Ipswich High School – The Elliston Connection

The current sixth form common room was named the ‘Elliston Room’ in 1992 when IHS first moved to Woolverstone and in those early years it was in use as a conference and meeting room. Prior to that, it had been a history classroom during the time of Woolverstone Hall Boys’ School and originally, it had been the principal bedroom of the Berners family. Indeed, in 1886 when Dr W. A. Elliston came to tend to Mr John Berners in his final days, little would he have known that the master bedroom would one day bear his own family’s name.

As well as being a qualified doctor, surgeon and member of the Ipswich borough council, (and later President of the British Medical Association in 1900), Dr William Albert Elliston (b. 1840) was one of a small group of local notable people who petitioned for the creation of Ipswich High School in 1878 under the Girls’ Public Day School Company. His support as one of the school’s six guarantors in its early days was immense. His daughter, Janet Elliston, joined Ipswich High School (then based in Northgate Street) on its opening day, her sister Mabel following soon after. Many years later, when Dr Elliston died, his son, Mr William Rowley Elliston, took up his father’s interest in the school, eventually becoming chairman of the board. Between father and son, they were heavily involved in the running of the school for its first 76 years.

Mr William Rowley Elliston married an Ipswich High Old Girl, Ethel Mary Walton who had been a pupil from 1884. William Rowley was a barrister, standing for parliament for Woodbridge and Colchester, and later was the Mayor of Ipswich (1927-8). Their own daughters, Dorothy and Kitty also attended Ipswich High School. After serving many years as a member of the Local Committee, William Rowley became Chairman of the Governors and held the office until 1944, acting as a friend and counsellor to successive Headmistresses and members of staff. He took pride in knowing personally many of the pupils and his knowledge of the buildings and the grounds was second to none, he often popped in for an informal visit to Westerfield Road (the school’s second premises) whilst on a walk round Christchurch Park. In a more formal role, he attended prize-giving ceremonies over a number of decades, distributing prizes and donating books to the school and its students every year.

In 1933, his daughter, Dorothy married the MP of Dundee, Sir Dingle Mackintosh Foot and Kitty later became an artist, exhibiting at the Royal Academy and working at the Slade School of Fine Art. Both were longstanding members of the Old Girls’ Association and supported the school over the course of their lives.

To this day, the Lady Foot prize for community service is given every year to a member of the school, in commemoration of Dorothy, Lady Foot. She herself had been the beneficiary of her great great grandfather, George Elliston, and as acknowledgement of his goodwill, she gifted the school his portrait, which hangs in the Leggett Room at present.