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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Buckinghamshire => Topic started by: Keith Sherwood on Wednesday 12 July 06 17:56 BST (UK)
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Hi, Everyone,
Have come across a couple of members of my family on the 1861 Census as boarders at Wooburn Park College, Wooburn.
Does anybody know whether this establishment exists today, or anything about its history if it is indeed defunct now?
Very best wishes,
Keith
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There's this reference in Kelly's Directory of Buckinghamshire 1907 (p211)
"Public Elementary Schools
...
Wooburn, built 1852, for 320 children; average attendance 268; John Greenwood, master"
However, there appear to be only 23 pupils listed in the 1861 Census, so I'm not sure this is the right place.
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Hi Keith
I live in the next village to Wooburn, I have not heard of this establishment and it certainly is not there now.
I will have a dig around and see if any of my local books can help. If not I will have a look in the library.
Assume you are sure it is Wooburn in Bucks and not Woburn in Beds?
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Hi, Dave,
Perhaps the 23 listed in the 1861 Census were the only boarders there on Census night, and the rest of the pupils were day boys and girls (if indeed there were girls there at that time)...
...and Barbara, I have to admit my first reaction (in my ignorance) was that the place had been mis-spelled. Ashamed to say I'd never heard of a Wooburn before, just the Woburn place with the wild-life park.
I'd very much appreciate it if you could look at local references for this college.
Thank you both very much for your attention!
Keith
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Keith
Can you give me the 1861 ref or the names of your people so I can try to identify where the college is located.
Barbara
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Barbara,
I don't actually have access to the 1861 Census (though I'm beginning to realise that the £69.95 annual subscription to ancestry.com is a good deal - The Guardian certainly gave it top marks out of a selection of genealogy sites they reviewed this last weekend)
The individuals are John NOTT, 13 Scholar London and his brother Frank NOTT Scholar 10 London at Wooburn Park College, Wooburn Bucks.
If you want a reference to be able to "walk the streets" to discover its exact location then, I'll PM either Dave on this thread, or the Rootschatter who first drew my attention to this detail on my recent thread on The Common Room: "A boy named Sue...a girl named Vernon."...
Keith
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No problems Keith, the names are sufficient!
Will get back to you soon. Will probably visit the lebrary tomorrow.
Barbara
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Barbara,
This is all very kind of you, and I look forward to hearing from you about this place...!
Very best wishes,
Keith
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Hi Keith
Having looked at the census return I think it could have been the old Wooburn School which I think was endowed in 1852. The pupils, in 1861, go up to the age of 15.
Will check this out.
Barbara
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Hi Keith
My local library did not have any books but I have been in touch with the Centre for Buckinghamshire Studies and they have the following documents.
Receipt and vouchers (3 items) for work done at the school at Wooburn,
1823-1825 (PR 240/25/15)
Photocopy of conveyance of site for School House at Wooburn by vicar to
vicar
and churchwardens, with solicitors bills, 1850 (PR 240/25/16-17)
Conveyance by James DuPre to vicar and churchwardens of land in Wooburn
for
erection of a National School, 1850, with record of the school being
constituted a Public Elementary School, 1872 (PR 240/25/23)
School building grant plans for Wooburn National School, 1849-1850,
1866 (67)
Estimate for plastering the school room walls, 19th cent (PR 240/25/22)
Survey of Wooburn Church Voluntary elementary school, with plan, 1903
(AR
78/92/91).
Managers Minute Book of Wooburn County Infant School, 1920-1962
(E/MB/240/1)
Fire Insurance Policy (Ecclesiastical Insurance Office) for the church
house
and school house at Wooburn, 1956 (PR 240/25/19)
Counterpart tenancy agreement for Wooburn School House, made between
the
vicar and school managers and William Lunnon, 1958 (PR 240/25/20)
Receipt for money from sale of School House, 1971 (PR 240/25/21)
Unfortunately these have to viewed at Aylesbury and I am unable to go there as we are getting ready to move house (to Cornwall.)
A friend who is currently on holiday may have some more information and I will let you know what I find out from her when she gets back.. I am however fairly certain that the school is the one that was endowed in 1852 as mentioned in my previous email. If that is the case, then the buildings still exist but have been converted into dwellings. They are opposite the church. I will see if I have some photos of them.
Barbara
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Goodness, Barbara, you have been busy!
And very good news to hear that the buildings are still intact today. If you do have a photo or two, I'd love to see it. Fortunate indeed for me to have started this thread before you disappear to the other side of the country - no on-the-spot expertise once you move...
I like the compact feel of this school being opposite the church, too.
Very many thanks,
Keith
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Hi Keith
My friend is now back from holiday. She is also the local librarian so is a useful contact!
I have borrowed a book on the history of the area which I shall be reading in detail when I go to Cornwall later this week. At first sight there seems to be no separate establishment called a "College" as opposed to a school. The author of the local history still lives in Bourne End so, if the book does not help with the specific query, I will contact him.
Have not forgotten about photos - will sort out when we have finally decided which establishment we are talking about.
I will be in touch in about 10 days time when I am back at home.
The book looks very interesting and is something I would like on my bookshelf to remind me of my time in Bourne End - sadly it is now out of print so I will have to track down a second hand copy.
Barbara
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Well Keith, much too hot to do any housework so I started browsing through the local history book. To my surprise there was another school in Wooburn in 1861! This will probably also surprise all the other people I have spoken to!
The coming of the railway in 1854 apparently lead to the setting up of several new business ventures and Wooburn House was used as a private school, chiefly for children from London. It did not last long and according to the book had disappeared by 1871.
