Dorothy Brock


Dame Madeline Dorothy Brock was an English educationist who served as Headmistress of the Mary Datchelor Girls' School, Camberwell, London from 1918 to 1950. She oversaw the evacuation of the school during the Second World War and was succeeded in 1950 by Miss Rachel N Pearse.
She was recognised for her services to education with an OBE in 1929, and was named a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the New Year Honours, 1947.
In 1919, Brock was appointed a member of the Prime Minister's Committee on Classics and from 1927-29 she was chairman of the Committee of the Association of Headmistresses. She became vice-president of the Classical Association in 1930, and a member of the Lancet Commission on Nursing the following year. From 1931 to 1940 Dame Dorothy was a member of the Consultative Committee of the Board of Education. From 1933-35 she was President of the Association of Headmistresses.
During World War 2, Brock led the evacuation of Mary Datchelor Girls School to Ashford then latterly to LLanelli. She published a pamphlet called 'An Unusual Happening' telling the story of the evacuation years.
She was a much-loved, caring headmistress. Many Old Girls of the school still talk about what a wonderful woman she was. Her contribution to the life of the school is also given coverage in 'The Story of the Mary Datchelor School 1877-1977'.
From 1951 to 1968, Brock was a director of the University of London Press.