The Five Houses.
I have long been intrigued
as to how and why the houses at PSTS came to be named. Recently, Frank
Cooke kindly sent me a copy of “Night and Day”, which was the Barnardo
magazine, after reading through this magazine, which dates from 1919 to
the 1930s, together with a good look round at the 2008 reunion, I have put
together extracts which I believe to be as accurate as I can gather. If
anyone can see mistakes, omissions or can add to this, please let us know.
The thirty two acre estate
that the school stood on was donated by Sir Merton Russell Cotes in 1919,
together with the sum of £8000 to build the first “house”, this was to be
called The Lady Russell Cotes House in memory of his wife. The school had
opened in 1919, the boys being accommodated in wooden huts until LRCH was
opened in 1922.
The next two houses were
Howard and Johnston, as far as I can ascertain, Howard House was named
after Mrs Robert Howard of Broughton Hall, by her daughters, the two
Misses Howard who donated the money for building costs.
There is reference to a Mr
William Johnston who donated the money to build the swimming pool in 1922,
so it follows that Johnston House was named after this benefactor, who was
a shipowner from Liverpool. Both houses were opened in 1924.
The Misses Howard then
donated the costs for Broughton House which opened in 1927, this was named
in memory of their late father, Mr Robert Howard of Broughton Hall in
Malpas, Cheshire.
Arranmore House was opened
in 1937,the costs being donated by a Mr Edmund Alan Johnston of Johnston
S.S.Co, presumably the son of Mr William Johnston, although there is no
clue as to why it was called Arranmore.
So now we have five houses
and between 150 and 180 boys, a much needed sick-bay was opened in 1934,
the chapel, a gift from Sir Leonard and Lady Lyle, in 1936,last of all the
mess-deck, known as Jellicoe Hall opened in 1937.
I find it rather strange
that in the four years I spent at PSTS, I never noticed the plaques on the
hall walls, and that we were never informed about the origin of how our
houses came to be named, it is rather sad that these very generous people
are virtually forgotten.
Richard Eastwood.
Broughton house 58, Jan 1955 to
Sept. 1958.
I have now received the
following information from John Trott, he was in Arranmore, number 40,
from 1955 to 1959, and now lives in Australia, many thanks for this John.
Click here to view
Bill East wrote: Reference Arranmore name: The
S.V. 'Arranmore' was built in the Clydesdale yards of Russel & Co in 1893.
She was a three masted, fully square rigged 'Cape Horner', 300ft long.
Sold to Germany in 1910 & renamed 'Waltraute', she surrendered with the
German Navy in 1919. Was renamed 'Vindicatrix' in 1922, and arrived
Sharpness in 1939. She was broken up in 1967.
When I was on her in 1957/8 she still had some brass signs etc in
German. Perhaps some connection with the shipbuilders being called
Russel?.
Cheers, Bill East.
