Miss Matthews' School Uniform

Credit LineGift of Catriona MacFarlane; 1977.

Object number1977.078.001

Label TextThis school uniform was worn by the donor at 8-years old while attending Miss Matthews' School. School uniforms are often worn for years, with pieces being swapped out as the child grows out of them. Kate Sotham Matthews, an English immigrant, who moved from British Columbia to London, Ontario, in 1912, founded what would become Miss Matthew's' School in 1918. Matthews first began teaching in a room at St. Paul’s Anglican Cathedral, establishing a private school for "young ladies and gentlemen" in the Anglican tradition. The school was then known as St. Paul’s Private School.Over time, St. Paul’s became the focal point of Miss Matthews’ personal and public life. She was much admired for her work in the parish and for her active support of the Guiding movement. Soon Kate Matthews’ school outgrew its space at St. Paul’s Cathedral, and in 1930 she began a series of relocations, during which the school adopted the name, Miss Matthews’ School. In 1950, when Miss Matthews announced her decision to retire and close the school, a group of Londoners formed a financial foundation to continue the school’s operation. Generous donations were pledged, with additional funds committed towards establishing the new school as a corporate entity to be overseen by a volunteer Board of Governors. By 1950, Miss Matthews’ School was incorporated as an independent nondenominational school. The school became Matthews Hall in 1977, due to the increased number of boys being enrolled.

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