Hillbrow School

Hillbrow School was an English boys' preparatory school founded by John William Joseph Vecquerary, a Prussian by birth, the recently recruited modern languages master at Rugby School, in 1859. He was followed by T.J. Eden, who according to Duncan Grant, one of its most famous pupils, ran "a Spartan institution with only about forty pupils", which was a feed school to Rugby. The name Hillbrow, however, was not used until some time later, and was taken from the name of the building erected to house the school.

Twentieth Century

In the First World War the school moved to Overslade House, also in Rugby, and in 1922 the school was taken over by W.S. Dixon. In 1940 a landmine, or perhaps two, exploded some way from Overslade, and blew out all the windows. The school was therefore evacuated to Featherstone Castle in Northumberland. George Bennett took over as headmaster in 1953, but was quickly succeeded by D.N. Clark-Lowes. In 1961 the school amalgamated with St Nicholas's School and moved to their premises at Ridley Hall, Northumberland. In 1962 D.N. Clark-Lowes resigned, and the name Hillbrow ceased to be used. St Nicholas's closed a few years later.

Famous Pupils

Famous pupils before 1922 were Rupert Brooke, First World War poet (1887-1915), Duncan Grant (b. 21 Jan 1885), artist, James Strachey, psychoanalyst and biographer (b. 26 Sept 1887), Robert Graves (b. 24 Jul 1895), poet and writer, and Hubert Leslie (1890-1976), silhouettist.