| A collection of pictures showing West Mersea School through the years.
In 1812 a bequest was made to West Mersea church by Sarah Overall leaving the interest of £200 to the aid or support of a Sunday or Day school.
The plaque shows that one of the churchwardens was Robert Sadler. Robert died in 1819. Using the Tithe records of 1839 together with the census of 1841, Mr William Sadler is shown as a teacher living in what we now know as The Lane. Was he Robert's son? Was this the school set up by the church? The first National School in West Mersea?
1844 and 1848. Miss Overall, school mistress at the National School.
1974 Plan of West Mersea School premises and land. The plan indicates theoriginal land given by Rev. Musselwhite in 1871, land donated by Mrs Rudduck in 1929 and land bought from Mr Bishop after WW2.
The block "Site of New Schools" on the north side of Barfield Road is referring to a plan in 1974 to built new Junior and Infants Schools to replace the existing school. It was thought the old school buildings would find another use in the community. However, Essex County Council spending cuts killed this plan, and 12 other similar plans in the County.
1883 - the earliest picture we have.
Headmaster John Thorpe and family. Girl standing in back row Annie Toone Thorpe aged 10.
The photograph was taken in front of the old school buiding, now known as the Keay Building
c1883 - Harold Cooke ?
From Chris
9 August 1883 Letter from Harold Rudlin at West Mersea School to his parents. Refers to Mr Thorpe [Headmaster] and to the kindness Mr & Mrs Hugh Green in providing the school feast.
From Chris
Group outside West Mersea school. John Thorpe was schoolmaster at this time.
From Chris
1894 - West Mersea Infants School (West side of building) Mrs Harriet Thorpe (55 in 1901) and her 2 daughters Ethel (16) and Nellie (17)
From Chris.
The 'old' school building at West Mersea School, built 1871
The Headmaster's House built 1871. It has since been extended to the right.
The 1899 'new' building.
Mersea school around 1900, with the earliest buildings to the right and the headmaster's house in the centre.
Mersea school around 1905, with the earliest buildings to the right and the headmaster's house in the centre.
From Chris.
c1905 - Kingsland Road with the 1899 school building on the right
West Mersea School Group 4 about 1902. Mr John Thorpe was Headmaster at this time - Mr W. Woods, the other teacher, was killed when playing football. He was accidentally kicked in the head.
From Chris.
19 July 1919 Peace Day celebration in the Main Hall
19 July 1919 Peace Day celebration in the Main Hall
From Chris
1926 Nelson House in front of Woodwork and Cookery room. Names available ...
The School Garden
Gardening was part of the curriculum at the school and the first garden was on land south of the school. Land was acquired by Upland Road for a boys vegetable garden, and when Mrs Rudduck gave land on the north side of Barfield Road to the school in 1932, this was also developed, with ornamental gardens next to the road. This garden is still there as an ornamental garden, maintained by the Council.
Mr A.E. Toombs was Headmaster from 1924 and he believed in a broad practical education. The pupils not only did the gardening, looked after poultry, pigs etc., but they also did much of the building work to develop the gardens.
The School Canteen started providing meals for pupils during WW2 and the garden was used to supply produce to the canteen, and in the 1950s even to Langenhoe School Canteen - plums for bottling for example. During the War and for some time afterwards, a Pig Club and a Poultry Club were run, financed by parents and friends.
Spring 1927
1929 Beekeeping
Jack Hutchins, Maurice Jay, Claude Mole, Jack Heard.
c1930 - recording the weather.
Maurice Jay on the left, Len Appleby on the right.
c1930 - beehives and weather station
c1930 - Orchard and Apiary. This is towards the north end of the various school grounds of the time, near Upland Road. The house in the background is on Kingsland Road.
1934 - bush fruit
c1930 - surveying.
c1930 Chick rearing
Connie Smith, Joan Mole, Eva Harmer - Eleanor Geddes
1933 Poultry Intensive House - buildings such as this were constructed by the pupils, as part of Mr Toombs' progressive programme of practical education
Poultry Intensive House
In 1932 Mrs Rudduck donated land on the north side of Barfield Road to the school. The Deed of Gift dated just 1932, but in the School Book The Happy Isle from June 1932 [ WMS_BK1 ], Mr Toombs gives proposals for the use of the land as a school garden.
