St George's House,
Northern Police Orphanage. 1898-1956  Harrogate, Yorkshire, England.

 

 



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Education and Religion
 

The whole ethos of St George's House was based on religious precepts. This was translated into our lives by way of prayer service during daily Assembly and  attending church every Sunday. As there was no transport available the children would walk to and from church in crocodile formation, that is, in pairs and in line, irrespective of weather. During the 40's we all attended St Mark's Church, Leeds Road, a distance of 1.3 miles each way. St George's Boys were the choristers under Mr Frederick Mason.
Vicar: Mr Sparrow and Canon Flower.

                        
                           St Mark's Church choir comprised of St George's choir boys-1942     Head choirboy-Arthur Boschi
                                                                                                                 (from St George's
)     
 

                          
                          
The St George's crocodile formation in which we walked to & from both school & church, 1928.

                                            
                          
St Marks Church as it was during the 40's.           St Marks Church.. later.

 The girls, after Confirmation, once a month, took early morning Communion at St Mary's Church being closer to St George's
 (0.7 mile)  because it wasn't such a long walk on an empty stomach. See photos below of St Mary's Church:


                                             
                          
St Mary's Church, now closed.                            St Mary's Church interior.

CHILDREN'S SPECIAL SERVICE MISSION.
 
From an early age the St George's children were encouraged to study "Children’s scriptures". Evelyn May Parkes, child number 119, was no exception and following are copies of her Children's Scripture Union Members Card dated 1908 along with suggested readings for throughout the year.


Evelyn May Parkes (119)             Children's Scripture Union Members Card, dated 1908.

                                              
                                               Suggested Scripture readings for the year.

 

     Education
The schools that the children attended were Harrogate Grammar School, Arthurs Avenue, a distance of 0.6 mile.             Harrogate  Technical College,  East Parade, a distance of 1.5 miles and Western School, Cold Bath Road, a distance of 0.8 mile
and for a short time, Ripon Grammar School, Clotherholme Road, Ripon.

                                   

                                   
                                  
 Western School. Cold Bath Rd, Harrogate
 

  Teachers at Western School included:
  Mr T. Forsyth (Headmaster/Shorthand) Miss Rudd
  Miss Wilkinson Miss Dawson
  Miss Cooper Miss Lupton
  Miss Hudson Miss Wheelhouse
  Miss Beck Mr Hinde Leedale (History)
  Miss Leathead Mr Schollick (Science)
  Mr B. Horner (Art) Mr Bissett (Woodwork)
  Mr Kendrew (Woodwork)  


                            
                            
                            
                            
Harrogate Technical College, East Parade, Harrogate.
                            
Photo: Courtesy of David Jenkinson, Author: Harrogate Then & Now. Publisher: The History Press


                                                      

  Teachers at Harrogate Technical College included:
  Mr Lupton (Principal)                                        Mr Sayers (Tech Drawing) 
  Mr W. Lumsden (Headmaster/Shorthand)   Major (Tiny) Howard     
  Mr Stafford (Maths)  Mr Chesterton (Woodwork)
  Miss Mather (Geography)  Miss Sherwood (Typing)
  Miss Johnson (French)  Mr (Basher) Scott (Engineering)
  Mr (Killer) Kendrew (Woodwork/PT/Home Guard)  

                            

                            
                            
Harrogate Grammar School, Arthurs Ave, Harrogate.

     
   