This fits in well with the info from the 1861 census - boarders and children as old as 15. It also explains the name "Wooburn College" and the fact that the head was a "Principal".
I will therefore look out pictures of Wooburn House rather than those of the old school. Wooburn House no longer exists - I will check when it was demolished. When I have read the book thoroughly I will let you know if I have found out any more! I wonder why the school was mainly for London children?
The book I have been reading is
"Theirs were but Human Hearts" by B B Wheals
Barbara
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Barbara,
Lovely to hear from you again, and the plot thickens, as they say...
Very interesting to hear that the College was mainly for London children, and I expect you'll discover a reason soon enough when you've read all there is on the subject and spoken to your contacts some more...
Very many thanks,
keith
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Hi Keith
Have not been able to find out any more about the school from the book. :(
When we got back from Cornwall there was a rush to exchange contracts on our house and to complete the sale - the upshot of which is that I am moving on 17th/18th August and am currently surrounded by boxes! I probably won't have time to do any more "digging" whilst I am here.
I hope to be able to resume my family history interests soon after moving and I will sort out photos when I have unpacked everything. Do prod me if I don't make contact.
Barbara
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Barbara,
Thanks so much for remembering your Rootschat commitments in the face of the incredible turmoil that is involved in moving house! Only if you manage to get round to it, though, eventually...
Very best wishes,
keith
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Barbara,
Hi again, and I don't suppose you ever got round to discovering any more about this short-lived educational establishment...
It's just that I've recently received info that seems to imply that John Fortune and his brother Frank NOTT were abandonned (?) by their parents when they emigrated to Australia in 1854, at the ages of 7 and 4 respectively. So it could have been that two rather small and nervous pupils were added to the school roll as early as this time; with presumably some kind of arrangement for the two of them during school holidays...
keith
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Hello Keith
Sorry, but I have found out nothing more :(
We have still to unpack most of our books as we are in the process of renovating the house. We have half a roof and half an extension ::)
When I get the Wooburn and Bourne End books out again I will see what photos I can find for you.
Happy New Year!
Barbara
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Barbara,
Thanks very much for getting back to me so promptly!
And a Happy New Year to you and your family down in the South-West...
keith
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Perhaps I am wrong but wasn't this house a venue for live pop in the 1960s/70s and much frequented by the young people of Bucks and Berks? I was there just once. I have a vague recollection it burned down, a bit like a similar venue at Windsor I visited where I saw Eric Clapton in 1963. Now I think about it, it burned down too! I may have got some of that wrong but worth checking up on perhaps?
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Hi, Imber,
Someone who was a Sixties child like you (?) and I, and who lived in the area might be able to give us the answer on that one. I had similar experiences at about that time, but on Eel Pie Island on the Thames between Richmond and Kingston in Surrey. Not sure what THAT building is today, or whether indeed it still stands, especially if someone had given a particularly forceful version of "Great Balls of Fire"...
keith
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Hi Imber
I think they are 2 different places. Wasn't the place that burnt down called Fawlty Towers?
I believe that the house which had the school, Wooburn House, was demolished and is now a housing estate. My books will tell me!
Barbara
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Hi again
Wooburn House was used by the Commonwealth (formerly Imperial) War Graves Commission until about 1970ish when they moved to their new HQ in Maidenhead. The other place I was thinking about was situated at the south end of Wooburn (Cores End?) amidst lots of trees. Mind you, it was very dark when I was there and local history was not my main motivation in those days! However, Wooburn PARK rather than HOUSE is ringing a bell. I think the site may be covered in rather posh houses now.
Keith, Eel Pie island rings a bell. There used to be lots of Ricky Tick clubs in that part of the world at that time.
Wife is now screaming at me to get off the bleep PC and come shopping. I'll give this some more thought. She's just trumped me by telling me that she saw Jimmy Hendrix at Slough. That was the same evening Scott Walker threw a strop and had to be dragged on to the stage! Better go now!
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Imber,
Tell your wife when you get back from the retail therapy that I saw Hendrix play for the last time (I think) at the 1970 Isle of Wight Festival...
...which is getting a bit further away by the second from Wooburn, Barbara. Whenever you have a bit of time to hunt down those books, I'd be very interested to hear. Wooburn Park College must have had a fairly short life, I think, but long enough to have accommodated those two young NOTT brothers (at least in 1861)...
keith
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The place I was thinking of that burnt down was near the Cores End roundabout - so looks like we are on the same track Imber.
Wooburn House was nearer to Wooburn Green...I think :)
Barbara
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Yes, Wooburn House was on the right as you headed north, just before the village green. I think you had to cross a bridge over a burn to enter the site - there was definitely some sort of watercourse.
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Having dug into this a little more it appears that the listed building at Cores End was Wooburn Grange, the exterior of which was indeed used for the filming of Fawlty Towers. Looks as though it can be ruled out.
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Hello Keith,
Is the water.. The Grand Union Canal. The place was still standing in 1971/72.
Les
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The river Wye runs through Wooburn.
Barbara
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Hello, may I join the conversation? I lived in Wooburn from 1956 until 1993. My father and his sisters attended Wooburn School and my granddad had a butchers shop on the Green.
I have heard of Woobur Park and my dad has a cheeky verse which includes that name. He never mentioned the college to me. He went to High Wycombe Technical College.
It is The Wye that runs through Wooburn and right up to Cores End.
The house that was used to film Fawlty Towers was renamed Fawlty Towers after the filming. It did burn down.
Ann