Ratcliffe College, a boarding and day school in Leicestershire, was founded by a local priest, Fr Peter Hutton, in 1845. The circumstances which led to his establishing the school were providential and reflective of the turbulent but fruitful experiences of the 19th-century Catholic Church in England.
Initially unable to make his profession at the Benedictine Abbey of Ampleforth due to concerns that it might upset the anti-Catholic secular authorities, Fr Hutton was sent to teach at Prior Park, a seminary-turned-school which sadly severed ties with the Catholic Church last year. Not keen on the experience, he left and joined the Rosminians. After instructions from his bishop to return to Prior Park, he acquiesced, only to leave again and flee to Italy to stay with the founder of the order, Antonio Rosmini.
