This document came to us via the local studies library in 1983 and it was then asigned the accession number 2151.
The document relates to the boarding school set up by John Allen and his sister Mary Ann Allen in Kidlington. It is believed the boarding school was opened by them before 1811 when a census was taken of the parish. John Allen was the founder of this Kidlington classical and Commercial academy. He built an imposing school house which he ran with the aid of two hired teachers but he never taught personally. The stone building was of 3 storeys and appears to have been built near Grove House. The school was quite successful and Mary Allen, John's sister opened a school for young ladies almost opposite his school in the building which is now St Mary's Lodge, number 49 Church Street. The school seems to have been most prosperous in 1828 but by 1844 it had been put up for sale and in that year was acquired by Rev. Joseph Dodd. It was almost immediately demolished and in its place were built nos 62, 64, 70 and 72 Church Street. No other records of the school have been found.
Catalogued by Jeanette Grisold, June 1993.