St Helen's School c 1928

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This is Haigh House group rather than the whole school.  Are you or one of your ancestors shown here?
Other Houses were Stephenson, Rhodes and Nelson - do you have a photo of them?

Updated 16 February 2008

Can you identify some of the names of people in the photograph above?

Suggestions so far are shown below
If you have any others names or think we have some wrong please let us know 
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1f

Nellie Pratt

26m

? Latchford

2f

Doris Archer

27m

? Arnold

3f

Amy Sparrow

28m

Mr Beckwith

4f

Olive Bracey

29f

Lorna Rowe

5m

Gerald Rowe

30f

 

6f

Ilene Saunders

31f

 

7f

Shiella Wright

32f

 

8f

? Dickerson

33f

? Slough

9f

Nora Wilkinson

34f

Doris Arnold

10m

Mick Seabrook

35f

Amy Brooks

11m

? Dixon

36f

 

12m

Mr Housdon

37m

Peter Harding

13m

? Collins (brother of Wally)

38m

 

14f

 

39m

R (Bob) Cunnington

15f

? Brooks (sister of Amy)

40m

Bill Parsons

16f

Violet Cobb

41m

Francis Crawley

17f

May Archer

42m

 

18f

Mary Hayes

43m

Lou Lake

19m

Claude Tilbury

44m

William James Wright or Walter (Wally) Collins

20m

Rector Baird-Smith

45m

Reg Beech

21m

Leslie Hunt

46m

Bill Humphrey

22m

Alec Izzard

47m

Reg Jowett

23f

Kathleen Munt

48f

Margaret Allson

24f

Gadys Kerrison

49m

David Beadle

25f

Edna Wright

50m

Alan Grey

 

**  Please see feedback below concerning uncertainties etc

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Feedback

  Regarding the names given in the key diagram, numbers 14 & 31 cannot be Edie and Ellen (Nellie) Hunt, as these ladies would have been in their 20's in 1928 (see their graves near the Brewhouse Hill gate of the churchyard), but I think No. 14 is Elsie Hunt, niece of the above sisters. Elsie (my cousin) says that she was in Haig house. I don't think No. 9 is Kathleen Ellingham (my sister), as Kath says she clearly  remembers being in Stephenson house.  The picture seems to have been taken against the new senior school, which was for 11 to 14 year olds, and as Elsie Hunt was not 11 until 1929, it is probably later  than 1928. I didn't think the new school was opened until 1930.

I was at St.Helens during the war, in Nelson house. We didn't have much sport , all the male teachers were called up, except the headmaster, and Mr Fooks who came with the evacuees from Argyle school at Kings Cross, but we did win the tug of war one year, and Nelson house shared a cake which someone had donated!
Regards, Bill Ellingham

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Enjoyed looking at Haigh House photo. No 23f is Kathleen Munt.  I noticed you have spelt Stephenson House incorrectly. I think you will find it should be spelt like this after Robert Stephenson (steam engine inventor)
from Vida Field

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I am sure that no 44m is my late father William James Wright who would have been 8 at the time. He attended the school to at least 1934 ( I have some of his school reports).  He would have been known as Jim or Billy. His mother always called him Will.  Would whoever owns the photo let me have a print?   I would of course pay them for it.  

I see that Sheila Wright is thought to be in the photo.  She is the same family and was born in 1915, making her 13 at the time.  I would like to know what became of her.  She married in 1937 to a Dennis Pawley, but I think she passed on in the late 1980s.  Does anyone know?  I think her nephew Peter Wright may still live at The Folly.   My father went to school with Lorna Rowe who still lives in the village. 

Kind regards    email -  

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Hi, we have been looking at your website for Wheathampstead this afternoon and my mum - formally Mary Elizabeth Hunt attended St Helens School from 1936 to 1944 but noticed her brother (my uncle Les Hunt) in your 1928 picture. 

You have 14F and 31F down as E Hunt. To update you, we believe that 14F is my mum's aunt - Edie Hunt and as she was the oldest it makes sense she is further near the back. 31F we think must be my mums other aunt - Edie's sister Ellen Hunt. Ellen was always known as 'Nell'. 

I hope that helps, if you do have any later school photos that would be fantastic to see. 

Kind regards, Jackie & Mary,  email -  

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