Ascham St. Vincent's School

The school was founded by the Rev William Newcombe Willis in 1889 with one pupil. Willis, a graduate of St John's College, Cambridge, was appointed curate at the parish church at Meads in Eastbourne. A year later he married Sophia Caroline Baker and he and his wife decided to use their house in Selwyn Road as a small school called Ascham. He named the school after Roger Ascham, a fellow of St. John's College, Cambridge and tutor to Lady Jane Grey in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Between 1891 and 1905 they had seven children at a time but in 1908 the numbers had increased. In that year they joined with St Vincent's School in Carlisle Road and became known as Ascham St Vincent's. Later,…