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Berridge History Project

 

I have been looking at Headteachers of the Infant School and have now reached  Miss Wheat.

This is the period when my own mother started at Berridge Infants in 1931.

 

Miss Louisa Mary WHEAT was born on 28.11.1873 in Brampton, Chesterfield to Cyrus WHEAT and Ann SIMMONS who married in 1858 in Radford.

Louisa's siblings were:

Annie A WHEAT
Florence WHEAT
Albert WHEAT

In 1901, the family resided at 313 Lenton Boulevard, Nottingham and in 1911, at 24 Johnson Road, Lenton.

On the 1939 Register, Louisa is shown as residing at 29 St Leonard's Drive in Wollaton, an address she shared with Annie M Bettison. Both are retired school mistresses.

Louisa died on 06.05.1951, aged 76. She was Head of Berridge Infants from 1921 to 1934.

 

Miss Wheat was succeeded by

 

Miss Daisy Alice GILL born 12.04.1891 to John GILL and Ruth BUTLER who married in 1887 in Nottingham.

School teaching was in the Gill family DNA, it seems.

In the 1939 Register, the family resided at 16 Premier Road, Forest Fields and consisted of:

John GILL  Retired Schoolmaster
Ruth GILL his wife
Daisy Alice GILL. Elementary Head Mistress
Edith Nellie GILL  School Mistress

There was also a son, John H GILL, who was employed at a soapworks, had been married, widowed and lived elsewhere.

In both 1901 and 1911, the family resided at 16 Premier Road. John GILL had also been a Head Master.

Daisy died on 30.12.1988 and, according to Probate records, still resided at 16 Premier Road.  She left a not inconsiderable estate.


Turning now to Berridge Juniors, again during the time when my mother was there.

 

Florence Helen COOPER born on 08.10.1883 in Nottingham was Head of the Juniors from 1934 to 1937.

She was the daughter of William Septimus COOPER and his wife, Martha.

In 1911, the family resided at 8 Balmoral Road, Nottingham and on the 1939 register, Florence H COOPER and her sister Gertrude COOPER, both retired school mistresses, resided at 39 Devonshire Road Nottingham.

Florence died on 06.10.1973 just 2 days before her 90th birthday.

 

For just one year at the beginning of WW2, Elizabeth Maude FODEN served as Head of Berridge Juniors from 1939 to 1940.

She was born on 20.01.1897 in Buxton, Derbyshire to John FODEN and Matilda KNOWLES who were married in 1896 in Macclesfield.

In 1901, they lived near Chapel en le Frith, their family consisting of:

John FODEN. a gardener
Matilda FODEN. his wife
Elizabeth M FODEN aged 8
Emily L FODEN aged 5
Ivy. FODEN aged 4

By 1939, Elizabeth M FODEN was Head of Berridge Juniors and resided at 12 Llanberis Grove, Nottingham, a house she shared with:

Ethel HADWEN. Elementary Head Teacher
Helen BOLTON. Secondary Teacher of Domestic Science.

At present, I have not been able to find a definite date of death for Elizabeth M FODEN.

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Through this door...and it's the original, although painted black in my day...I walked with my mum one cold morning early in 1962. I was just 4 years old. The door led to Miss Smith's office and my mu

How many Berridge children have secreted themselves inside this niche situated in the playground which fronts the old infant building, hoping to be left behind when the bell rang at playtime's close?

Sitting on this exact spot, facing the stationery cupboard in Mr Parr's classroom, in spring 1969, I sat my 11+ exam.

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Very interesting, Jill!  I assume Berridge Infants was mixed?  If so Miss Wheat would have been Headmistress at the time  my Dad was at the school  (he was born in 1922)

 

Found a death for Elizabeth Maud (sic) Foden with a matching birthdate.  She lived in Ulverston and died on 3/2/1991 ( GRO Deaths Index and National Probate Calendar)

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It's interesting to look at the addresses where those various people lived. Back in those times, they were respectable areas with well-maintained houses and decent people. Look at most of those houses today, and they've gone downhill in a big way....along with a lot of the people who occupy them.

