Army schools

[ianshuter]

The College - 1 Church Street, Stratford on Avon
Headmaster, and seemingly the only master/teacher and owner etc from at least 1901 until 1910
Edward George Ambrose Beckwith, MA Hons Oxford

1910 Electoral Roll for Berkshire:
Edward George Ambrose Beckwith - The Army School, Holyport Maidenhead.

1912 to 1935 Headmaster at the Imperial Service College, Windsor
Author of the book: The Soldiers Manual: Military Expressions in English, German and French.

Many of the 27 boarders later joined the military, however that is to be expected due to WW1
The oldest boarder was 30 and the youngest 12 with an average age of 17.

I think this may well be the elusive Army School in Stratford.

Still looking for the 1911 census but I think it may well have closed as there is not sign of it in the census or of Edward Beckwith

 

[ianshuter]

Sorry further update and more evidence to support the The College being a Military School...
1910 Electoral Roll for Berkshire:
Edward George Ambrose Beckwith - The Army School, Holyport Maidenhead.
I am stopping there

[FROGSMILE]

24 minutes ago, ianshuter said:

Sorry further update and more evidence to support the The College being a Military School...
1910 Electoral Roll for Berkshire:
Edward George Ambrose Beckwith - The Army School, Holyport Maidenhead.
I am stopping there

Brilliant research and well done indeed!  I believe that that is incontrovertible evidence that you have identified the Army crammer concerned.  It does not surprise me that it seems to have closed before the war as the small number of boarders and their varied age must have made it difficult to remain a profitable concern.  I’m sure that @Kevin Mears will be pleased.

Edited 26 September , 2022 by FROGSMILE

[ianshuter]

Thank you, I have been researching War Memorials in Warwickshire for a few years now and the one in the Cemetery at Stratford was a rare one where many of the names had no apparant connection to Stratford - which made me start to look for reason. My South Warwickshire (well south of the M6 excluding Coventry & Birmingham) database
https://www.swfhs.org.uk/index.php/war-memorial-transcriptions/new-master-index-of-the-fallen-of-ww1

From this we will build a website with photographs etc

 

[FROGSMILE]

4 minutes ago, ianshuter said:

Thank you, I have been researching War Memorials in Warwickshire for a few years now and the one in the Cemetery at Stratford was a rare one where many of the names had no apparant connection to Stratford - which made me start to look for reason. My South Warwickshire (well south of the M6 excluding Coventry & Birmingham) database
https://www.swfhs.org.uk/index.php/war-memorial-transcriptions/new-master-index-of-the-fallen-of-ww1

From this we will build a website with photographs etc

 

It’s excellent work and brings the story/existence of these men into public consciousness, so what you do is admirable.  We must never lose sight of how terrible a repeat of industrialised warfare in Europe would be. 

Edited 26 September , 2022 by FROGSMILE

[Lee Smart]

Queen Victoria School or 'QV' and Duke of York's are still in existence today, and still supported by the Ministry of Defence. QV is my old Alma mater!

The idea of the school was originally proposed to Queen Victoria as a memorial to the Scottish dead of the Boer Wars because of her fondness for the Scots (John Brown etc) , and after her death it was thought fit to name it in her memory.  I believe the school was established by an act of Parliament as a public institution and the money to build the school was raised from Scottish servicemen and the people of Scotland to complete the project. Queen Victoria School was opened on 28 September 1908 by King Edward the seventh. The chapel was completed in 1910 and is Scotland's memorial to Queen Victoria.

The school, with its 250 orphans was run like a mini-regiment, with a School Commandant, Admin Officer and all the teachers being ex-Army officers, and a smattering of NCOs - The School Sergeant Major and the Pipe and Drum Majors today are retired Warrant officers. The school also has its own Colours, presented by the Monarch every 25 years. Its still essentially available as an orphanage with places made available for any service orphans, many of my friends were sons of Scottish Servicemen who had been killed, often on operations. Many of the boys have gone on to serve the Colours throughout the armed forces with 17 of the original boys being killed in the First World War..., some of them would then have only just been old enough to join up before the war's end. This included three brothers. The youngest boy to die was a lad called Young Watt who had joined up in 1914, at the age of 14 as a drummer-boy - he was killed in 1916. Another boy, William Tinlin, of the Scots Guards and on his way to join his unit at Gallipoli, was killed in the Gretna Green train crash (which killed 500). James Stevenson rose to the rank of sergeant before he was killed in 1917. Of the 4 boys who formed the Colour Party and received the first colours from the King at a ceremony in Balmoral in 1908, only one survived the war. All of the boys are remembered on a plaque in the School's Memorial Chapel. 

