By Hannah Jalal
Promising, prestigious and propitious. Our school has led students towards a brighter future for centuries, dating back to the 1600s. Originally located in Paris, St Augustine’s Priory made an effort to nurture students at the original school centre during the 17th century, empowering young women to live to their full potential. In 1631, Lettuce Mary Tredway, an English nun residing at the convent of Notre Dame de Beaulieu in Douai, France, along with Father Thomas Carre, a priest at the English College in Douai, had a dream.
A dream that would change lives for the better, opening opportunities many would think were closed doors. He envisioned the idea of founding an order in France, for the English women seeking to follow their religious duties but were prevented from doing so due to the religious oppression to Catholicism in England.
During the year of 1634, The Augustinian Canonesses Regular of the Lateran opened in Paris. Six English women were selected to form the start of a community that would soon become family. This included a young woman of age 13, by the name of ‘Margaret Dormer’. Since she was too young to become a nun like the others, the stars would align, beginning with Dormer as our school’s very first student.
Over the course of 250 years, the community on the Rue des Fosses St Victor flourished at the heart of European events, including the French Revolution, Napoleon’s Reign, and the Duke of Wellington’s visit. In 1848, the convent and school moved to Neuilly after the property was demolished, continuing to allow students to flourish with education in a new environment.
The world was rapid and changing. St Augustine’s Priory, with grace and integrity, opened their doors to London, Ealing, where their common home was shared. The site was bought during 1911, following The Second World War, where “London was bombed during the Blitz, yet the school continued operating”, as reported by Wikipedia. Lessons would continue when air raids were blared, led by canonesses.
Although the nuns left St Augustine’s Priory in the autumn of 1996, their hopes and dreams continue to thrive through the enthusiasm of Augustinians today. The spirit of St Augustine’s Priory continues to live on in their students, as they further their education at the best universities in the world. From Oxford, to Cambridge, to even the University of Bristol. Our community continues to grow, with our mission stronger than ever: “Our Girls Will Change the World.”