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B'ham Boarding School 1881

S

skylark

Proud to be a Brummie !!
I was looking on the 1881 census for JOHN DOWNES, 13, b 1868 B'ham..

well someone of that name & age popped up ( among many others) at
B'HAM BOARDING SCHOOL, ST THOMAS. ( No Street Address)...
Does anyone have any info on this school, please ???
RG11/2979

Regards, Margaret.
 
St Thomas,s Boarding School

I Don,t KnowWhere This ST Thomas,s Boarding School Was
But Was,t These So Called Schools , Called Reformatry Schools For Bad kids
Whom Got Themselves In Trouble With The Police
I Can Always Remember My Nan Kept Reminding ME To kEEP My NOSE Clean
And Don,t Get Into Any Trouble ,Other wise The Police Will Lock You Up
And Put You In Boarding School FOR Along Time Until You Are TWENTY One
Yeas Old . which i later leart as i Got Older Was Called A Reformatry School
I Believe There Was Quite Afew Around In Those Days In B,ham ,
I Believe There Was One Called ST Josephes Possible Around The ERDINGTON
Area In Those Days ,
I Also Believe Many Years AGO That There Was One In Tennal Lane
Harborne, Which Did In Those Days Have Very High Walls With A search
Light MOUNTED On The Walls For Anybody Trying To Abscond From There
As The Years Rolled On Into The Next Century They Changed The Name
AND Called THEM Approved Schools ,And Lessoned The SECURITY
AND THEN LATER IN MORE Years They Called Them Children Homes
 
Ive had a look in a couple of Kellys with no luck so far....... I do believe that it was the St Thomas area which I think is quite an area around Hurst Street and surrounds. Looking In Kellys there are refrences to many Birmingham Board Schools but I have not yet found a Boarding School in that area. I looked also at the Head Masters name on the census, its very difficult to make out, I had hoped that we might track it down using Kellys? Sorry maybe others will have better search techniques than I
 
Ancestry have transcribed it as 'Unknown Insititution' St Thomas district, but they have transcribed the head masters name as George Simmons Dun (sic) BA.
 
Tennal School

In response to the subject of reformatory schools, I spent about six years of my life at one or other of these various institutions.From the age of nine until I was fifteen and a half I was incarcerated in one of these places.You may think that I was a real rogue but all I did was play the wag.I admit I did it for years but I spent most of my childhood years at one or other of these types of places.I went to Moseley Road Remand Home,Middlemore Home in Selly Oak where they used to send kids to Canada or wherever.I even did some time at Kingswood Classifying School in Bristol,'why?', before I ended up at Tennal School In Balden Road in Harborne for three and a half years.You don't get that much time inside these days for murder.I must say though that I was very well fed and clothed all through this time and even joined the army cadets whilst I was at Tennal in E-Company,Third Battalion Royal Warwicks where I reached the exalted rank of corporal.It changed for reasons I can't remember to the Royal Engineers and a few months later it was broken up.When it was Royal Warwicks we won the marching competition twice probably because we so used to the regimentation of where we were that the other kids didn't have.
If anyone is interested in this and puts in a reply I will put in a bit more of my story.
 
Hi there
Tennal School is now the Matineau Centre which offers education courses on behalf of Birmingham City Council and also Adult education courses during the day and evening, some of the playing field at the front now has houses and apartments on.
I remember going to the summer fetes there every year as a child and they used to have a man take children around on a train like ride,plus the usual stalls.
Ed Doolan and Les Ross opened the fete on a couple occasions i remember getting their autographs.

My mom used to call it the naughty boys school and this is how i refer to it when we talked about it.


Lindy
 
Tennal School

Hi Lindy,I don't know how old you are but I was at Tennal from 1955 and a half to December 19th.1959.When I was there there used to be a pig farm and two orchards,one just off Balden Road and the other off Court Oak Road. I remember getting up in the early hours of the morning to go scrumping in one or other of the orchards.We didn't need to because as I said previously that we were well fed and looked after so I suppose it was just playing up.I also remember having to get up very early,if it was our turn,to feed the pigs and then,especially in the winter when it was freezing cold,as it was in those days, to go and peel the potatoes for the days meals.There was no heating and we used to have to stand in this outside brick shed for about two hours and when we came out after doing the spuds we had to go and do P.T.I think it is called P.E. these days.I know in later years that Tennal had a bad name regarding paedophiles but there was nothing like that when I was there.All the staff at that time were very strict but also very fair and if you played right by them they were very good.If anyone reading this went to Tennal I would like to hear from you.We all used to have nicknames,especially the teachers,of course,and mine was either 'professor or bulb'.If anyone would like get in touch regardig Tennal I would be very pleased to hear from you.
Regards Bob Shale(70)
 
