We are always grateful when Old Princethorpians send us archive material to add to our collection and were delighted when Adrian Charlton (Class of 1973) came up with the goods in the shape of a St Bede’s and Princethorpe College prospectus dating from the late 1960s. He had found the prospectus while sorting through his parents’ papers. The booklet was in excellent condition and has been passed onto our new archivist, Jo Wong, for safe keeping.

Its arrival was timely, as this year we have been celebrating the 200th anniversary of the birth of Jules Chevalier, the founder of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, the order of priests who ran St Bede’s and then Princethorpe up until the late 1990s. We have marked the occasion within school in a variety of different ways, including a display of archive material focusing on the MSCs longstanding connection with the College.

The old prospectus includes wonderful descriptions of the settings of both schools, it touches on the education provided, health and diet, physical training, the uniform and sportwear required. Admissions arrangements and vacation weeks are outlined and the Princethorpe fees are stated as 35 guineas per term for day pupils and 85 guineas for full boarders.

A huge thank you to Adrian for thinking of us and if like him, you are having a sort out and find anything you would like to share, do please get in touch, we can copy and return originals to you or add them to our archive if you are happy for us to do so. If you have any queries our archivist, Jo Wong, can be contacted at archives@princethorpe.co.uk.