THE private boarding school, Eshton Hall School, near Gargrave, ran for just 20 years, from 1946 to 1966.

Its pupils came from all over the world, including Pakistan and the former Persia and many of them went on to pursue high flying careers.

They include former head boy Dr Abbas Sedaghat, who is now a Consultant Physician and Professor of Internal Medicine at the University of San Diego, in California.

Another head boy, James Mayor, went on to become a geological consultant and leader of a team that in the 1990’s discovered the largest gold mine in Mexico.

Others went on to become university professors, including Michael Rowan-Robinson, author and Professor of Astro Physics at Imperial College, London; and Jeremy Rowan-Robinson, author and Professor of Law at Aberdeen University.

Since 2005, the Rev Peter Abrahams, himself a former pupil, between 1954 and 1958,  has been compiling a Book of Remembrance.

Everytime a former pupil or member of staff died, the book, which has been kept at Gargrave Church, which had a strong association with the school, was sent to Rev Abrahams at his home in London to be updated.

Father Abrahams, whose family come from Skipton, was taught calligraphy while at Eshton, and illustrated the book with both words and pictures.

Aged 77 and in failing health, he decided to turn the book from one of remembrance to the departed to one of remembrance to the school, by including the names of as many of the pupils and staff he could find.

There are now the names of 650 past pupils and members of staff included in the book, and later this month, there will be a special, formal handing over ceremony of the book carried out by another former pupil, Peter Robinson, who wrote Eshton Hall - a history of the mansion, including its time as a school.

Father Abrahams said: “I realised that my work on the book of remembrance could not continue indefinitely, but rather than leave the book unfinished I decided to convert it into a memorial book, commemorating the lives all who taught or attended the school.

“The book is a personal artistic tribute to all former staff and pupils and a way of giving anyone viewing the book in future a glimpse of who some of them were and what became of them after their school days.”

In the absence of formal school records, he got his information from old school newsletters and the reminiscences of of former fellow pupils.

“Their memories, like mine, were understandably not always clear after more than half a century. I was able to find 650 names in all. As I inscribed them in the book, many fresh faces came to mind and I wondered what had become of them.

“A remarkable number went on to distinguished careers, some of which I have detailed in special pages in the book. Only my own limitations prevented many more outstanding lives being detailed in the same way, but their names are equally honoured in the book.”

In 1959, in the school year report the headmaster Christopher Rowan-Robinson stated that the demanding standards of the school would be unacceptable to grammar or comprehensive schools, yet they were necessary for creating worthwhile lives of integrity, honesty and service to others.

“Academic excellence was encouraged but not mandatory at Eshton School, but the development of a good character was equally important,” said Fr Abrahams.

“In those days religious, ethnic and genetic controversies were unheard o, and there was always a good proportion of pupils from abroad.

“In 1959 the most outstanding pupil who became head boy was from Persia. The headmaster said that he knew of no other private or public boarding school in England with a foreign head boy.

“The boy was Dr. Abbas Sedaghat who became a noted Consultant Physician and Professor of Internal Medicine at the University of San Diego, California.”

The Eshton School book is due to be formally presented to Gargrave Church where it will be kept for safekeeping on Sunday, April 28 at 10.45am.