La Sagesse School was a 3–18, Roman Catholic, private school for girls in Jesmond, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, England. It was established in 1906 and closed in 2008. It occupied Jesmond Towers, a Grade II* listed building[2] and was located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle.
| La Sagesse School | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Construction work at the former school | |
| Address | |
 | |
The Towers, Jesmond , , NE2 3RJ England | |
| Coordinates | 54°59′55″N 1°36′22″W / 54.9985°N 1.6062°W |
| Information | |
| Type | Private school |
| Religious affiliation(s) | Roman Catholic |
| Established | 1906 |
| Closed | 2008 |
| Local authority | Newcastle City Council |
| Oversight | Roman Catholic Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle |
| Department for Education URN | 108539 Tables |
| Headteacher | Linda Clark[1] |
| Gender | Girls |
| Age range | 3–18 |
| Capacity | 262[1] |
| Website | www |
History
editJesmond Towers was built to a gothic design in the early nineteenth century.[3] In 1869 it was bought by Charles Mitchell and his wife, Anne, who made it their family home.[4] Their son, who was a great art enthusiast, displayed important paintings in the lounge.[3] In 1890, Anne's sister, Emily, who was in a state of depression following the death of her husband, threw herself from the battlements of Jesmond Towers and is said to haunt the building: she is referred to as the Pink Lady.[3]
Following Anne Mitchell's death in 1899, her son, Charles William Mitchell, inherited the house and, following Charles William Mitchell's death in 1903, the Mitchell family moved to Pallinburn, near Ford, Northumberland. Jesmond Towers was acquired by the Filles de la Sagesse (Daughters of Wisdom in English) in 1912.[a][3]
The school established its own board of governors and rented the building from the Daughters of Wisdom. However the school faced increasing competition from other local private schools (e.g. the Royal Grammar School, Newcastle) and when the Daughters of Wisdom decided to treble the rent in 2008, the Governors decided to close the school.[5]
In 2009, Freddy Shepherd (a Newcastle United F.C. shareholder) acquired the site for development and in 2013, sold the house to Jeff Winn, a solicitor, who secured that part of the site as part of a joint purchase with David Wilson Homes.[6][7][8]
Notable alumnae
edit- Gillian Allnutt, poet[9]
- Jo Beall, academic[10]
- Joanna Pickering, actress, writer, activist and model[11]
- Linden Travers, actress[12]
- Susan Williams, junior minister[13]
- Denise Welch, actress and television presenter[14]
Notes
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "La Sagesse School". Get information about schools. GOV.UK. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
- ^ Historic England. "La Sagesse school, Jesmond Towers (1024954)". National Heritage List for England.
- ^ a b c d e Convey, Sheila (2011). "The Ghost of La Sagesse". Otherworld North East. Retrieved 3 August 2019.
- ^ "Look around refurbished Jesmond Towers – once La Sagesse school, now a luxurious family home". The Chronicle. Retrieved 25 March 2018.
- ^ "Independent school to close down". BBC News. 27 March 2008. Retrieved 3 January 2009.
- ^ "Millionaire solicitor reveals plans for Jesmond Towers". The Journal. 31 July 2013.
- ^ "Jesmond Towers". Chronicle Live. 25 October 2016.
- ^ Robson, Ian (25 December 2015). "Inside the luxury La Sagesse housing development on site of former Jesmond school". nechronicle. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
- ^ Allnut, Gillian (6 August 2005). "The exile's return". The Guardian.
- ^ "Beall, Dr Jo, (born 1952), Professorial Research Fellow, London School of Economics and Political Science, since 2018". Who's Who 2021. Oxford University Press. 1 December 2020. Retrieved 14 July 2021.
- ^ Joanna Pickering, Alumna (Mathematics), University of Stirling, Computing Science and Mathematics, retrieved 15 July 2017
- ^ Bergan, Ronald (2 November 2001). "Obituary: Linden Travers" – via www.theguardian.com.
- ^ "Baroness Williams of Trafford". Gov.uk. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
- ^ "La Sagesse to close this summer". The Chronicle. Retrieved 25 March 2018.