Hi All: Can anyone tell me more about the following educational organizations in Portsmouth, please? My father I know went to Portsmouth Grammar School between February 1894 and about 1898. This school is of course still in existence. We visited Portsmouth in 1991 and in 1997, and I have located it on the Web. I have just received the military records of my uncle, Percy Squire WILLCOCKS. Among the information he gave in his application for officer cadet training, he stated that he was educated at Portsmouth Boys Secondary School, and Portsmouth Municipal College. Assuming he entered secondary school 10-11 years after his birth on 12 Feb 1896, this would mean he started there about 1906. I would guess at a five year period there, followed by a spell at the college, probably 1911-1914. As he was trained as a chemist and druggist and qualified on 9 Jul 1919, he must have had some period of apprenticeship to an established chemist. His older brother Edmund qualified as a chemist and druggist on 8 Oct 1908. At that time, his residence was given as 142 High St., Walthamstow, Essex. It is also clear from the record that Percy was at the same address when he was recruited by the Army. He was placed in A1 condition by the Recruiting Medical Board in Dec 1916 at Leytonstone, Essex. (this address is close to Whipps Cross Hospital in Leytonstone.) He enlisted, according to the record, on 22 Jan 1917. This address was used throughout his career in the Army, and he was promoted to 2nd. Lieut. after seeing action at the Battle of Arras, on 28 Mar 1918. He gave the same address when he qualified as a chemist, but there is one other address on his military record, 8 Burlington Rd., Portsmouth. He also mentioned as references Dr. G. J. Parks, c/o Boys Secondary School, Portsmouth, and Rev. P.. Clayton, c/o St. Mary's Vicarage, Portsea, Portsmouth. This was part of an application he signed and dated 3 Feb 1918. Questions: 1. Is the Boys Secondary School a different entity from Portsmouth Grammar School? Where is it located, if still in existence, or where was it located in 1906-1911? Are any school records available? I would expect his reference was probably head of that school; between what years was he there (possibly he was head in 1918 still)? 2. When was the Rev. Clayton the incumbent at St. Mary's Portsea? 3. Is there a baptism record for Percy at St. Mary's Portsea, shortly after 12 Feb 1896? 4. Who was living at 8 Burlington Rd., Portsmouth, in October 1918? His father, Edmund Squire Willcocks, died in 1908, and Edmund's widow, Alice Ann Willcocks, may still have lived in the area, and would have been about 57. 5. Is the Municipal College still in existence? Where is (or was) it located? Would this be likely to have provided an upper school education in chemistry in the 1911-1914 period? And are there any records of students there for those years that could be searched for Percy? As always, in this research, there are more questions raised by about every answer! Percy was the only uncle my brother and I ever met. Louis Horace Willcocks seems to be a complete mystery, though we are aware that he married, and may have one son. Any help on these topics (Portsmouth related) would be appreciated. TIA and regards, Martin Willcocks Taylorsville, UT, USA.

