St Mary’s College is delighted to announce the foundation of Margaret Bloomfield Scholarships.
While the college has a number of existing generous donations supporting students from lower income households, these will be the first permanently endowed, fully financed scholarships in St Mary’s College’s 125-year history.
When they are rolled out, they will be expected to fund up to five scholarships for undergraduate students.
In what is believed to be the largest single donation to the College, Miss Bloomfield’s legacy will also fund a number of bursaries to ensure all students at St Mary’s can benefit from the collegiate experience, regardless of financial circumstances.
Miss Bloomfield’s generosity came in her will, with the words “In gratitude for my four happy years at St Mary’s which made possible my rewarding career”.
The scholarships and bursaries were formally announced at a dinner to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the foundation of the College. In 1899, the Women’s Hostel opened in Durham as the first opportunity for women to study on the same residential basis as men; this became St Mary’s College around 20 years later.
The Principal of St Mary’s College, Prof. Adrian Simpson, noted:
“These scholarships will be transformational for St Mary’s College. They will put the college at the forefront in supporting Durham University’s strategy to widen access. It will enable students from lower income households to benefit from Durham’s unique collegiate education and from the particular supportive environment of St Mary’s. Miss Bloomfield’s ongoing support for the College is typical of the sense of belonging which successive generations of our community have fostered. We are full of admiration for her lifelong commitment to education and grateful for the support of all of our generous benefactors.”
Miss Bloomfield
Margaret Bloomfield read English Literature at Durham from 1944-1947, undertaking a further year’s study to obtain her teaching qualification.
She made lifelong friends on her first day at St Mary’s. While she never had children of her own, she became a surrogate aunt to those of her friend Lucy Fields. Rachel Linfield, Lucy’s daughter who supported Miss Bloomfield until she died in 2023, attended St Mary’s 125th Anniversary Dinner to hear the announcement of the scholarship and bursaries scheme.
After her studies, Miss Bloomfield worked in education and was an English teacher and head of department at Frederick Gough School in Scunthorpe. She went on to work at a school in Harlow where she eventually became head teacher, at a time when it was very rare to have a woman as head of a secondary school.
Margaret is remembered as a formidable, hardworking lady, who had strong opinions and knew her own mind. But above all, she is remembered by those who knew her best for the friendships she shared with the friends she made at St Mary’s and the bond she formed with Lucy’s family.
Contact us
If you are interested in donating or would like to leave St Mary’s a legacy, please contact us - stmarys.alumni@durham.ac.uk
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