Mary Box facts for kids

Mary Box (who was born Mary Allen) was a very important person from the 1600s. She is famous for helping to create The Henry Box School. This school is in Witney, England. Mary finished building the school after her husband, Henry Box, passed away.

Today, the school is named after Henry. But the first building he started is named after Mary! Both Mary and Henry are known as the school's founders. The school celebrated its 350th birthday in 2010.

The Life of Mary Box

We don't know exactly when or where Mary Box was born. Her mother, Alice Long, came from a place called Whaddon, Wiltshire. Mary's uncle was a politician named Walter Long. Her father, Ralph Allen, was the son of Sir William Allen. Sir William was a very important person in London. He was the Lord Mayor of London in 1572. The Lord Mayor is like the main leader of the city.

Mary's Family Life

By 1623, Mary became the second wife of Henry Box. Henry and Mary Box had seven children together. But only two of them, Ralph and Alice, lived longer than their father. Henry was a very wealthy man. He made his money by selling medicines.

Henry decided he wanted to start a school in his hometown. The school building was finished in 1660. This building is still standing today and is a special historic building. It is called a Grade II* listed building. This means it is very old and important.

Building the School

After Henry Box passed away, Mary Box made sure the school project was completed. She used money that Henry had left in his will. Mary even arranged for a special law, called an Act of Parliament, to be passed. This law gave her full control over the new school.

It was Mary Box who wrote all the first rules for the school. She really shaped how the boys' school would run. She worked closely with the first two headmasters to make sure everything was set up correctly.

Henry Box built the Mary Box Building, which is named after Mary. Mary helped create the Henry Box School.

School Supporters

To honor the founding of the school, two important groups helped out. One was Oriel College, Oxford. Henry Box had been a student there. The other was the Worshipful Company of Grocers. This was a group of merchants that Henry had been part of.

Both Oriel College and the Grocers Company each provided four governors for the school. Governors are people who help manage and guide the school. Even today, these groups still help by providing one member each to the school's governing body.

Mary Box passed away in 1679. Her work helped create a lasting school that still teaches students today.