Right up until the 90's the School only had an obligation to teach the boys up until 'O Grades' (16yrs) and thereafter you were out on yer todd!...except a few (about 15 from a year of 40) who got invited back to attempt Highers. This meant many of the lads would head off on the recruiting bus to Glencourse after the last exam in 4th year to sit the Army Entrance exams...predominantly going into the regular Army as junior soldiers...with the odd few of the 5th and 6th years going for commissions and/or university degrees. Forty years ago, my year was unusual with six of us actually getting commissioned as direct entry officers. Its a little more advanced these days. 

Girls were eventually admitted in 1996.

Edited 17 October , 2022 by Lee Smart

[FROGSMILE]

An interesting rundown of QVS, Lee.  I love the photo of the boys cheering whilst flourishing their glengarries.  Very evocative.

[rolt968]

3 hours ago, Lee Smart said:

Queen Victoria School or 'QV' and Duke of York's are still in existence today, and still supported by the Ministry of Defence. QV is my old Alma mater!

The idea of the school was originally proposed to Queen Victoria as a memorial to the Scottish dead of the Boer Wars because of her fondness for the Scots (John Brown etc) , and after her death it was thought fit to name it in her memory.  I believe the school was established by an act of Parliament as a public institution and the money to build the school was raised from Scottish servicemen and the people of Scotland to complete the project. Queen Victoria School was opened on 28 September 1908 by King Edward the seventh. The chapel was completed in 1910 and is Scotland's memorial to Queen Victoria.

The school, with its 250 orphans was run like a mini-regiment, with a School Commandant, Admin Officer and all the teachers being ex-Army officers, and a smattering of NCOs - The School Sergeant Major and the Pipe and Drum Majors today are retired Warrant officers. The school also has its own Colours, presented by the Monarch every 25 years. Its still essentially available as an orphanage with places made available for any service orphans, many of my friends were sons of Scottish Servicemen who had been killed, often on operations. Many of the boys have gone on to serve the Colours throughout the armed forces with 17 of the original boys being killed in the First World War..., some of them would then have only just been old enough to join up before the war's end. This included three brothers. The youngest boy to die was a lad called Young Watt who had joined up in 1914, at the age of 14 as a drummer-boy - he was killed in 1916. Another boy, William Tinlin, of the Scots Guards and on his way to join his unit at Gallipoli, was killed in the Gretna Green train crash (which killed 500). James Stevenson rose to the rank of sergeant before he was killed in 1917. Of the 4 boys who formed the Colour Party and received the first colours from the King at a ceremony in Balmoral in 1908, only one survived the war. All of the boys are remembered on a plaque in the School's Memorial Chapel. 

Right up until the 90's the School only had an obligation to teach the boys up until 'O Grades' (16yrs) and thereafter you were out on yer todd!...except a few (about 15 from a year of 40) who got invited back to attempt Highers. This meant many of the lads would head off on the recruiting bus to Glencourse after the last exam in 4th year to sit the Army Entrance exams...predominantly going into the regular Army as junior soldiers...with the odd few of the 5th and 6th years going for commissions and/or university degrees. Forty years ago, my year was unusual with six of us actually getting commissioned as direct entry officers. Its a little more advanced these days. 

Girls were eventually admitted in 1996.

Thanks for all the information about QVS.

The eldest son of one of the men I researched was a boy sergeant at QVS when he was  sent his father's medals.

RM

[MrEd]

20 hours ago, Lee Smart said:

Queen Victoria School or 'QV' and Duke of York's are still in existence today, and still supported by the Ministry of Defence. QV is my old Alma mater!

