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Aldridge School for Young Ladies AKA Cedar Court

I

Ian Broinowski

master brummie
The Aldridge School for Young Ladies AKA Cedar Court was owned and operated by Hannah and William Allport from around 1790 to the mid 1820s. They had up to 50 children each year and offered a wide range of subjects. I am researching the life of one girl Mary Morton Chapman who married Joseph Allport and moved to Tasmania in 1831. I also believe Martha Betts and her sister also attended the school. I would be interested to learn of any information about the school and if there are any descendents of any of the girls at the school espcially from the time Mary was there from about 1816.

I have included two links below to images which are under copyright. The first is a card for the school at the British museum and the second is sketch of Cedar Court in the Allport Collection in the Tasmanian State Library.

I look forward to hearing from you.

kind regards
Ian
Hobart
Tasmania




Aldridge School for young ladies card

Cedar Court by John Allport 1812
 
hi ian i am not sure we can help much with records as such as most did not go back as far as the years you are looking at and parish records can be difficult...could maybe find find a marriage entry for hannah and william allport if you had the date of their marriage..likewise may find baptism records if you can give us years of birth and where..any more info on martha and her sister could be useful as well again when and where born..

it is possible that some of our members who have access to the british newspaper archives may turn up something relating to the school

but fingers crossed someone on this forum may see your post and could be linked to the people you are researching..

lyn
 
Astoness said:
hi ian i am not sure we can help much with records as such as most did not go back as far as the years you are looking at and parish records can be difficult...could maybe find find a marriage entry for hannah and william allport if you had the date of their marriage..likewise may find baptism records if you can give us years of birth and where..any more info on martha and her sister could be useful as well again when and where born..

it is possible that some of our members who have access to the british newspaper archives may turn up something relating to the school

but fingers crossed someone on this forum may see your post and could be linked to the people you are researching..

lyn
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Hi Lyn,
Thankyou so much for your prompt and helpful reply. I actually have sufficient information on the Allports but my focus is on their school. I estimate they must have taught up to 1500 girls in their time as educators so I am just hoping someone may a family folk lore about a gggg grandmother who went to this wonderful place of learning
 
Hi Ian This suggests the Allports were educating young people before 1790. That may be the date they moved to Cedar Court

Source : British Newspaper Archive
 

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Just done a newspaper search - nothing for Aldridge School for Young Ladies.
Cedar Court threw up some ads but all for after 1830 so not relevant.
Ths one from 1837 actually mentions Mrs Allport

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For info. William Whites Directory of 1851 suggests Miss Allport was still in Aldridge at that time. I believe the Smallwood family (named alongside Ms Allport) also ran a achool in Aldridge.

Screenshot_20240123_101153_Chrome.jpg
 
Vivienne14 said:
For info. William Whites Directory of 1851 suggests Miss Allport was still in Aldridge at that time. I believe the Smallwood family (named alongside Ms Allport) also ran a achool in Aldridge.
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Viv - I think the lady who ran the school was MRS Allport so this may have been a relative.
 
Re Janice's #8 Yes, I wondered if a descendant had continued with the school in Aldridge (along with Ms Smallwood ?) after Hannah and William left in the 1820s. ie therefore still family members in Aldridge.
 
some great info viv and jan...i wonder if there is a map available to pinpoint the exact location of cedar court
 
Don't know idpf there's a family connection but there was another school Rugeley. This one looks like it was setting up in 1795.

Screenshot_20240123_104017_Chrome.jpg
Source : British Newspaper Archive
 
pjmburns said:
Is this the same building? Have answered my own question - no as early 19th c but wonder if it was on the site of the previous property
historicengland.org.uk

Cedar Court (IOE01/16402/02) Archive Item - Images Of England Collection | Historic England

historicengland.org.uk historicengland.org.uk
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jan are we certain they are not the same building...if you look at the drawing post one dated 1812..we have the main centre building and 2 smaller buildings either side..you have to look through the trees to see the building on the left..compere with your photo windows the same and the chimneys in same position building either side...have to say if your photo is a rebuild it looks identical to the 1812 drawing unless of course the drawing i later than ian thinks it is

lyn
 
This may be of interest, a lovely memorial gifted by Miss Allport for her parents at Aldridge Church and another gifted by former Aldridge School girls.


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Source : British Newspaper Archive
 
Don't know if this was the 19th C house, but Miss Allport lived there until she passed away. The reverend seems to have lived in adjoining buildings as well as there being associated farm buildings



Source : British Newspaper Archive
 

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Correct me if I'm wrong but, I don't think the early Aldridge School newspaper adverts refer to "Cedar Court", only "Aldridge School". Shall try and find the earliest reference to Cedar Court.
 
From 1792 until 1823 it is consistently referred to as Aldridge Boarding School. No mention of Cedar Court.

An observation. The sketch in Ian's first post does look very like the building in Janice's post #14. I notice the sketch is referred to as "our house" in the caption. No mention of "school" on the 1812 drawing by John Allport.
 
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Vivienne14 said:
Correct me if I'm wrong but, I don't think the early Aldridge School newspaper adverts refer to "Cedar Court", only "Aldridge School". Shall try and find the earliest reference to Cedar Court.
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hi viv i said the same thing post 16...they look the same building to me too

lyn
 
A schoolroom and apartments were added to the Boarding School in 1804

Screenshot_20240123_123854_Chrome.jpg
Source : British Newspaper Archive
 
Mary Morton Chapman married Joseph Allport on Christmas Day 1826 at Aldridge. By this time he was a Solicitor. In 1831 Joseph (and wife Mary ?) sold up their home and contemts in West Bromwich to go abroad

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Source : British Newspaper Archive
 
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This must be Mary Morton Chapman's fathers inn on High Street, Birmingham. The drawing is dated 1830. The Chapman name is above the door. It was an important departure point for coaches to different parts of the country and located in a very central position in Birmingham

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Source : From Look and Learn


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Source : British Newspaper Archive
 
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Was Martha Betts sister called Bertha ? If so, she married an Allport.

Screenshot_20240123_153525_Chrome.jpg
Source : British Newspaper Archive
 
Ian will most likely have seen this site, but an interesting history of the Allports and the emigration of members of the family in the 1800s. One descendent (Henry) named his house after Cedar Court, and another named it Aldridge. Joseph was active in the anti-transportation cause. And Mary seems to have been a good artist. Its nice to be able to put faces to the names too. https://libraries.tas.gov.au/allport-library-and-museum-of-fine-arts/who-were-the-allports/
 
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Astoness said:
jan are we certain they are not the same building...if you look at the drawing post one dated 1812..we have the main centre building and 2 smaller buildings either side..you have to look through the trees to see the building on the left..compere with your photo windows the same and the chimneys in same position building either side...have to say if your photo is a rebuild it looks identical to the 1812 drawing unless of course the drawing i later than ian thinks it is

lyn
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I don't know. Just wondered about early dates.
 
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