Just wondering if anyone here has encountered William Marle or his brother Robert. In the 1860s they lived at 64 Alcester Street which look like it was on the opposite side of the road from where Rowton House was later built. William attended King Edwards School - I know this from an inscription dated February 1864 on the flyleaf of a book which I discovered in an antique shop. This book about metals and mining was presumably a prize for academic achievement, maybe chosen by himself or the school for its appropriateness to William's interest. At this time William would have been 16 and leaving school. His name then appears on a list of London University examinees in 1868 where he passed at Division1, the highest grade. This was by "Private Study" and taken at St Thomas School in Granville Street which was one of a large network of examination centres used by the University of London for external students. His brother, 9 years William's senior appears not to have passed the exams so William appeared to have been the bright one of the pair. It all seems such an interesting situation given the boy's home background within a solidly manufacturing part of town. There were considerable ructions at the time over issues like the make-up of KES' governors, building and finance with the City flexing its muscles.
I would be very grateful if anyone here could throw any light on this, for example if the Marle's were in business. A 1935 aerial photo suggests a house at that position by he track leading to the back of the Lombard Street Baptist chapel, perhaps slightly larger than others neighbours, but the 1899 OS map plots it as just one of a row. But for all I know Alcester Street may have been renumbered so I'm barking up the wrong tree.
I would be very grateful if anyone here could throw any light on this, for example if the Marle's were in business. A 1935 aerial photo suggests a house at that position by he track leading to the back of the Lombard Street Baptist chapel, perhaps slightly larger than others neighbours, but the 1899 OS map plots it as just one of a row. But for all I know Alcester Street may have been renumbered so I'm barking up the wrong tree.