in response to bobs post about Tennal i was there from 1967 to 1971 about a couple of months ago i was approached by the police doing an investigation into child abuse at the school which was going on when i was there i have to be careful on what i say because the investigation is still ongoing i was abused not so much sexually but mentaly and physically i use to abscond a lot only to be brought back to torture you may say that i deserved it being in a place like that but i was in there through no fault of my own which is a different story i would like to hear from anybody who suffered the same or who was there as i am thinking of taking it further the school in question was tennal arroved school ( not the assesment centre ) balden road harbourne. my name was robert evans ( taffy )
 
boarding school

Hi Taffy
I Am Very Sorry To Hear Of Your Plight At The School
You Was Not Alone It Was Rife Through Out These Homes
And Its Nice To See Some-one Stand Up And Be Counted
And Bring These People To Book ,icidently Some Have Been Brought To Book, From Tennal ,yousay In 1967,on Wards, Well I Can Tell You Its Been Going On Long Before Then Way Back In The Early Fifties To My Knowledge And Its Been Going On Way Across The Country
Right Up To South Wales These People May Be Old Pensioners Now
But Believe Me They Will Be Trackeddown
Take It From Me This Operation Flight As We They Call It
Are Travelling Far A Field As America, Believe I Know Of Young Lads To Be Intervieved
From Tennal Whom Did Suffer At The Hands Of Brutaly Even Mosely Rd , Thornhill St Johns, Bristol,you Named Them
And You Will Let Them Go To Ground Best Wishes Astonian ,
 
Hi Taffy welcome,

Sorry hear of your past days I wish you all the best for the future and enjoy the Forum which I know you will.:)
 
Many thanx to alf and astonian for the words of courage i know its been happening up and down the country it prob still is and i know what those poor lads and girls have gone through i hope these so called carers are brought to justice and get what they deserve as have the ones who have been caught i stll have bad dreams now more so since the police have been in touch and woke up memories for years after i left tennal i could not bear to sleep without the light on if i was on my own in case a teacher was lurkin in a dark corner anyway dont get me going again i am enjoying this forum its nice to be able to talk and get things out in the open i think its helping me a bit look forward to talkin more so if i carry on tell me to stop. ta ra for now.
 
Taffy talk as much as you like I believe it helps to get the truth out instead of keeping it all locked away in your mind.
 
Welcome Taffy. I am also sad to hear about your time at this school. I think there were a few bad teachers around this time some were just bullies. I hope you get it sorted and don't worry about airing your views there are others here who have suffered at the hands of cruel teachers. On a positive side there were also some very good and encouraging teachers who helped their students, even those who were in remand homes and borstals.
 
thanx again yes no doubt there were some good teachers i knew of a few who would help but were not in a higher enougth posistion or were too afraid to loose their jobs sadly one died while i was still there not all my time was spent in misery i did have a few fond memories but unfortunatly all i can think of is the worse thanx again for listening i do appreciate it by the way escuse my spelling english has never been my favorite subject:)
 
Taffy, I am peased to hear you have at least some good memories. We don't bother about spelling and grammar on this site as it sometimes discourages people from posting. All we are interested in mainly are memories and history, anyway with no spell check we all make mistakes. Keep posting friend.
 
Birmingham Boarding school

SOUTH SIDE.​

..here are Paradise
streets​

I believe this is the school you are looking for Ann Street Birmingham 1880 Kelly's scroll down list

the census for 1881 shows all the pupils as boarders Gem street was also an industrial school there were many in and around Birmingham​





CHRIST CHURCH

here is Waterloo street
43 Crawley, Parsons & Co. metal mers
44 Elliott's Metal Co. Limited
44 Smith Charles Cox, accountant
44 Birmingham Coffee House Co
Limited, Chas. Cox Smith, sec
44 Green Alfred, solicitor
44 Gibbon? John Hal), architect
44 CopnerGeo.WhittinghamSpencr.sol
44 Smith George Thomas, solicitor
45 Barnett Hy.stock&share brkr. \ |
45 St. Clair, Stevenson& Comley, I §
auctioneers, I "a S
45 Perry Frederick, solicitor, ( M -
45 Walter Alfred, solicitor, • I g
45 Solomon SI. Nerwich,solicitor, I pp
46 Shread George, auctioneer
46 Wykes William, architect & survey o:
46 Edwards Robert Rigden, accountan
46 Oldbury Brick Co. Limited,
R. R. Edwards, sei
46CuthbertWm.&Frdk.stck.&shr.brkr
47 Fowke John Copson, solicitor
47 Patten G.King, chartered.accountan
47 Benison Frederick H. solicitor
47 Payne George, accountant
47 Sharp Luke J . & E. M. accountants
47 ​



