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A R C H I V E S
few female teachers. Her successor, Pat
Phillips, ‘an accomplished Modern Linguist’,
also taught and helped with music tuition
as well as providing pastoral care and
accommodation for the first female pupils.
Jo Martin served as Bursar Hubert Beales’
Secretary 1955-1975, Mrs Barnes, the wife
of the former School Porter, held the title
of ‘Lodge Manageress’ for over 39 years
retiring in 1970. Leila Hill was a member
of the domestic service team at Sing’s and
Field House for over 52 years from 1949 to
2001 and Peggy Mutter the OSE Secretary
from 1946 to 1989. They were all, in their
time, well known to all or most of the
School and OSE.
A succession of School and House
Nurses will never be forgotten by those
who turned to their tender care in times of
need; they also often provided mentoring
and a kind word as well as administering
all manner of potions and bandages. Miss
Bishop, or ‘Popper’ to the boys, was a
much-admired School Matron from 1886
to 1912, whose duties included dispensing
not only medications but also clean collars
(every Wednesday) to the whole School.
Sister Phillips, known as the ‘Reluctant
Dragon’ between the wars, and Monica
Grimwade from 1950 to1968, known as
‘Bloody Mary’ due to her highly individual
manner of administering injections, were
unforgettable, as was Sister Murphy
‘whose brusqueness and intolerance for
the malingerer, concealed a surprisingly soft
heart’ (Malcolm Oxley). Elsie Matthews
was the Nurse at Tilly’s and Macnamara’s
for 25 years from 1941 to 1966, Kay Puxley
was another stalwart House Nurse for
Cowell’s and Segar’s from 1949 to 1970,
a war widow with a young son. She was
succeeded by Violet Davies who then
stayed on for another 22 years until 2001.
Other long serving House Nurses included
Di Bushnell from 1971 to 2002 at Tilly’s
and Jane Haddock from 1973 to 1997
(also parent of four boys at the School) at
both Tilly’s and Macnamara’s, overseeing
the change from boys to girls at the latter.
In 1947 Joan Greswell, House Nurse of
Field House married Roger Northcote-
Green, Housemaster of Macnamara’s,
the first ever such union in the School’s
history, causing all sorts of ripples in the
bachelor-dominated Common Room.
Later in the School’s history four wives
of Housemasters also served as House
Nurses including Yvonne Evans, Josie
Church, Ann Arkell and Sheilah Peregrine.
'Annies and Johns’ in 1876. Mrs. Edwards, one of the first school matrons is seated far left
Sister Phillips in 1939