Epworth School is a

private Private or privates may refer to: Music * "In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorded ...

Christian School with a

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a Protestant Christianity, Christian Christian tradition, tradition whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother ...

ethos, located on a campus in Scottsville in

Pietermaritzburg Pietermaritzburg (; ) is the capital and second-largest city in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa after Durban. It was named in 1838 and is currently governed by the Msunduzi Local Municipality. The town was named in Zulu after King ...

in the

KwaZulu-Natal KwaZulu-Natal (, also referred to as KZN) is a Provinces of South Africa, province of South Africa that was created in 1994 when the government merged the Zulu people, Zulu bantustan of KwaZulu ("Place of the Zulu" in Zulu language, Zulu) and ...

province of South Africa. Epworth is an independent school (and a member of the

Independent Schools Association of Southern Africa The Independent Schools Association of Southern Africa (ISASA) is the largest and oldest association of independent schools in Southern Africa. ISASA traces its origins back to the Conference of Headmasters and Headmistresses formed in 1929, and m ...

) catering for boys and girls in Grades RRR to 7 and girls from Grades 8 to 12. The boarding establishment caters for girls-only boarding from Grades 8 to 12, on a termly, weekly or overnight boarding basis.

Origin

In 1898 the

Natal Witness ''The Witness'' (previously ''The Natal Witness'') is a daily newspaper published in Pietermaritzburg. It mainly serves readers in Pietermaritzburg, Durban and the inland areas of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It is the oldest continuously p ...

carried an advertisement heralding the opening of a new school in "healthy and commodious premises". This had been requested by the Revd G W Rogers and Mr Justice Mason in a letter to Miss Emily Lowe and the Misses Emma and Charlotte Mason, who were staying together in London. The request was that Miss Lowe and Miss Emma Mason open a school in Maritzburg, as it was then called. This request was seconded by a number of Methodist laymen and ministers, the intention being that once the school was established the Wesleyan Church would take it over.

History

Epworth School was founded in 1898 by Miss Emily Lowe and Miss Emma Mason. It was named after the birthplace in

Lincolnshire Lincolnshire (), abbreviated ''Lincs'', is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber regions of England. It is bordered by the East Riding of Yorkshire across the Humber estuary to th ...

John Wesley John Wesley ( ; 2 March 1791) was an English cleric, Christian theology, theologian, and Evangelism, evangelist who was a principal leader of a Christian revival, revival movement within the Church of England known as Methodism. The societies ...

, the founder of Methodism, the alternative suggestion of the name, "Victoria", after the reigning

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...

having been rejected. The doors opened on 3 August 1898, with an enrolment of children of the early Natal settlers, in all, 45 pupils, 26 seniors and 19 kindergarten pupils.

Notable Alumnae

Ethel Doidge Ethel Mary Doidge (1887–1965) was a British born, South African mycologist and bacteriologist. __NOTOC__ Doidge was born in Nottingham, England on 31 May 1887 and was educated in South Africa at Epworth School in Pietermaritzburg and Hugue ...

, biologist * Jane Porter (romance author) * Jenny Schreiner, politician, anti-apartheid activist

Notes and references

* *

External links

* {{KZNSchools Girls' schools in South Africa High schools in South Africa Primary schools in South Africa Boarding schools in South Africa Methodist schools in South Africa Private schools in KwaZulu-Natal Educational institutions established in 1898 1898 establishments in the Colony of Natal Buildings and structures in Pietermaritzburg