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Too true, CT!  I'm surprised by how many are still in existence, although some sites have been rebuilt.

 

I'm hoping to get back to 1884 with this, so a few still to go.

1 hour ago, annswabey said:

Found a death for Elizabeth Maud (sic) Foden with a matching birthdate.  She lived in Ulverston and died on 3/2/1991 ( GRO Deaths Index and National Probate Calendar)

Thanks, Ann. It's most probably her. I'm struck by the difference in longevity between some of the male and female head teachers. The women seem to do better.

 

Yes, Berridge Infants was mixed.

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He was Edward Hurst, always known as Ted.  He and his very big and very poor family lived in Elson Terrace, off Elson Street.  He had a sister, Margaret, who was a bit closer to your Mum in age (she was born in 1924), but I don't know if she went to Berridge

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Today, I'm looking at the first headmaster of Berridge Boys' School. He was in the post from 1884 to 1889.

 

Frederick CHASTENEY was born in 1855 in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, to Everson CHASTENEY and his second wife Ann Elizabeth GUNTON who were married in 1852.

 

Frederick had one older half sibling, Louisa, from his father's first marriage to Elizabeth SIMMS (died 1848) and full siblings Jane and Alfred.

 

In 1861, the family lived at 2 Albion Road in Great Yarmouth.

 

In 1884, Frederick married  Elizabeth HUNTER in Lewisham. They had 3 children:

May Kathleen CHASTENEY b. 1886
Grace Hunter CHASTENEY b. 1887
Howard Everson CHASTENEY b. 1888

all born in Nottingham while their father was Head of Berridge Boys'.

 

Perhaps as a result of constant pregnancy, Elizabeth died in 1892.

 

Frederick remarried in 1901 to Helena SIMMONS of Newark. They had one child, Frederick S CHASTENEY b. 1903 who died before his first birthday.

 

In 1901,  the family lived at Elmhurst, Chilwell Road, Beeston and Frederick was employed as Inspector of Schools for the Nottingham School Board.

 

By 1911, the family resided at 8 Larkdale Street, Forest Road West. Frederick, now aged 55, was Inspector of Schools for the City of Nottingham Education Authority.

 

Frederick died, aged 65, in February 1922.

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The first Head of the Berridge Girls' School from 1884 to 1906 was Miss Alice Noke STONE born in 1856 in Bromsgrove, daughter of George STONE and Harriet NOKE who married in 1850 in Axbridge.

 

The Stones really believed in keeping schooling in the family.

 

Alice was the eldest of a number of children, many of whom were teachers.

 

By 1891, the family lived at 45 Bentinck Road. Their father was deceased but mother, Harriet, had an independent income. Alice was Head teacher at Berridge, sister Emily and brother John were also teachers. Their niece, Harriet STONE, aged 15 was a Junior Teacher.

 

By 1901, the family still resided in Bentinck Road  and Alice and Emily were still teaching. Joined now by boarder, William H Cooke, aged 39, another school teacher!

 

Alice died in 1906, aged 49, only one year after her mother Harriet who was 79.

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24 minutes ago, Jill Sparrow said:

The first Head of the Berridge Girls' School from 1884 to 1906 was Miss Alice Noke STONE born in 1856 in Bromsgrove, daughter of George STONE and Harriet NOKE who married in 1850 in Axbridge.

 

By 1891, the family lived at 45 Bentinck Road. 

 

Still there, but I'll bet the neighbourhood was rather different back then.  https://goo.gl/maps/obbf7E6UjtP1jv74A  (white door, with bin outside)

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I don't remember any teachers arriving by car at any of my schools - Bentink, Windley or Berridge. They walked or bussed in. Berridge was the furthest away from where I lived and that was only 10 min walk or 3 min on the bike. when we moved to Stafford with two young children we chose to live withing walking distance of the infants, juniors and senior schools. We were not forced to have a second car like many families. The bleddy school run is so sapping on resouces as well as being unhealthy and polluting. Social planning? Just a free for all :angry:....phew!

