Sarah Tunnicliff’s Boarding School For Young Ladies
In around 1856, Eagle House was purchased by Sarah Tunnicliff (née Gibbs). Following the purchase, Sarah moved her boarding school for young ladies from the High Street into Eagle House, where it remained in operation until at least 1894. It was the longest running of many Boarding Schools in Eccleshall and, following the move to Eagle House, it was the largest.
Sarah and her family are interesting individuals as well as being important to the history of Eagle House. We have researched their lives using newspaper archives, Parish Registers and other publicly available records.
If you know anything more about the Tunnicliff family, or are a relation, we would love to hear from you.
Parents and Siblings of Sarah Tunnicliff (née Gibbs)
Sarah, the eldest of Charles Gibbs and Sarah Milner’s six children, was born in Eccleshall around 1815. Her father was a wealthy and highly regarded man involved in various businesses. He was listed as an Ironmonger, Grocer, Tallow Chandler, and Druggist.
Charles Gibbs (1786-1826)
Sarah Milner (1774-1820)
Children;
Sarah Gibbs (1815–1873)
Esther Gibbs (1816–?)
Louisa Gibbs (1816–1879)
Henry Milner Gibbs (1819–?)
William Gibbs (1820–?)
Charles Barnett Gibbs (1820–1869)
Charles operated his diverse businesses from a spacious property on the High Street in the heart of Eccleshall. The property consisted of a shop, multiple warehouses, candle-houses, and other outbuildings. Additionally, Charles owned The Blue Bell Inn, now known simply as The Bell, situated on Eccleshall High Street. The inn was much larger back then and included stabling for up to 30 horses, an adjoining house, and various outbuildings. Charles also possessed extensive farmland, including a four-acre plot at Chebsey Lane and the five-acre Romford Meadow, which is merely 200 meters away from Eagle House. Today, Romford Meadow has been transformed into a small housing estate with 14 homes.
Charles served as one of Eccleshall’s four representatives on the ‘Charnes and Croxton Association for the Prosecution of Felons.’ In the absence of a national police force, rural communities formed such societies to prosecute criminals. Regularly, local newspapers published rewards for information leading to arrests, along with the list of representatives and the society’s objectives.
Tragedy struck on 10 May 1820, when Sarah was only five years old. Her mother passed away after giving birth to twin boys, William and Charles. Understandably, Sarah’s father struggled with the loss of his wife, and their situation quickly deteriorated. Four years later, in early 1824, he was declared bankrupt, and all his belongings were sold. Charles himself died in May 1826 at the age of 40, following a brief illness. He left behind six young children, including Sarah, who was now 11 years old and orphaned by the loss of both parents.
Sarah’s Boarding School
It remains unclear what happened to Sarah and her siblings in the years following their orphaning in 1826. However, an intriguing advertisement appeared in the Staffordshire Advertiser in 1837, when Sarah was around 22 years old. The advert announced the opening of a boarding school on Eccleshall High Street, which would be managed by the Miss Gibbs’s. This might explain Sarah’s absence from local records between 1826 and 1837, as the article hinted at Miss Gibbs education abroad. Miss Gibbs herself offered French lessons, while other teachers provided instruction in drawing, music, and dancing.
According to the 1841 census, Sarah, along with her two sisters Esther and Louisa, resided together on Eccleshall High Street. They shared their household with a 25-year-old servant named Sarah Salton, as well as three young pupils: Sarah Weston (12), Ann Robinson (14), and Catherine Milness (14).
Regular advertisements in local newspapers continued to announce term dates and openings for students at the Miss Gibbs’s School for Young Ladies until 1847.
In 1847, Sarah married John Tunnicliff, and together they had six children. John came from a wealthy family and owned both a tannery and a malthouse.
John Moss Tunnicliff (1800-1859)
Sarah Gibbs (1815–1873)
Children;
Sarah Louisa Tunnicliff (1847–1877)
Catherine Ann Tunnicliff (1849–?)
Emily Esther Tunnicliff (1852–?)
John Charles Tunnicliff (1853–?)
Louisa Eugeuie Tunnicliff (1856–?)
William Edwin Tunnicliff (1857–?)
© The British Library
Move to Eagle House
On the 14th of July 1853, Eagle House was put up for auction by Dr. Christopher Greatrex. The estate was described as having various rooms, including Breakfast, Dining, and Drawing rooms, accompanied by a spacious Entrance Hall and a generously sized staircase. It featured two kitchens and eight bedrooms. Interestingly, the article hints at its suitability for a school, seemingly anticipating its future purpose.
In 1857, Mrs. Tunnicliff decided to relocate her Boarding School for Young Ladies to Eagle House.
Tragically, Sarah’s husband, John, passed away on the 8th of October 1859, at the age of 59.
Death of Sarah Tunnicliff (née Gibbs)
Sarah Tunnicliff (née Gibbs) died on the 27th November 1873 at the age of 58.
The executors of her estate were her daughter, Catherine Ann Tunnicliff, and her brother-in-law, William Durrad. Her estate was to be divided equally among her children. However, her will stated her desire for the school at Eagle House to continue under the guidance of her four daughters. It is worth noting that the will was dated 26th March 1857, which was before the unfortunate death of her eldest daughter, Sarah Louisa.
Children of Sarah Tunnicliff continue on Her legacy
After Sarah Tunnicliff (née Gibbs) passed away in 1873, her four daughters—Sarah, Catherine, Emily, and Louisa—carried on the boarding school at Eagle House. The first advertisements for the boarding school, now known as the Ladies School of the “Misses Tunnicliff,” appeared in early 1875.
