History

St. Margaret’s School was founded in 1890 by James Buchanan. A few key dates and people:

• 1890 to 1897 – school founded by Principal James Buchanan
  • from 1890 – Headmistress Violet Burnett
• 1897 to 1929 – Principal Mrs Annie C. Buchanan
  • to 1905 – Headmistress Miss Latto Morrison
  • 1906-1921 – Headmistress Miss Lilley
  • 1921-1927 – Headmistress Miss Tocher
  • 1926-1927 – Headmistresses Miss Tocher & Miss Wilkie
  • 1926 – Morningside school sold and renamed St. Hilary’s (two schools separated)
  • 1927 to 1929 – Headmistress Miss Wilkie
• 1929 to 1960 – Principal Miss Grace C. Matthew
  • 1929 to 1939 – Headmistress Miss Grace C. Matthew (and then in Perthshire 1939-1956)
  • 1940 to 1960 – Headmistress Miss Alice M. Keys (Headmistress of Newington when war separated the two schools)
  • 1956 approx – St. Margaret’s school song and motto “Fortiter Vivamus” was created. Words written by Miss Old (English Teacher) and music by Mr Walter Cameron. Translation “Let us Live Bravely”.
• 1961 – St. Margaret’s School Newington Limited, became an independent school, with a Board of Governors
• 1961 to 1973 – Headmistress Miss Eva MacLean
• 1974 to 1984 – Headmistress Mrs Patricia Hiddleston
  • 1983 – St. Hilary’s merged with St Margaret’s (two schools reunited)
• 1984 to 1992 – Headmistress Mrs Monica Cameron
• 1992 to 1994 – Headmistress Elizabeth Lewis
• 1994 to 2001 – Headmistress Miss Anne Mitchell
  • 1998 – St. Margaret’s merged with St. Denis and Cranley
• 2001 to 2009 – Headmistress Mrs Eileen Davis
• 2009 to 2010 – Headmistress Mrs Jennifer McGhee

Following the closure of the school in 2010, former pupils and staff took great care to ensure that as much as possible of the history of the school was preserved. St. George’s School for Girls, Edinburgh are kindly storing St. Margaret’s archives and further information is held in the National Records of Scotland

If you have photos that you would be happy to share on this website or be added to the archives, please get in touch. It is so important to have as full a history as possible of a school that lasted so many years.