Hi Martin, I can throw some more ideas, and even facts, into the pot. 1) The Boys Sec School vs Portsmouth Grammar School - The GS was founded in Penny Street in 1732 by Dr Smith but by 1860 it was in sorry shape, educationally speaking. A movement to revitalize it, spearheaded by the Rev E.P. Grant, vicar of Portsmouth, started in the 1870s and a new building was erected at the top of the High Street: it opened in 1879. In 1927 the school moved to the former Cambridge Barracks in the High Street, which were converted to become "one of the finest [school buildings] in the country and its opening was the occasion for high compliments and well-merited praise" (City of Portsmouth: Records of the Corporation 1835-1927, W.G. Gates, Charpentier, Portsmouth, 1928, pp. 139, 320). I believe it is still in the same location. Although intended to be a free school it apparently never was (Pigot's Directory, 1830, p. 204). It seems it evolved into a grant-aided, fee-paying school, probably oriented to academic study with a view to university admission. - I can't find any positive references to the Boys Sec School. A Higher Grade School was opened in 1888 in temporary premises at Mile End (Gates, p. 166). This was a School Board undertaking. The School Board was set up in 1871 with responsibility for elementary education. Education to age 10 became compulsory in 1880. In 1903 the Board was transferred to the municipal corporation under the provisions of the Education Act 1902 (Gates, pp. 119, 213). It would seem that the Higher Grade School was then (1903) the only "secondary" school in Portsmouth. In 1904 the Higher Grade School (in Fawcett Road, Southsea?) became a secondary school (Gates, p. 219). I'm not sure how this jibes with the information sent by Ken Grubb and Brian. In any event, the Boys Sec School would have been a free school, concentrating I believe more on vocational studies (trades & technical) than on academics. If any records have survived I suppose they would be with the present school board or the Portsmouth City Records Office (www.portsmouthrecordsoffice.co.uk). - It might be of interest to readers to mention here the Dockyard School (DS), founded in 1843. This was for Dockyard apprentices and it was an entry point to the Navy's college system which culminated with the Royal Naval College Greenwich. Admission to the DS was at times highly competitive - private cramming schools developed to prepare boys for the rigorous examination - and those who completed the full five-year DS course graduated with, it's said, the equivalent of a bachelor degree. This programme was a most attractive one for ambitious parents of kids with potential, particularly since tuition was free. 2) Rev. Clayton - The "modern" St Mary's Church is the third on the site, the earliest dating to at least 1170. The consecration of the third structure in 1889 marked "a period in the life of the parish of Portsea which caused it to become known throughout the Church of England" (The Parish Church of St Mary Portsea: A brief history and guide, 1974, p. 4). Four successive vicars - Edgar Jacob (1878-1896), Cosmo Lang (1896-1901), Bernard Wilson (1901-1909) and Cyril Garbett (1909-1919) - led the church through a time of intense Christian social activism two of them (Lang and Garbett) going on to become archbishops, of Canterbury and York respectively. During Lang's incumbency the staff grew to include sixteen assistant curates. - Of Garbett it is said: "Cyril Garbett was perhaps the most famous of all the Vicars of Portsea. He was responsible for running the parish with the efficiency and skill which made it at the time the paragon of modern parishes. Assisted by a large staff, including the Revd Philip 'Tubby' Clayton, later to found Toc H, Cyril Garbett found a large following as preacher, pastor and organiser of a vast network of organisations for youngsters and adults. Garbett and his team, now much diminished, brought help and comfort to hundreds of families bereaved during the First World War" (The Parish Church ..., p. 5). - The social work was managed through five mission churches in the parish. "Each Mission Church had its own groups and organisations. These were the Women's Fellowship, the long established Men's clubs and the various youth organisations. Men's clubs had sports clubs for cricket and football teams, and club rooms. Some of the clubs retained the title 'Company'. This dated from the end of the nineteenth century and was suggested by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's book The White Company. St. Boniface Mission had the White Company, St. Barnabas Mission the Blue Company and St. Mary's Mission the Red Company" (Memories of Fratton, W.E.A., Portsmouth, 1997, p. 12). My father (born 1893) was a member of the White Company. I can remember his talking about Tubby Clayton so I suppose the Rev. was involved with it. Toc H still exists: it has an excellent website (www.toch.org.uk), which discusses Clayton's work . 