The Royal Albert
Orphan School
Collingwood Court, Camberley
In its early days the school was known as the Royal Albert Orphan Asylum, being named in memory of Queen Victoria's husband, Prince Albert. It was situated in Camberley, just outside Bagshot's boundary, and was opened in 1864.
I found the school shown on an old map and more recently have found it shown on aseries of old Ordnace Survey maps. At least some records from the 1881 census describe pupils as an "orphan inmate" and give the address as the Royal Albert Orphan Asylum, Frimley. The establishment has also been known as the Royal Albert Orphanage and the Royal Albert School.
The school is no longer there. It amalgamated with the Royal Alexandra School to become the Royal Alexandra & Albert School and relocated to Gatton Park, Reigate, in 1954.
After the school left, the site was for a while used as the WRAC College. The main building was found to have dry rot & woodworm and was pulled down leaving the chapel building standing alone on the site. This building suffered a mystery blaze in 1987. The remaining walls were blown down later in that year by the hurricane which swept the country. The site was razed a few years ago and redeveloped as housing.
In 1867 Queen Victoria planted a Wellingtonia Gigantica tree during an "Inauguration Ceremony" for the school. A "stone" at the site was engraved VIR 1867 and is mistakenly thought by some to be the foundation stone of the building. The Wellingtonia survives to this day.
The Old Boy's Association is in contact with some 140 former pupils from as far afield as Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, USA and Canada. The Association holds reunions at which 80 pupils typically attend, and it's officers regularly deal with enquiries from grandchildren of former pupils seeking background information.
There are at least two other "Royal Albert Orphanages", one in Worcester, the other in Lancaster. They are unconnected.
Tea on the Matron's lawn, about 1938. The Duke of Connaught (Patron) is standing talking to Miss Muller (a benefator). We had understood that Lady Elphinsone is seated, though some doubt has been cast on this. The person squatting is Mr William Paget, the Superintendent of the Orphanage.
More about these people here.
Thanks to the generosity of Mr Paget's widow the collection of records about the school that is held by the Surrey History Centre in Woking has been augmented by Mr Paget's photographs and other documents relating to the period 1919 - 1941. The photos show the boys in their daily activities and on high days and holidays - visits to the seaside; meeting the Duke of Connaught, etc 7037.iv7
If you can add anything about these people, or the school, just send us a message (see below).
Photo courtesy Vernon Billows
The boys at the school were required to work as well as learn and this picture (I am not sure whether it is from the 1930's or circa 1950) shows a group of boys attempting to herd some cows along a track. I say 'attempting' as one seems to have escaped to the right. The school buildings can be seen in the distance. A reader tells me that his father speaks of working on the farm and in the gardens and of the tailor's shop and cobblers workshop. 16-1-07
Prompted by seeing this photo Miles, who was at the
school from 1938 to 1947, wrote: I worked on our farm for two
years (the farmer was Mr Greenwood) the path to the left did not exsist in
my time, The path ahead was the only one I know. I have taken the farm cows
(by myself) to the top field. The boys were taught various trades from age
fourteen until they left school at sixteen. Mar11
Miles also sent these photos which he believes to have been taken in the
early forties. {Apr 11}
Information about the school provided by the late John Harrington of the Old Boy's Association.
As illustrated by the contributions below from David Sandford and Allan Gadsby, not all pupils at the school were orphans. It has come as a surprise to some people researching their family history to find their ancestor is in the orphan school and make the obvious conclusion - and then to find a parent alive, or even a parent and other siblings living together as a family unit. Several have written to this site wondering why. While every case will have been decided on its individual circumstances it is reasonable to suppose that the child went into the school because his parent(s) and extended family were unable to properly provide for him. One can only speculate as to why.
Vicky writes : "My grandfather William Grey Moffet and his brothers were at this school from 1934 until about January 1939 and he used to sing this to me:
We know our manners.
We spend our tanners.
We are respected wherever we may go.
We go at riding down the tramway lines
Doors and windows open wide.
