Digby Stuart College owes its existence to the Society of the Sacred Heart, founded by Madeleine Sophie Barat (1779-1865) in France. In 1850, the first Convent of the Sacred Heart School was established at Roehampton. Following this, Mother Mabel Digby established a teacher training college for girls in 1874, which opened with 21 students and by 1895 had grown to 78 students.
Mother Mabel Digby was succeeded by Mother Janet Stuart in 1894. Mother Stuart took a close interest in the practical details of student training with emphasis on teaching of English, cookery, needlework and physical fitness. Students were encouraged to attend concerts, visit museums and art galleries and play an active part in local community organisations.
By 1901 student numbers had risen to 104, and the College moved to St Charles College, North Kensington, in 1905. The following decades saw steady advances in cultural and educational life at the College and distinguished personalities frequently visited, including Sir Percy Buck who lectured in music, and Mme Marie Montessori, founder of Montessori Schools.
September 1939 brought great upheaval to St Charles' College when the government made arrangements for wartime evacuation. Students were evacuated to Cold Ash in Berkshire whilst both the houses at Roehampton and St Charles suffered severe war damage. Following the government reduction in teacher training programmes in 1975, the College, in collaboration with Froebel Institute, Southlands College and Whitelands College, added a wide variety of degree programmes in arts, social sciences and sciences. The federation, given legal status by the Department of Education and Science on 1 December 1978, became known as Roehampton Institute of Higher Education.
Each College retained its own corporate identity, ethos and community life, whilst enabling its students to draw upon the wider academic and administrative resources of the Roehampton Institute. In 1982 the College had the honour of hosting one of the biggest events in its history, the visit of Pope John Paul II on 29 May 1982. The Pope addressed a gathering of religions from all communities in England and Wales on the lawn at Digby Stuart.