Sadly, on the 28th of May 1877, Sarah, the eldest sister, passed away at the age of 29. She died at the residence of her uncle, William Durrad, who was married to her mother’s sister, Louisa Durrad (nee Gibbs). William lived at 105 Monument Lane in Edgebaston.
By 1881, the three remaining Tunnicliff sisters—Catherine, Emily, and Louisa—decided to leave Eagle House. Advertisements were placed in local newspapers to find a Principal who could run the Ladies School. The house was described as an “establishment for twenty-four young ladies.”
© Reach PLC
Mrs. Halliday answered the call and became the Principal of Eagle House Ladies Boarding School. Her first term commenced on 15th September 1881. The duration of Mrs. Halliday’s tenure at the school is unclear, but advertisements featuring her name continued to appear in local and national newspapers for the following two years.
In 1881, according to the census records, Catherine, Emily, and Louisa Tunnicliff were involved in Scholastic Duties at Sarah Holland’s School on 25 Catherine Street in Liverpool. This school offered private French lessons among other training.
Between 1883 and 1891, no press articles relating to the school could be identified. However, in January 1891, an advertisement appeared mentioning the Misses Tunnicliff as the proprietors of the establishment. The wording of the advert was similar to previous articles and did not imply a reopening. It is possible that the school was already at full capacity, rendering advertisement unnecessary. However, this deviates from previous periods where term dates were announced regardless of available space for new pupils. Alternatively, there were several adverts for a Housemaid in early 1891, which could potentially align with an impending reopening. Of course, this could simply be a coincidence.
According to the 1891 census, Catherine, Emily, and Louisa Tunnicliff were residing at Eagle House, listed as a Ladies School. The property was shared with a Head Governess, Second Governess, Cook, Housemaid, and eight pupils.
End of an Era
The most recent advertisement found for The Misses Tunnicliff Ladies School at Eagle House in Eccleshall was published in the Staffordshire Chronicle on 28th April 1894. However, in 1895, the school was advertised as “For Sale” or “To Let.” Sadly, Eccleshall’s longest-running Ladies boarding School had closed its doors for good.
On 20th April 1896, Eagle House Ladies School was put up for auction. The premises were described as featuring a spacious entrance hall, Drawing Room, Breakfast rooms, ten bedrooms, and two kitchens. Outside, there was a yard, stable, coach house, tennis lawn, pleasure grounds, and a large, productive garden.
Life After the Ladies school
After the closure of their boarding school, it appears that the Tunnicliff sisters faced a significant decline in their circumstances. Court documents reveal that in 1895, Catherine Ann Tunnicliff, residing at Eagle House, applied to be exempt from paying poor rates due to her inability to afford them! This application was approved. Unfortunately, no additional records of Catherine could be located, leaving her subsequent fate unknown.
The 1901 Census records Emily Esther Tunnicliff living as a boarder in a small house in Claines, Worcestershire. Her sister, Louisa Eugenie, has moved to Whitstable in Kent and was also a boarder. Both sisters were listed as ‘Domestic Companions‘ in their respective households.
Points for further investigation
The story of Eccleshall’s longest-running Boarding School for young ladies raises several intriguing questions and gaps that require further investigation. The areas of interest for additional research include:
- The financial aspect: How did Sarah, Esther, and Louisa Gibbs afford to open a Girls Boarding School in 1837, considering they were orphans whose father had been declared bankrupt shortly before his death? The subsequent marriage of Sarah to John Tunnicliff, who came from a wealthy family, may partially explain the move to Eagle House, but it does not clarify the means to open the school.
- Whereabouts between 1826 and 1837: It is unclear where Sarah, Esther, and Louisa Gibbs were during the period after their orphaning. Their absence from the 1831 census adds to the mystery. Early adverts for the Ladies School reference Miss Gibbs’ continental education but how was this paid for? Which country was she educated in?
- Missing Marriage Certificate: The marriage certificate of Sarah Gibbs and John Tunnicliff has not been located through publicly available records.
- Disappearance of Advertisements (1883-1890): The sudden absence of advertisements for the girls boarding school between 1883 and 1890 is intriguing. Having previously been numerous and regular, adverts for the girls boarding school disappeared from the press.
- Availability of Photos: Although photographs where rare in this era, it would be wonderful to find a photograph of any of the Gibbs or Tunnicliff sisters, particularly Sarah Tunnicliff (née Gibbs).
- The abrupt fall from grace of the Tunnicliff sisters: Understanding the factors that contributed to the sudden decline of the Tunnicliff sisters, who went from thriving as owners of a boarding school to living separately as boarders in other people’s houses, is an interesting aspect to explore.
- Who brought Eagle House next? By 1913, Eagle House was owned by Mr W Hart and his wife. Did they purchase it form the Tunnicliffs?
If you know anything more about the Tunnicliff family, or are a relation, we would love to hear from you!
Timeline and references
The timeline presented below shows the significant events in the life of Sarah Tunnicliff (née Gibbs) and her four daughters.
1853
Eagle House put up for auction
Eagle House was put up for auction by Dr Christopher Greatrex. The property was described as comprising of Breakfast, Dining and Drawing rooms, with a large Entrance Hall and a spacious staircase. There are two kitchens and eight bedrooms. As if to predict its future use, the article notes that the building was particularly well adapted for a school.
1857
© The British Library
Tunnicliff School for Young Ladies Moves to Eagle House
Boarding School for Young Ladies moved from the High Street into Eagle House
Staffordshire Advertiser, 4 April 1857
