Agnes Logan Stewart was born in London in 1820 and moved to Leeds in 1871.   She was a Nun, a member of the Sisters of  Mercy, a Church of England Community active in the City in the 19th century.   

She bought three houses in St Saviours Parish, knocked them through into one and opened an orphanage early in 1872. She maintained this at her own expense and by the following year she had also opened a girls school and an infants school, following this in 1880 with the opening of St Hildas Boys School.

She died in April 1886 and was buried at Seacroft Churchyard (St Saviours Graveyard was full) She left £40,710 for the continuation of the orphanage which did not close until 1939 when all the children where evacuated.

The present Agnes Stewart High School was built in 1965 with the money from the Stewart fund and so continues her fine tradition of providing care and education for the children of East Leeds

Now Agnes Stewart Church of England High School or "Aggies" as it is affectionately known caters for 950 pupils aged 11 to 18. The school now consists of the building built in 1965 plus the new building housing Modern Languages, Science, Computers, Music and Drama.