We know the way to use our feet
Left, right, left, right down the street.
We are the orphanage boys!Collingwood Collingwood give us another one, do!
"He spoke of his days there a lot, especially of nurse Eileen whom apparently all the boys had a thing for!!" [6103 Aug 06]
Paul Spencer Ellis has written:
As Headmaster of the Royal Alexandra and Albert School, Gatton Park, Reigate, I am keen to hear from former pupils of "The Albert School". Gatton Park has its own web site. 2008The Royal Alexandra and Albert School, which was formed by the amalgamation of the Royal Albert School and the Royal Alexandra School in 1949 has just celebrated the 250th anniversary of the Founding of the older of the two schools. Founders Weekend was an amazing time. On Saturday 10th May there was a Thanksgiving Service and Primary Prize Giving in the School Chapel at which The Right Reverend Thomas Butler, Bishop of Southwark, gave an Address. On Sunday 11th May there was another Thanksgiving Service and Secondary Prize Giving at which The Most Reverend Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury gave an Address.
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Pete Fewings writes "Memories! I was there about 1942 to 1948. I recall the Edwards brothers, the older two being Kenneth and Chris. When I left I went to the John Benn Working Boys Hostel in Stepney, prior to joining the Fleet Air Arm" [7061 Sep 07]
John Ruffle writes: My grandfather, Fredrick H.
Ruffle was a pupil at the Royal Albert Orphan Asylum for about seven years
from about 1881 to 1888 when he was age 12. I have in my posession the Bible
he was presented with on December 13th 1888 by the Committee upon his leaving.
If anyone has information or photos of the orphanage around this era, I'd
love to hear from you. Please reply via the message pad below.
[666 Apr06]
| Alan Owen wrote from Tyne and Wear: I am researching the life
of Admiral Lord Collingwood. His grand daughter Sarah married a certain Cuthbert
Collinwood Hall and moved into Collinwood Court in Bagshot After his death
in 1851, the property, with its 6,000 acres was sold for £12,000, and
I am informed it became a 'Staff College'. Does that mean it became part
of the Royal Military College? Your help would be appreciated.
John has provided this history of the estate: In March 1864 the unfinished mansion known as Collingwood Court Estate, set in 200 acres, was purchased for £8,000 to accommodate the Royal Albert Orphan Asylum. (It is not clear whether 'unfinished' meant that building work had not been completed, or whether it was only fitting out that was needed, perhaps to adapt it for its new use). The first intake of orphans is recorded as 1864. This leaves a difference of 13 years, 5,400 acres and £4000 between Alan's information and John's records. Can you help bridge this gap? |
"While researching my family I came across a relative, who was an Officer at the school. Lilian Crump born 1879 was listed as Senior School Mistress in the 1901 Census. I was so pleased to find your site and obtain some background information on what she did and how she helped others.
Many thanks and kind regards, Symon." [639 Feb 06]
Jayne Bond asks "I would like to know if anyone has further records as to why children from Ipswich would have been sent to this orphanage? Ipswich and Bagshot are quite a distance apart! On the 1881 census there is a listing of Thomas & Alfred Hudson (twin brothers) together with a listing of William Ablitt. With a strange turn of events, both families appear on my family tree, one on my maternal line and the other on my paternal line. Any information that may be relevant would be greatly appreciated." You can reply to Jayne via the message pad without ticking 'send to Old Boys'.
David Sandford has written from New Zealand with his memories of his time at the school. [Nov 08]
I was a boy at the Royal Albert School from 1944 to 1946. I was only 8 so do not have too many concrete memories. Mr Tavenor was the Headmaster at the time and I still have a letter from him to my mother written at the end of my time at the school.
I remember the Open Days when I think Lady Bonham Carter was the chief guest. I rember the Christmas pantomine (Robin Hood) and can still remember the words of the main song. Regretably I am a bit short of names but one, Kingdom, rings a bell. I still regret too the way in which I left when my mother came to take me home to Portsmouth. I said that I wanted to go straight away and going down the entrance drive the boys had lined the rhodedendron strewn road to farewell me. I felt bad that I did not stay until the end of term and say proper good-byes!