The Staff, March, 1954

                             Teachers at Harrogate Grammar School included:
Mr H R C Carr (Head Master)    Mr T Lusher (Deputy Head)
   Mr E J Fisher (Senior Master/History) Miss C Andrews (Headmistress/English/History)
Mrs Mason (French) Mrs Liddle (French)
  Miss Weissbruth (Latin)    Mr D Glover (French/Spanish)
  Mrs Halliday (Maths)   Mr G Anderson (Physics)
  Miss D Mellor (Sciences)    Miss L M Davison (Senior Geography)
  Monsieur Jacko (French)   Mr E N Jones (English/Scripture)
Miss T Duckworth (Gymnastics-Girls) Mr S Nixon (English Language, Grammar & Literature)
Mr Marlow (Music)   Miss E Jennings (Senior Mistress/History)
Mr M J T Fairman   Miss C M Holmes (History/Scripture)
Mr G E Thompson (Modern Languages) Mr S S Peters (Senior Sciences)
  Mr J Hall (Senior Maths)   Miss B Black (Maths)
Miss A Johnson (Librarian)  Mr H F Diggle ( French)
Mrs J M Heaton nee Lowcock (Geography) Mr K A Crowther (Chemistry)
Mr H I Hall (Senior Chemistry)    Mr D Measures (Senior Classics)
Mr F H Mayer (German) Mr A R Leathley (Physics/Cadets)
Mr E Saunders (Woodwork) Mr P Foster (Metalwork)
Mrs P Elders (History/Latin)   Mr T B Walker (Maths)
Miss B Carlin (Senior Biology Mistress) Miss C Morphet (Domestic Science)
Mr J R Hardaker (Physical Training-Boys) Mr J B Forrest (Art)
Mr K G Sharman (Maths/Physics) Miss J Lightowler (Maths)
Miss J M Dawson (Maths) Mr R F Webber ( Music)
Mr A B Wakefield (English)    Miss J B Barber (Art)
Miss H M Jackson (English/French) Miss C M E Parker (Domestic Science)    
Mr Elliot (Metalwork) Mr Evans
Mr Fairbrother Snr (Physical Training) Mr Fairbrother Jnr (Physical Training)
Mr Adamson (Physical Training) Miss Everrit (Head Mistress)
Miss Sturk (French)

                            

                                                 
                                                 
Letter of reference written by H.R.C.Carr Head Master
                                                  The Grammar School, Harrogate, addressed to Richard H. Peacock
                                                  letter dated July, 1949.
                                                  Refer Services page of this website to read about the DFC
                                                  awarded to Richard H.Peacock.

                     
                    Harrogate Grammar School Jubilee 1903-1953            One of the old advertisements in the magazine
 

                          
                    Harrogate Grammar School magazine 1949-1950        Harrogate Grammar School magazine 1950-1952
 

                                   
                            
Ripon Grammar School. Clotherholme Road, Ripon, North Yorkshire.
                            
During the late 1940's and early 1950's, for a short period of time, a small number
                             of the St George's boys attended Ripon Grammar School. Initially they commuted
                             daily by bus then later boarded at the school.
                             Ripon Grammar School was an all boys school and operated a very strict regime.
                             The boys had to swim every day in the outdoor pool, even on icy cold days when
                             it was frozen over, resulting in a slide on their bottoms from one end of the pool
                             to the other. One old boy recalls a one-armed Latin teacher called Jake who was
                             renowned for harsh punishment, for instance failure to learn Latin verbs resulted
                             in a smack across the back of the hand with a ruler.
                             Irrespective of the strict character forming conditions, the consensus is that
                             Ripon Grammar was an excellent school which provided a good education and
                             to this day, stirs fond memories of the time spent there.

                            
Recollections provided by Eddy Drummond                                                                       
                              
                      
       

 
              
Some of the activities the children were taught at St Georges.

                                

                               

               

                These few photos show in graphic form, a taste of the 'in
             house' philosophy of preparation for life on the 'outside' and
             making sure the young people are kept busy.
             Just what the young cooks have prepared is anyone's guess
             but I could imagine something perhaps like Suet pudding.
   
           

       

                      
Jean Williams (515) conducting the 'orchestra'.

 
Picture of Scholarship winners from St George's, painted on dining room end wall.      Sheila Stephenson nee Potts

           
           
  Senior girls swatting for exams c. 1947                                A group of just some of St George's Scholarship holders.
From left: Barbara Boschi, Elsie Bradley,                               From left to right: Raymond Berry, Edith Sarah Caldwell,
              Betty Hopkinson, Jean Williams                                                      Edward Stevenson, Richard Bridge.
 
             

                  
Postcard written by Hannah (Dot Bracken) and sent to her mother,           Girl centre right is Hannah (Dot)
                   date unknown.                                                                                 Bracken and the boy on the far right
                                                                                                                        is her brother, James Bracken.
    
                                                                                                         
 

Quote from St George's House Annual report of 1948-1949.
The girls entered for the Wharfedale Musical Festival in June and during the year eleven girls have passed in various grades in the examinations set by the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music. Some of the girls and boys have enjoyed attending concerts given by the Halle Orchestra in the Royal Hall, Harrogate, and during the winter months have frequently been to lectures organised by the Harrogate Literary Society in the Royal Hall.

 

                                                                               

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