3) Baptism record Can't help. 4) Burlington Road Can't help with name(s) of occupant(s). The road is shown on a modern street map but not in the 1896 Ordnance Survey map of Portsmouth North End (Alan Godfrey Edition, no date): development then stopped at Drayton Street, four roads to the west. The street would have been a residential one of typical late-Victorian row housing. 5) Municipal College Opened in 1908 in a purpose-built complex near the Guildhall (Gates, p. 230). I think Ken Grubb has the subsequent evolution down correctly. It was still the Municipal College in 1950 when I contemplated taking courses there after leaving school. It became the Regional College of Technology in 1956 and Portsmouth Polytechnic in 1969 - "a major national institution" (The Portsmouth Region, B. Stapleton & J.H. Thomas, Alan Sutton, Gloucester, 1989, p. 216), and eventually a university: "The University of Portsmouth was inaugurated in 1992. The former Portsmouth Polytechnic, one of the largest and most successful in the UK, itself grew from the Portsmouth and Gosport School of Science and Arts, founded in 1869" (University website ww.port,ac.uk). I don't know how that fits in with Gates's account. Surviving records would I suppose be in the University archives or at the Portsmouth City Records Office. Best wishes, Peter Gawn Sechelt, B.C., Canada. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Martin Willcocks" <martinwill2@comcast.net> To: <ENG-HAM-PORTSMOUTH-GOSPORT-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, May 22, 2005 10:11 PM Subject: Portsmouth Education in 1906-16 > Hi All: > > Can anyone tell me more about the following educational organizations in > Portsmouth, please? > > My father I know went to Portsmouth Grammar School between February 1894 > and about 1898. This school is of course still in existence. We > visited Portsmouth in 1991 and in 1997, and I have located it on the Web. > > I have just received the military records of my uncle, Percy Squire > WILLCOCKS. Among the information he gave in his application for officer > cadet training, he stated that he was educated at Portsmouth Boys > Secondary School, and Portsmouth Municipal College. Assuming he entered > secondary school 10-11 years after his birth on 12 Feb 1896, this would > mean he started there about 1906. I would guess at a five year period > there, followed by a spell at the college, probably 1911-1914. > > As he was trained as a chemist and druggist and qualified on 9 Jul 1919, > he must have had some period of apprenticeship to an established > chemist. His older brother Edmund qualified as a chemist and druggist > on 8 Oct 1908. At that time, his residence was given as 142 High St., > Walthamstow, Essex. It is also clear from the record that Percy was at > the same address when he was recruited by the Army. He was placed in A1 > condition by the Recruiting Medical Board in Dec 1916 at Leytonstone, > Essex. (this address is close to Whipps Cross Hospital in > Leytonstone.) He enlisted, according to the record, on 22 Jan 1917. > This address was used throughout his career in the Army, and he was > promoted to 2nd. Lieut. after seeing action at the Battle of Arras, on > 28 Mar 1918. He gave the same address when he qualified as a chemist, > but there is one other address on his military record, 8 Burlington Rd., > Portsmouth. > > He also mentioned as references Dr. G. J. Parks, c/o Boys Secondary > School, Portsmouth, and Rev. P.. Clayton, c/o St. Mary's Vicarage, > Portsea, Portsmouth. This was part of an application he signed and > dated 3 Feb 1918. > > Questions: > 1. Is the Boys Secondary School a different entity from Portsmouth > Grammar School? Where is it located, if still in existence, or where > was it located in 1906-1911? Are any school records available? I would > expect his reference was probably head of that school; between what > years was he there (possibly he was head in 1918 still)? > > 2. When was the Rev. Clayton the incumbent at St. Mary's Portsea? > > 3. Is there a baptism record for Percy at St. Mary's Portsea, shortly > after 12 Feb 1896? > > 4. Who was living at 8 Burlington Rd., Portsmouth, in October 1918? > His father, Edmund Squire Willcocks, died in 1908, and Edmund's widow, > Alice Ann Willcocks, may still have lived in the area, and would have > been about 57. > > 5. Is the Municipal College still in existence? Where is (or was) it > located? Would this be likely to have provided an > upper school education in chemistry in the 1911-1914 period? And are > there any records of students there for those years that could be > searched for Percy? > > As always, in this research, there are more questions raised by about > every answer! > > Percy was the only uncle my brother and I ever met. Louis Horace > Willcocks seems to be a complete mystery, though we are aware that he > married, and may have one son. > > Any help on these topics (Portsmouth related) would be appreciated. > > TIA and regards, > Martin Willcocks > Taylorsville, UT, USA. > > ______________________________