Royal School For The Deaf - Church Road, Edgbaston

[ellbrown]

Another pass of Audley St George's. Looks like a lot is left to do.

 

[ellbrown]

The retirement home Audley St George's Place still isn't complete as of January 2017.



Took this photo of the rear from the train.

 

[ellbrown]

All the buildings facing Church Road in Edgbaston appear to be completely refurbished and open now.

Views from the no 1 bus.

 

[Warwick122]

I remember using the swimming baths whilst at Edgbaston High until they built their own, so must have been between about 1962-64. They were tiled, in not very good state of repair, with "bridges" across so that the deaf pupils could lip read the teachers and there were spittoons at the side.

 

[carolina]

Here is an advert from Berrows Worcester Journal 18th October 1822.
It must of been quite daunting for the children to be publicly examined! Also it seems the children were entered into some kind of ballot to get a place at the School - how sad for those who didn't get in.

My Gt Gt Gt Grandfather Michael Biddulph Deaf and Dumb and then his brother Henry Biddulph.[

 

[Pedrocut]

View attachment 106101 I think there must have been an earlier building pre-dating that in post#21 as the 1828 image above suggests. Maybe this building was modified/extended.

Then there's an image of the later or modified building below.

View attachment 106102

And two interior views; one of a shoemaking class.

View attachment 106106

And one of a tailoring class.

View attachment 106109

Viv.

Royal School for Deaf Children from The Iron Room, Birmingham Library.

The Royal School for Deaf Children

This week’s blog falls during the annual UK disability history month. One of the chief aims of UK Disability History Month is to challenge socially constructed barriers and discrimination fac…

theironroom.wordpress.com

 

[carolina]

 

[Lady Penelope]

Deafness is a dreadful thing and must come to many of us in old age but how awful for children who are born deaf and have no idea what music and voices sound like. Nothing to relate to or build on or remember. It's the one disability where other people have little patience and get irritable when they have to repeat things as it's not a visible problem.

 

[I Am Nico]

My uncle was branded thick at school.Turned out he was deaf he had a mastoid in one ear. I have a low voice and I have to sit on his good side and I still have to shout. He talks loudly too.
I have heard that if you lose or are born without one of the senses the others are heightened.
My mate received severe taunting when his band (Roadrunner) as they kept getting booked for the Deaf Club, that's what is was known as. Henry Fry Centre for the Deaf. The members really appreciated them and they said they could feel the vibrations in the sprung floor , He said they were superb dancers, lovely appreciate people and very tactile.

 

[Peter1]

I wonder if there are any registers or photographs of the children who attended the schools? In a previous post I have said my father was at the school up to about 1935. (post 26 on this thread). This history is so important. He was one of the children that boarded there but went back to his children's home (Shenley Fields) probably at Christmas and other breaks. My father became a brilliant lip reader and also BSL user. Would love some info or written info from the school library or files in the day. Interesting that I became a psychotherapist working with the impact of early trauma

 

[cookahoop]

Cant believe this; I worked here as the cook from 1973-1977.. I Thought it was a listed building and so was still there...! Has it really been demolished...! Great memories..!

 

[richardrcj1981]

Hello,

I found this last week in a mid 19th scrapbook at my Mothers house.

 

[Fleetnfree]

I remember using the swimming baths whilst at Edgbaston High until they built their own, so must have been between about 1962-64. They were tiled, in not very good state of repair, with "bridges" across so that the deaf pupils could lip read the teachers and there were spittoons at the side.

I'm not so sure that they were spittoons as such. The way that the pool systems works was that they had an overflow channel going all of the way around the pool where the water would go down to the filters, cleaned out and then back into the pool. It certainly was a very old fashioned design.

 

[Peter1]

My dad was a pupil at the school from 1927 (when he was 8) to 1935. There are many stories about the institution, good and really horrible - my friends aunt was there at the same time as my dad and said it was cruel. Although, like many children institutionalised in that time, my dad very rarely spoke about his time there. When I encouraged him much later in his life he spoke with great affection for it and the kindness of one of the teachers - he was very successful there. When he left he went to Manchester to study. Just to clarify the institution changed its name to Royal School for the Deaf on 3rd April 1935. People wised up!!

 

[DPJ]

I wonder if there are any historians out there who might be able to provide me with some information about the school and students. I am currently studying for a master's degree in local and family history and now at the point of writing my dissertation. My research topic is Poor Law and Buckinghamshire workhouses. Upon researching at the Buckinghamshire Archives, I have been working with Admission and Discharge books for the Winslow Union. I came across something of interest which is a discharge for a William Holt/Halt who has a note that he was 'sent back to the Deaf and Dumb school in Edgbaston, Birmingham.' William was born in Winslow and is on the 1901 census at the school, he had been discharged and 'sent back' in 1897 (either May or August). Would you be able to tell me a little something about the school, or any attendance details for William, why he would be so far from home and why would he be in the workhouse and not in the school - school holiday maybe? What was the curriculum at the school, what ages were the students and upon leaving would they go home or to a different establishment for the deaf? Any other information would also be gratefully received. Thank you in advance.