School admissions in London - Allen family 1880s

[ruthruss]

Hello there. Warning: a bit of a long explanation. My great-great-grandfather John William Allen (wife Annie) was a teacher for the British and Foreign Schools Society, was a great supporter of the 1870 Education Act and had several children. From 1884 onwards the family lived in Ditton Road, Surbiton, and John began working as a commercial traveller and writing school textbooks for Longmans, Green & Co. However, over the years I've found no record of any of his children going to school. I have just found out that his sister was a governess, and coincidentally she came to live with them around the time that his eldest children would have needed schooling (about 1888), but it seems very strange to me that someone so supportive of public education would not send his own children to school. Does anyone have any ideas where I can look? Thank you if you got this far!

Here are his children (there were others but long story short they aren't relevant here):
John "Jack" Carlyle Allen, born 1881 in Liverpool.
Margaret "Maggie" Anne Allen, born 1882 in Liverpool.
Percy Henry Allen, born 1885 in Surbiton.
Hubert Mills Allen, born 1889 in Surbiton.
Daisy Ruth Allen, born 1892 in Surbiton.

[nanny jan]

These might be of use to check if any school records have survived: 

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/a?_ref=177

https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/schools/



 I guess the sister might have taught the children at home.

[aghadowey]

John William Allen might have supported the 1870 Education Act to allow better education for many disadvantaged children but was satisfied his sister, or perhaps his wife, could provide a very good education at home for his own children.

[Andy J2022]

I'm not sure that not finding any relevant school admissions would lead me to the possibility that the children were home schooled, without some other collateral evidence. The 1891 census says that John C and Margaret A were scholars and there was no living-in governess at that time. From that I would personally work on the assumption they were attending school.
I researched a family some time back where the governess was there purely to look after the preschool children. I know this because the two older boys (aged about 9 and 11 if I remember correctly) were at boarding school.

[aghadowey]

Not suggesting that lack, so far, of school registers indicates home schooling (schooled at home by mother or someone who came in during the day).

[ShaunJ]

As far as I know the only school registers that are online for the Surbiton/Kingston area are for the National Schools. This family was clearly fairly affluent and its quite likely that the children went to independent schools.

[ruthruss]

As far as I know the only school registers that are online for the Surbiton/Kingston area are for the National Schools. This family was clearly fairly affluent and its quite likely that the children went to independent schools.

Funny you should point this out. I went on Findmypast this evening and noticed for the first time that it was admissions for National Schools. I'd say you're right. If the Allen kids went to school it would no doubt have been one run by the BFSS.

[Andy J2022]

If the Allen kids went to school it would no doubt have been one run by the BFSS.

Have your tried the BFSS archives at Brunel?  They say they hold registers but it's not clear if this is just for their colleges, or schools as well.

A school (un-named) in Surbiton received BFSS grant, but there appear to have been BFSS established schools in Kingston and Kingston Vale.