The idea of the school was originally proposed to Queen Victoria as a memorial to the Scottish dead of the Boer Wars because of her fondness for the Scots (John Brown etc) , and after her death it was thought fit to name it in her memory.  I believe the school was established by an act of Parliament as a public institution and the money to build the school was raised from Scottish servicemen and the people of Scotland to complete the project. Queen Victoria School was opened on 28 September 1908 by King Edward the seventh. The chapel was completed in 1910 and is Scotland's memorial to Queen Victoria.

The school, with its 250 orphans was run like a mini-regiment, with a School Commandant, Admin Officer and all the teachers being ex-Army officers, and a smattering of NCOs - The School Sergeant Major and the Pipe and Drum Majors today are retired Warrant officers. The school also has its own Colours, presented by the Monarch every 25 years. Its still essentially available as an orphanage with places made available for any service orphans, many of my friends were sons of Scottish Servicemen who had been killed, often on operations. Many of the boys have gone on to serve the Colours throughout the armed forces with 17 of the original boys being killed in the First World War..., some of them would then have only just been old enough to join up before the war's end. This included three brothers. The youngest boy to die was a lad called Young Watt who had joined up in 1914, at the age of 14 as a drummer-boy - he was killed in 1916. Another boy, William Tinlin, of the Scots Guards and on his way to join his unit at Gallipoli, was killed in the Gretna Green train crash (which killed 500). James Stevenson rose to the rank of sergeant before he was killed in 1917. Of the 4 boys who formed the Colour Party and received the first colours from the King at a ceremony in Balmoral in 1908, only one survived the war. All of the boys are remembered on a plaque in the School's Memorial Chapel. 

Right up until the 90's the School only had an obligation to teach the boys up until 'O Grades' (16yrs) and thereafter you were out on yer todd!...except a few (about 15 from a year of 40) who got invited back to attempt Highers. This meant many of the lads would head off on the recruiting bus to Glencourse after the last exam in 4th year to sit the Army Entrance exams...predominantly going into the regular Army as junior soldiers...with the odd few of the 5th and 6th years going for commissions and/or university degrees. Forty years ago, my year was unusual with six of us actually getting commissioned as direct entry officers. Its a little more advanced these days. 

Girls were eventually admitted in 1996.

Sounds very similar setup to Gordon’s school that I went to, right down to the year girls were allowed to attend!

[BBairnsfather]

Kevin - Have just seen your post asking about the Army School at Stratford on Avon. I can help you a little - this was indeed a 'crammers' which prepared students for the Army Entrance examination. It was also known as Trinity College, and was originally established as a school in about 1872, later becoming the Army School, which ceased to operate around 1908 I believe. The building is still there, long ago converted into residential flats, but retaining its original facade. 

I'm familiar with the Army School as Bruce Bairnsfather, the famous WW1 cartoonist (whom I've spent the past 42 years researching and writing about) attended in 1904/05, after he left the United Services College (Rudyard Kipling's former school) in Devon. Bairnsfather's family moved to Stratford in 1904 and lived there until after WW1. He attended the Army School to help prepare him for the Army Entrance exam, but even at that time was hugely interested in drawing, and gained a reputation for his caricatures of fellow students at the Army School. 

Unfortunately no records from the Army School in Stratford have survived - I have copies of local Directory entries for it, which list several of the staff etc., also a copy of a photo of the building from the early 1900's. I know the Headmaster at the time Bairnsfather was there was George Edward Beckwith. Bairnsfather's own father, Major Thomas Bairnsfather, was also on the staff at the Army School.

This probably doesn't help much but hopefully will be of interest.

Mark Warby

[ianshuter]

22 minutes ago, BBairnsfather said:

Kevin - Have just seen your post asking about the Army School at Stratford on Avon. I can help you a little - this was indeed a 'crammers' which prepared students for the Army Entrance examination. It was also known as Trinity College, and was originally established as a school in about 1872, later becoming the Army School, which ceased to operate around 1908 I believe. The building is still there, long ago converted into residential flats, but retaining its original facade. 

