Pears Hall

Steuart Adolphus Pears

Repton School in Derbyshire was founded in 1557 under Mary Tudor, but probably has older roots. Repton was capital of Mercia during Anglo-Saxon times, and likely to have had a school from about 700 AD.

However it declined in the 1700s and was virtually re-founded when Steuart Adolphus Pears became headmaster in 1854. Today it is one of the great English public schools.

To commemorate his headmastership from 1854 to 1874, the Pears Hall was built. The foundations were laid in December 1884, and the building was formally opened on Speech Day 1886. It is now called Pears School.

The Reverend John Gould 1849-1920, who was housemaster of Latham House, donated its stained glass east window.

The Gould window is of the finest quality, made by James Powell and Son, the best craftsmen of their day. Its fifteen lights include images of the 1557 founder Sir John Port and his executor Sir Richard Harpur (1). John Gould ("Johnnie") was a greatly loved housemaster and an inspiration for the hero of James Hilton's novel Goodbye, Mr Chips. Indeed the 1939 Robert Donat film of the book was made at Repton.

The hall also contains a portrait of Dr Pears painted by Sir Francis Grant 1803-1878, originally presented to Mrs Pears and later given to the school by her family.

Reference

(1) Records and Reminiscences of Repton edited by G.S. Messiter (1907) pages 12 and 13.

The photograph illustrating the interior of Pears Hall was taken by kind permission of Repton School.