School Archives)

It was a sad time when it closed its gates for the last time but the former pupils have kept in touch with each other at annual reunions…many became friends for life.

But now – the future of the gatherings could be coming to an end…unless.

The last reunion was in 2019 and the organising committee have decided it is time  for them to step down. They are looking for others to take over…if they are willing?

The last Lonsdale School reunion in 2019 at Oaklands Hotel, Norwich (Image: Lonsdale Reunion Committee)

“The Lonsdale reunions have been great fun and very rewarding, renewing friendships and meeting pupils who attended at different times to ourselves,” said Pamela Dickerson on behalf of the committee..

“We are, therefore,  asking if anyone would be interested in forming a new committee and arranging future reunions?” she added.

Former pupils should contact her at [email protected]