Birmingham Certified Industrial

Schools, ​

Luke J . Sharp, se<

47 Snow & Atkins, solicitors

48 Perry John & Son, stock & share bro:
48 Scott Wm. Jas. stock & share broke:
48 Wills & Newey, solicitors
48 Rawlings Edw,ard Bailey, solicitor
48 Dixon,Russell & Russell,accountant:​



48 Whitehead E. Stuart, accountant​
 
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boarding schools

Sorry about the small text this is how it copied from Kelly's
these schools where labour training establishments ages at this school 11, 12 and 13 year olds

just found a 9 year old and a couple of 10 year olds same school 1881 census
 
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taffy said:
in response to bobs post about Tennal i was there from 1967 to 1971 about a couple of months ago i was approached by the police doing an investigation into child abuse at the school which was going on when i was there i have to be careful on what i say because the investigation is still ongoing i was abused not so much sexually but mentaly and physically i use to abscond a lot only to be brought back to torture you may say that i deserved it being in a place like that but i was in there through no fault of my own which is a different story i would like to hear from anybody who suffered the same or who was there as i am thinking of taking it further the school in question was tennal arroved school ( not the assesment centre ) balden road harbourne. my name was robert evans ( taffy )
Click to expand...
tennal school what can i say about the place i was there my self about 1969-1973 clocks cannot be turned back i wish it would so much pain had past by i blocked out my mind for so many years it stays with you these people that done terrible things to us kids they might have all gone now it hurts every time when child abuse either in the papers or the news and thats when it all comes flooding back i have moved on as much as i can i have a wonderfull wife two grown up kids and 3 grandchildren its something you never forget i can pomise you that
 
Last edited by a moderator:
boarding schools

Hi Bill
Just Been Reading Your Thread On Your Ordeal At Tennal School
Which I Am Sorry To Hear About And That You Have Had To Suffer At The Hands Of These People And I,m Glad YouHave Moved On With Your Life
And Rebuilt It BY Having Your Own Family All These Boarding Schools Have Committed Crimes Agaist These Kids Since The Early Forties ,And I Do Know That Tennal Was Very Active In The Early Fifties With Many Severe Cases
And Lads Would Try And Obscond FromThere Then They Used To Have Big Search Lights On The Wall In The Fifties, But I Will Cut Short The Story
There Is An On Going Investigation Across The Country And Across The World
Into All The Allegations Of These Boarding Schools ,For Abuse ,
Its Called Operation Flight And It Started By Abergavenny Police In Abergavenny South Wales ,Down To Brum And Even Across To America
The First Reported Incident Was At Tymawr Schhol Gilwern And Since Then
It Involved Tennal And Afew More Around BrumThe Operation Is Under Wraps And Very Much Alive Believe Me I Will Speak More If YouWant
Best Wishes For Now Astonian ,;;
 
Hello and welcome Bill, I am so sorry to hear about the awful time you spent at Tennal. I do hope you can bury your demons with the help of your family especially your grandchildren. I get so upset when I hear of what children went through in these schools and homes.
 
thanx

thanx for your kinds words but things like dont go away when i had the police around at my house afew years it was 1 hell off a shock for my family i kept it all to myself no one else new put the support i had of my wife she was strong i feel so sorry for the other kids as well i just ever wondered what ever happened to them all bill
 
hi bill i'm sorry i havent answered your post a bit of trouble with this gaget called a computer. I too have tried to get on with my life bringing up three great kids and learning them not to make the same mistake that i did i have never hid my past from them and they understand i have not heared from the police since they were in touch with me but i may speak to them again because i am remembering a lot of other things now anyway nice to hear from you can you remember what house you were in i was in york mr smith was my housemaster and mr wells was the deputy anyway tat tar for now.
 
