Early Schools, Donhead St. Mary

There was a schoolmaster present in the parish as early as 1692 and he may have run the charity school mentioned from 1721 to 1741. In 1808 there were two schools; one kept by a dissenter, the other by the parish clerk. Donhead St. Mary had a Sunday school to which 40 girls and boys attended in 1818. 'The contributions to this school were inadequate'.

Five daily schools opened post 1830, and 97 children were taught in 1833. St. Mary's School received help from Lord Nelson in the form of a building grant from the Treasury in 1837.