Lettice Mary Tredway, CRL, was a member of a French community of Canonesses Regular of the Lateran at the Priory of Notre-Dame-de-Beaulieu in the village of Sin-le-Noble, near Douai, in the County of Flanders, which provided nursing care to the region.

Shifting from medical care, the school was opened by the community in 1634 for English pupils escaping the persecution of Catholics in their homeland.

The priory remained in operation there until the canonesses were forced to flee France at the outbreak of the French Revolution, at which point they returned to England.

During the campaign for women's suffrage, one of the school leaders (Headmistress and Latin tutor), Mother Mary Frances, supported this cause by chaining herself to railings and breaking windows.

[citation needed] The school is set in 13 acres (5.3 ha) of grounds, adjacent to Hanger Lane, consisting of a wild flower meadow, orchard, Prep meadow, two netball courts, a rose garden, a working farm, croquet lawn, a sweeping playing field and an all-weather floodlit AstroTurf.