I'm familiar with the Army School as Bruce Bairnsfather, the famous WW1 cartoonist (whom I've spent the past 42 years researching and writing about) attended in 1904/05, after he left the United Services College (Rudyard Kipling's former school) in Devon. Bairnsfather's family moved to Stratford in 1904 and lived there until after WW1. He attended the Army School to help prepare him for the Army Entrance exam, but even at that time was hugely interested in drawing, and gained a reputation for his caricatures of fellow students at the Army School. 

Unfortunately no records from the Army School in Stratford have survived - I have copies of local Directory entries for it, which list several of the staff etc., also a copy of a photo of the building from the early 1900's. I know the Headmaster at the time Bairnsfather was there was George Edward Beckwith. Bairnsfather's own father, Major Thomas Bairnsfather, was also on the staff at the Army School.

This probably doesn't help much but hopefully will be of interest.

Mark Warby

The 1901 Census contains names of pupils and staff who were there in April 1901 if you need them

1 minute ago, ianshuter said:

The 1901 Census contains names of pupils and staff who were there in April 1901 if you need them

[rolt968]

Interesting!

I'm now researching someone who attended the "Army School", Holytown, Bray, Maidenhead. He went on to Imperial Service College, then Sandhurst (about which I may eventually post a question) in 1914, but was commissioned at the beginning of October 1914.

I found some information on this site:

http://www.berkshirehistory.com/villages/holyport.html

I don't know how reliable it is. Apparently Winston Churchill attended the school.(?). The bulding was used as a pow camp in World War one and subsequently demolished.

RM

Edited 1 June by rolt968

[mrfrank]

On 21/08/2022 at 20:34, Kevin Mears said:

Can anyone tell me anything about the Army Schools at Stratford on Avon and Maidenhead between 1907 and 1910 please.

As always, any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

Kevin Mears 

Just started a topic connected to this post here:

 

[rolt968]

On 19/08/2023 at 11:56, mrfrank said:

Just started a topic connected to this post here:

 

Apologies for such an obvious question. Have you looked at the 1911 Census?

RM

Edit: Apologies I have now read the the other thread and see that you have!

Edited 20 August by rolt968

[Ruadhan Scrivener-Anderson]

I recently researched an officer, Richard Henry Charles Ewart of the 9th Black Watch, son of Major General Sir Richard Henry Ewart, who attended the Army School at Maidenhead.

The school was designed specifically to prepare candidates for Woolwich and Sandhurst, but I would hesitate to align it with conventional crammers, as it could be attended by boys for the last few years of their normal education, rather than after attending another school. Ewart specifically attended for several years from the age of 15 before going to Edinburgh University. The school was run with the approval of the Army Council. but without army funding, and had it's own OTC post-1908. It closed in 1912, with the OTC being disbanded.

Attached is a notice about the school from The Morning Post in 1908, advertising success rates for the RMC and RMA much like a crammer.

[rolt968]

24 minutes ago, Ruadhan Scrivener-Anderson said:

I recently researched an officer, Richard Henry Charles Ewart of the 9th Black Watch, son of Major General Sir Richard Henry Ewart, who attended the Army School at Maidenhead.

The school was designed specifically to prepare candidates for Woolwich and Sandhurst, but I would hesitate to align it with conventional crammers, as it could be attended by boys for the last few years of their normal education, rather than after attending another school. Ewart specifically attended for several years from the age of 15 before going to Edinburgh University. The school was run with the approval of the Army Council. but without army funding, and had it's own OTC post-1908. It closed in 1912, with the OTC being disbanded.

Attached is a notice about the school from The Morning Post in 1908, advertising success rates for the RMC and RMA much like a crammer.

Thank you. That is very interestung.

It explains why Arthur Henry Otway Jacob moved on to Imperial Service College. (See my other thread.)

I'm not very awake this morning, I have only just noticed "Approved by the Army Council". I wonder if people at the time understood its significance correctly.

RM

Edited 27 August by rolt968

[Charles Fair]

Useful thread, not least for confirming the elusive 'Trinity School, Stratford', listed by JRdeS Honey in his analysis of the Victorian public school, Tom Brown's Universe, morphed inti the Army School (Stratford, later Maidenhead).  My database of schools now deduplicated by one. Thanks all!