The pond in the ornamental school garden on the north side of Barfield Road. It was filled in 2011.
The buildings in the background are on the south side of Barfield Road:
L-R Garden tool shed, now converted to classroom with flat roof. Cottage modernised in 1930s with roof altered to cropped hip. Large shed behind tree was Bert (Cronk) Day's bus garage probably disappeared in 1930s. Cottage with tall chimney remains much the same. Pair of cottages extreme right demolished and replaced by a pair of brick semis.
c1933 The pond in the ornamental garden looking North. The distant hedge is still in place with Youth Field behind it.
May 1935 Arch in School field for Jubilee of King George V.
c1934 the Pool looking east towards Whiting's shop (now the Co-op) with the 'old' school building the other side of Barfield Road on the right.
1934 Sundial Garden
L-R Joan Mussett, Lorna Cook, Maureen Heard, Joan Pullen (Ward).
1934 Bird Bath Garden
L-R Mary Cornelius and Joan Hewes.
1935 Aviary and Lilly Pool
1932. The 'Tin Lizzie' corrugated iron classroom was built early 1920s and used for domestic science and woodwork - the headmaster's house is behind it.
1930s. Nursery Beds. The 'Tin Lizzie' on the left.
1930s Nursery Beds. Bee hives and chicken runs in the background. The bungalow and house in the distance are on Lower Kingsland Road.
1933. View looking northwest.
1930s - the Tool Shed and on the right the house to the west of the school.
c1928 First Aid
Possible names
Con Smith, Glad Harmer, Joan Mole, Eleanor Geddes, Marjorie Toombs, Mary 'Topsy' Smith (sister of Archie Smith and daughter of Preston Smith)
c1930 Grenville Room
c1933 - classroom,in the old school building at the western end of the school. Weather observations on the wall. Electric lights have arrived (electricity came to West Mersea in 1930).
c1933 old school building - eastern end
Air Raid Shelters being demolished in 2007.
They were built behind the British Legion in August 1940 - before that the children had to shelter in the nearby ditch. Initially there was no lighting. Electric light was fitted, and then the fittings were stolen.
The 1944 Education Act made major changes that affected West Mersea School. The school leaving age was raised from 14 to 15 and so more classrooms were needed. And Primary and Secondary education were separated resulting in the plan that West Mersea School would no longer be 5 to 15 years, but a Primary School with 5 to 11 years age. It took time to implement - 20 July 1960 the last children of Secondary School age left West Mersea School [WMS_LOG5_P124 ]
Photo from around 1960 outlining the Horsa classrooms built c1947 to cope with the raising of the School age to 15. They were demolished in 1990
School Pageant for the 1953 Coronation.
L-R Dorothy Carter, Margaret Salter, Pixie Farthing, John Wareing.
1955 school plan
1965
Digging footings for the school swimming pool. Horsa classrooms in the background. Hills marked out the footings and parents then spent several weekends digging out the hole. The swimming pool design was done by Stanley Hills' daughter Moyia
The first heated swimming pool owned by primary school in northeast Essex was opened at West Mersea - and it is all due to local help and parental labour. The headmaster, Mr A. Young, jumped in fully clothed to 'save' Semprini who had opened the pool by going for a swim himself. On Tuesday, some of the pupils had the first dip for the benefit of the photographer.
From Colchester Express 14 October 1965
From Chris.
1966 - the Swimming Pool
January 1985 - icicles on the HORSEA classrooms
From Chris
1988 - demolition of the old canteen
From Chris
1988 - demolition of the old canteen
1988 - demolition of the old canteen, watched by the pupils. The school site is open to Kingsland Road in the background.
August 1990 - demolition of the HORSA classrooms
October 1990 - start of the Broadhurst block
Thanks to
Jack Botham
Lil Clarke
Mike L. Davies
Peter Godfrey
Rose and Len Harvey
Bill Harvey
Daphne Shelton
Pauline Winch
B.E. Wright
Caroline Young
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