Cordwalles Pre-Paratory School

Cordwalles Preparatory School was founded by Bishop Samuel Baines in 1912 as a direct result of Michaelhouse moving from Pietermaritzburg to Balgowan and needing a preparatory school of its own to ensure its future enrolment.In March 1911, the Bishop of Natal, Rev. FS Baines and the Board of Governors of Michaelhouse decided that it was very important for Michaelhouse to have a preparatory school of its own, so that there would be a steady stream of boys of the correct age to enter Michaelhouse. At that time, Michaelhouse itself was very small, with only 59 pupils, so was unable to make funds available to open a new school.Bishop Baines dedicated himself to the task of finding suitable property. One day while walking down Chapel Street, he looked up towards Town Hill and saw a house on the hill. He remembered that he had visited the house years before so set off on a voyage of exploration up a mountain foot path from Chapel Street. Bishop Baines bought the house and other benefactors, including Mr Harry Bu