Bobs apprentice brummie:
Just to let you know I to spent 3 years at tennal 1960 - 63 and like you say most of the teachers were hard but fair, my trouble came from two brothers who took great joy out of making my life hell , the beatings these two gave me were many untill the day came one brother left oh boy I gave the one brother left such a good hiding for the last year he never said boo to another child, but I had some good times as well,I to joined the cadets, also the boxing team, but what I remember most was that swimming pool how many children could say they had there own pool at school. You know what through all the hardships I think I enjoyed my time there. Keep well mojo.
 
hi taffy
i have been reading your thread about tennal school it was one of the worst schols you could have gone to for brutataily and the abuse
i knew of one or two lads whom went there in the fifty,s from lady wood i can only give you a nick name you might remember i am not allowed to give you a surname becaused i have been cautioned by the moderaters in not mentionioning surnames
but the nick name was goldie he apparently used to obscond regular
it was during the fifties and he told me some names of these fiends that was working there i beleive the main man of these crimes was brought to book
afew years ago and probably die there the others either moved on or died by now like most of them have done the reason you have not heard any more now for the last couple of years is because they have apprended that many and brought to book across england and wales and some from america was interviewed and sentenced
and operation flight as been closed down iwish you all the best even thou you will nver remove the scars from your mind until the day comes and you pass over
itseasier for people to say whom have never experiences these schools and the traumas of them when you think back in them days people say yes if yonaughty lock them up thats fair comment but not to be abused by staff in that way diaplined yes
if was only for the fact that one lad in south wales from a school in south wales told his parents that alerted the police to investergate and it opened up wide
taffy take care best wishes astonian ;;
 
I was taken in to care aged 7 first to the sand pits, 1937 then erdington cottage homes, 1938? Then shenley fields cottage homes, 1939 ?to end up 1939 in tennal school. I was treated firm but fair in all the homes i went to. I leant to play the conet in the tennal schhol band. Left in 1944 and went on a farm ( ymca british boys for british farms ) in shropshire. Then in 1947 joined the army band the chehire regt. Finished up in the irish guards band from 1956 to 1962. Would love to know of anyone who knew me ????
 
Tom it's so nice to read someone who came through the system unscathed. I do hope you find someone who knew you.
 
hi all
i was sent to one of these schools in 1961 for one month (4 weeks) in kiddiminster, but cannot remember the name, can't remember what I did, but it was'nt anything serious, I remember the matron was kindly, and one the male staff was interfering with some of the boys luckly not me, quite a depressing place I found, but it was summer and it had huge gardens we worked so not so bad, I remember the army cadets in harborne thr royal engineers, did my part 1&2 andreached the exulted rank of l/cpl strange officer ?
regards
paul stacey
 
TOM PEARMAIN said:
I was taken in to care aged 7 first to the sand pits, 1937 then erdington cottage homes, 1938? Then shenley fields cottage homes, 1939 ?to end up 1939 in tennal school. I was treated firm but fair in all the homes i went to. I leant to play the conet in the tennal schhol band. Left in 1944 and went on a farm ( ymca british boys for british farms ) in shropshire. Then in 1947 joined the army band the chehire regt. Finished up in the irish guards band from 1956 to 1962. Would love to know of anyone who knew me ????
Click to expand...


Hey, Tom, it's Maggie and I know you now! hehe

I was interested in the fact that you wnet into the Erdington Cottage Homes. I'm pretty sure some of my relatives were taken there in the early 1900s and I'm wondering if at that time they had a policy of shipping kids to Canada? Would you know?

God bless,

Maggie
 
There was an approved school for boys in Fordrough Lane. Bordesley Green close to the Post Office Engineering factory. Len.
 
Re: Tennal School

Hi BobS

I am working on compiling a history of Birmingham children's homes at Birmingham's Central Library. If you would be interested in sharing your memories, please let me know as I would be very interested in hearing more about your experiences at Tennal. Many thanks
[email protected]

BobS said:
Hi Lindy,I don't know how old you are but I was at Tennal from 1955 and a half to December 19th.1959.When I was there there used to be a pig farm and two orchards,one just off Balden Road and the other off Court Oak Road. I remember getting up in the early hours of the morning to go scrumping in one or other of the orchards.We didn't need to because as I said previously that we were well fed and looked after so I suppose it was just playing up.I also remember having to get up very early,if it was our turn,to feed the pigs and then,especially in the winter when it was freezing cold,as it was in those days, to go and peel the potatoes for the days meals.There was no heating and we used to have to stand in this outside brick shed for about two hours and when we came out after doing the spuds we had to go and do P.T.I think it is called P.E. these days.I know in later years that Tennal had a bad name regarding paedophiles but there was nothing like that when I was there.All the staff at that time were very strict but also very fair and if you played right by them they were very good.If anyone reading this went to Tennal I would like to hear from you.We all used to have nicknames,especially the teachers,of course,and mine was either 'professor or bulb'.If anyone would like get in touch regardig Tennal I would be very pleased to hear from you.
Regards Bob Shale(70)
Click to expand...
 
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