It was war time. There were few teachers and not many lessons. The food was awful and we regularly sang "eggs and bacon we don't see, we get sawdust in out tea"!! But the limited staff, bless them, tried hard to look after us during those difficult years and I have happy memories of play and fun and being with other boys.
I would be interested in hearing from any other old boys from the period 1944-46.
Allan Gadsby writes "Albert Edward Gadsby, my great uncle,
was a student at the Royal Albert Orphan Asylum, Camberley, at the time of
the 1911 census. He was born in 1901 in Lambeth and came from a large family.
His father had recently died so times were desperate, but I do not know why
he was selected to go to the Orphenage. [Jan 09]
Mick Riches writes: My late father Charles William Riches (1929-2008)
was a pupil from c1939-1946. He became a farmer so the photo of the boys
herding cattle struck a chord. When he became a school leaver the school
found him a position working for Gen Sir Arthur Smith VC as a farm hand.
My father also was a member of the school's combined Cadet Force .He once
told me that they bred some rabbits for food during the war and he had grown
quite attached to them and refused to eat rabbit meat and got in trouble.
Even late in his life he was always kind to animals and rescued many rabbits
from a dismal life shut up in a hutches. My fathers nick name was Ceasar
on account of him fighting with other boys - there was a famous boxer of
that name during that era. Jan11
Nick Rowe writes: My grandmother Victoria Ivy Hallett
and her sister Alma May were schoolgirls at the The Royal Albert Orphan Asylum.
They are recorded on the 1901 census, aged thirteen and fourteen respectively.
Their home was originally Lyme Regis in Devon. The digitised image
of the actual census return completed by the superintendent gives a haunting
glimpse of the staff and pupils my grandmother and her sister would have
known; a small and now forgotten episode in my late grandmother's life.
Two stories she told of the institution. Firstly, she claimed that if the
schoolchildren didn't eat their meals any leftovers were served at the following
mealtime (quite how the dining hall maid managed the logistics of this is
unclear).
Secondly my grandmother recalled the funeral taking place from the school
of a girl aged nine, and the child's small coffin being carried down the
steps. Jun11
From David Trueman : My older brother Peter and myself were sent to the school in 1944 or 1945 when our mother died. Our father was still in the army and, sponsored by his regiment, we were sent there. I was six at the time. We left after 4 years. Mr Tavenor was the head.
I remember the old (unofficial) school song:
There is a mouldy dump
Down Camberley way
Where we get bread and cheese
Three times a day.
Eggs and bacon we don't see,
We get sawdust in our tea.
That's why we gradually
Fade, fade away.
I remember that every year we went camping for a month at Bowleaze Cove, near Weymouth, in the summer. I have fond memories of that time. The main drawback was that the staff were cane-mad. Many times my hands were swollen from the punishment.
We left just before the amalgamation with the Queen Alexandra School. Having read the articles I now know the fate of the school. I had often wondered what had hapened to it. [Sep 11]
This is not an official web site of the Royal Albert Orphan School or
its Old Boys' Association. It was due to an Old Boy contacting me for
information about local dignatories who were associated with the school that
I became aware of the school, and the content offered here has grown as a
result of that initial contact. The Old Boys do not have their own
web site and I am pleased to mount information about the school here, and
to forward messages to the Old Boys' Association via Gatton Park.
Many of my pages have been prompted by, or include questions or information from, my readers. If you can add anything to the above please write to me using the message pad below.
This page is part of the Bagshot village web site.
If you want to enquire about old school records, including finding out about former pupils, please indicate that you want your message forwarded to Gatton Park School for the Old Boy's Association as it is they, and not the Bagshot webmaster, who are able to help.
Data provided only for personal background information. While every effort has been made to provide correct information no assurance as to its accuracy is given or implied. Check any facts you wish to rely upon.