Written by Nigel Watson, one of the country’s foremost authors of school histories, this richly illustrated portrait tells the fascinating 140 year old story of St George’s from when it was originally founded in Croydon in 1869 as the very first Josephite school outside Belgium. The origins of the School were bound up with the Catholic renaissance movement in England. Within a few years St George’s had outgrown its original Croydon location and in 1884 moved to the spacious grounds of Woburn Park near Weybridge, which has been its home ever since.
For many years the College was reliant for much of its income on overseas borders, building strong links in particular with countries in South America. This changed with the disruption of the First World War and it was only the exertions of Fr George Kean during the 1920s that kept the College going. The post-war period was marked by the energetic leadership of Fr Peter Murtough who expanded the school, masterminded a major building programme and became the first headmaster of the College to be invited to join the Headmasters’ Conference in 1964.
The 1970s and 1980s were a period of transition as the College responded to the decline in boarding and the need to modernise the governance and administration of the school as the Josephite Community became smaller. This led to the formal separation of the Community and the College and the appointment of the first lay headmaster in the early 1990s. In 2000 the College also absorbed the nearby girls’ school of St Maur’s which resulted in another phase of expansion and provided a new home for the flourishing Junior School.
Laced with a mix of personal memories and stories The Family Album captures these many changing phases of St George’s and brings the reader right up to date with what is today a very flourishing co-educational school, which continues to have a strong family ethos and is a truly spiritual oasis in a secular world.
Included in the book will be a list of all pupils, staff and governing body on the College and Junior School role in January 2008, plus past chairmen of governors and headmasters.
Special pre-publication offer: Take advantage of the special pre-publication discount price of £25.00 + p&p. Offer closes 14 September 2008. Normal RRP £35.00
Save on the p&p: Alternatively you can order a copy online for collection from the College and save on the post and packing. You will be notified of the collection point in due course.
Publication: September 2008