"Rossel House" School Photograph

[tumpy51]

Hi
Can anyone help identify the school from this photograph? I estimate the date to be between 1918 and 1921. The photographer is Allison & Co. My Grandfather (Alexander in the photograph) was from Belfast but may have been sent away to board. His family were Presbyterian.

Thank you

[TheWhuttle]

Hi tumpy51,

Obviously a photo of a boys' Preparatory or Public School.
The "Rossel House" is likely to have been one of several Houses (usually four) within the school.

There are 17 individuals present in the photo, so this might indicate a school of 60-80 pupils.
[Only the 3, surrounding the trophy, are wearing sporting headgear, so the other 8 or 12 from the team (depending on whether they are cricket or rugby caps) must be elsewhere (viz. in other Houses).
Two of these 3 seem to have an "X" badge on their upper pockets, perhaps for "XI or "XV".]

----
The Allison photographers started in Belfast in 1881, but branched out to Newry, Dundalk & Warrenpoint.
However, their main base (where all the prints were eventually made) was in Armagh.
An extensive archive is held by PRONI.
http://www.proni.gov.uk/index/search_the_archives/pronionflickr/about-allison-collection.htm

It is a shame that the bottom right of the photo frame is missing, otherwise the photographer's location information  might have given a crucial clue as to the region in which the school was located.

Anyways, because of the restricted spread of the Allison business, I'd reckon that the school is regional to the North of Ireland, and not further abroad.

I did find one reference of The Rev. Alfred Theodore WREN having served as Mathematical Master at Rossel School and preacher at Abingdon, Oxfordshire during 1878-1879.
Reckon that this is a mistype- that school was known as ROYSSE's school from 1543-1960.

Ref:
Appointment at NEWTON. 
The Bury and Norwich Post, and Suffolk Standard (Bury Saint Edmunds, England), Tuesday, February 02, 1892; pg. 7; Issue 5790. 19th Century British Library Newspapers: Part II.

That school looks a tad grander than the one in the photo!
Ref: http://www.francisfrith.com/abingdon-on-thames/abingdon-roysse-s-school-1925_77612

Before he was appointed Headmaster of Campbell College, Belfast, in 1954, a Francis John Granville Cook had been Headmaster of the Junior School, Rossall school, 1949-54.   This is located at Fleetwood, in Lancashire.
[Maybe there were earlier links ...?  Many Presbyterians came over from that county.]
http://www.lennonwylie.co.uk/CampbellCollegeRegisterInfo.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rossall_School


Also, a "Rossel School" took part in a cricket match at Ormeau Park, Belfast.
[Reckon that this was a mistype for The Rev. Mr. RUSSELL's school, in Franklin Place, Belfast.]
Ref:
CRICKET .
The Belfast News-Letter (Belfast, Ireland), Saturday, May 23, 1874; Issue 55957.

Hope that this helps.

Capt. Jock

[fadge36]

The bottom corner of the photo seems to show "Allison & sons, Newry? and......"
Surely it may help if we knew Alexander's surname.
For what it's worth the children's headgear looks more in keeping with an 'overseas' school, rather than Irish one.
fadge

[TheWhuttle]

... yes, it could be "Newry and" (then presumably the other towns in which the business was based).
So, maybe not so diagnostic.

ALEXANDER will be the surname.
[One would not have addressed other individuals by their first names, except if they were intimate friends.
 If there were multiple instances of the same surname, they were differentiated by the Latin numeral designations - "I", "II, "III", etc.]

Yes the Panama hats look a tad strange.  Very "English".
Possibly a hangover from WWI naval/diplomatic roles?
The 1920s was the era of the Flappers after all!

Capt Jock

[gaffy]

Note that the front row have blanket / cloth to sit on, presumably a sharp stone underneath?

[TheWhuttle]

Cripes! Perhaps they were at Carrick-Fergus or Bally-Craigy?

[fadge36]

May just have proved myself wrong.( Not an Overseas school!)
I think the school is Mourne Grange School, Kilkeel.
There are several photos on PRONI images on Flickr, of the cricket team where similar hats and blazers are on display. The only thing is, the doorway used in your photo is not the same.
See what you think.
The cap badges also look similar.
Look at 1913-1916 photos. Notice the First Eleven pockets. [XI]. The clincher I think.
fadge

[fadge36]

PRONI also have documents about Mourne Grange Prep School in their archives. They are from 1900 to 1971 and include registers, society minute books and magazines. The son of J M Andrews, Prime Minister of N Ireland,born 1903, was a pupil at the school.
fadge 

[TheWhuttle]

Reckon that you cracked it there Fadge36.
Absolutely "Spiffing", Old Chap!  A four-farl score!!

[Very interesting those offerings of the ALLISON and COOPER photographic collections.
 Ref: http://www.proni.gov.uk/index/search_the_archives/pronionflickr.htm]

The floppy bunnets also match - each having three dark thin stripes.
[Can't compare the ties (which are also 3-striped) 'cos no one in the original photo is wearing one.]

I counted 64 boys in one of the group photographs.
The rugs seem to have got fancier with the years ...

----
The school appears to have been founded in 1900 by Allen Sausmarez CAREY.

Now, I know those names from Guernsey, where the De SAUSMAREZ family were long established (producing a famous Admiral of the Fleet), and CAREY was the chief concho at the Royal Court in the mid 19thC.  The former gave their name to Sausmarez DUBORDIEU, a French Hugenot pastor who settled at Lisburn in the early 18thC.  His descendants took over the "castle" at Carrowdore in the Ards in the 19thC.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Saumarez,_1st_Baron_de_Saumarez
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sausmarez_Manor
http://sausmarezmanor.co.uk/history.html


Hmm, wonder what this might say about the possible adoption of the ROSSEL name by the House.
Was he another exiled Hugenot?
[Think that I saw something about a General or Admiral ROSSEL ....]

Also, there was a famous French soldier (of a Communist persuasion), well known to all in the British Isles, who fell out with the increasingly Monarchist forces in France, eventually being tried and executed ...

Source Citation:
"Captain Rossel's Art Of War.*." Times [London, England] 20 Oct. 1871: 4. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 27 Oct. 2015.

----
The Mourne area was an area of heavy English settlement.
[And still is! I recall chatting to a very proper English gentleman on a flight to Belfast once, with me expounding all the merits of Norn Iron, etc.  When we landed he thanked me and said " ... and I know that is all true, 'cos I've lived in the Mourne region for 25 years, commuting to work elsewhere!".]

Golly Gosh! This is exciting stuff ....

Capt. Jock

ADDENDUM:

http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/ROSZELL/2001-06/0992183754
This mentions ROSELs, French Hugenots, being in Picardy, Normandy and the Channel Islands, as well as in Switzerland, etc.
[Jean Calvin was born in Picardy (Noyon) but spent most of his later life (by accident) in Switzerland, being instrumental in persuading the city councils of Berne, then Geneva, to convert to the cause of the Reformation.]