 

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14 minutes ago, PeverilPeril said:

 The bleddy school run is so sapping on resouces as well as being unhealthy and polluting.

 

One of the major causes of traffic congestion.

Drive out at around 9am when the schools are open - big traffic queues everywhere. Drive out when the schools are closed - traffic moves freely.

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Our village main st. is clogged up with parents’ cars at delivery and collection times. There is a school bus from the outlying villages but in most cases people live within a reasonable walking distance but are just too idle to walk. I used to walk or cycle about a mile to primary school when I was a kid, except on some Thursdays when my cousin collected me on a pony!

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I know of no one who travelled to and from Manning by car. Some had bus passes but to qualify for a pass, girls needed to live 2 or 3 miles plus from the school. I certainly didn't qualify. From my house to Manning was exactly one mile. For the first 3 years, we were not permitted to leave the premises during the school day, so I walked 2 miles per day there and back. From the fourth form upwards, we were permitted to leave the site at lunchtime. Occasionally, I went home for lunch which meant I walked 4 miles a day. Otherwise, we walked into town or around the Arboretum...anywhere, just to get away from the place. The operative word being 'walked'. There were no overweight Manning girls.

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I got carried away on another thread but that prompted me to recall, among other things, the record player situated in the top hall at Berridge during my time there 1960-66. This was used to play music when going in for morning assembly and also dancing, drama etc. I still cringe at drama and having to be a tree in the wind getting stronger to the tune of ‘in the hall of the mountain king from the Peer Gynt suite.

A bit of research and it was I’m sure a Coomber and Sons model made specially for schools.

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Yes, I remember it well. On our visit last year, I pointed out the place where it was sited: on the left as you turned the corner into the main hall on the top floor. Just by the window. I remember cavorting round the hall to Danse Macabre during a movement lesson with T T Williams. The music was played on that equipment. 

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Now I am off work due to this horrible virus I have time to go through things that I am too busy to normally do. I am one of the school photos and due to not being able to get to a barbers, I now have the same hairstyle! 

 

Jill, I would dearly love to do a visit to Berridge if there is one in the offing. The room I recall most fondly was the one on the top floor, door in the right corner. My desk was facing the windows and I would look at the trees and houses on Berridge Road. I would dearly love to see that view again. 

 

 

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MD, as you may have read, we were planning a visit for 27 March this year but due to the virus we had to abandon it. We hope to be rearranging later this year and you are most welcome to join the group.

 

Are you referring to what was Alan Parr's classroom?  I sat my 11plus in there and, last year, I was able to walk in there and identify exactly where I sat!  I wasn't in Parr's class, I was with  Trevor Williams and we were hoping he might come with us on the visit. Alan Parr passed on some years ago.

 

We all had a fantastic time. Very emotional too but hugely enjoyable.

 

I'll keep you updated of developments.

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Jill Sparrow

 

It was Mr Anderson's class room. I certainly remember Mr Williams and most of all, Miss Stockhill. On my first day at school I was terrified, but her gentle and easy manner was very welcome. She understood that we knew nothing and gave very clear guidance on very simple matters. I remember her with great kindness. 

 

If I can get to it, I will certainly take a bag of marbles and play a game there, in exactly the same spot I played there 50 years ago. 

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I think I've put some information about Miss Stockill further back on the thread. Took me ages to trace her as I was misspelling her name! She was born in Scarborough which oddly enough is where I did my teacher training! Small world.

 

You may have seen that I managed to go into Miss Smith's office which is now a caretaker's junk room. Her Victorian desk is still there. 

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Letsavagoo sent me this a while ago. His wife is on it, along with several others we both knew, Elaine Johnson and Susan Wilkie to name but two. This was one of Miss Stockill's dance groups. She also did Scottish country dancing and I was part of that group.

 

The parquet blocked floor is now covered over with carpet. The photo will interest @mercurydancer who knew Miss Stockill but is some years younger than I.

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