Just found my mother's leaving school certificate

[Gary Packer]

Hello Forum,

 

I was going through the old photographs and I found my mother's leaving school certificate.

 

She went to Woodthorpe Secondary School. She left on 21st December 1950. The headmaster was John Frost. I can't read the signature of the Director of Education.....

 

My mother's name was Betty Carter.

 

Her character and conduct in School have been good.

 

Head Teacher's observations: A methodical but slow, quiet girl.

 

Did anybody know Betty Carter?

 

Regards,

 

Gary

[Puffin4]

Was the Director of Education Stanley Moffatt? Your mother left in the same year I left Woodthorpe Juniors for grammar school.

[Gary Packer]

Hello Puffin,

 

Yes. Now you have mentioned the name, I can read it.

 

It would be great to know of any friends she had at school. Sadly, my mother died in 1989, aged 53. How time flies, eh? She would have been 74 now. I can't believe she left school at such an early age. Unless she went to another school afterwards. I don't know.

 

The last time I went to Sheffield, with my grandparents, it was July 9th, 1966 (a Saturday). I know this because my little sister was born the day before. I was 9 and I remember being fascinated by the Town Hall still covered in scars from the war.

 

I also remember my grandfather driving us up the M1 from Aylesbury, Bucks, in his Ford Anglia and there not being a lot of traffic!!!!! I also remember him not wanting to stop, so out came the milk bottle!!!!!

 

We stayed with "Aunty Esther" in Harborough Avenue.

 

I know my grandmother's maiden name was Emma Hunt, and I know she had a brother Ernest. I thought she had a younger brother Jack, but I can find no record of this. In my grandmother's later years she had Alzheimers and she only knew me as her younger brother Jack.

 

I think my grandmother's father's name was Thomas Griffiths Hunt. She rarely spoke of her family for some reason.

 

I found this as an address: 7 Court H Bolehill Road, Sheffield. I think that was there my grandmother's family lived.

 

This is very interesting to get into, eh?

 

Any help would be appreciated. It's gone on a bit from the City of Sheffield Education Committee piece of paper I found, I know, but now I'm like a dog with a bone......

 

Regards,

 

Gary

[Puffin4]

Hi Gary,

 

Whilst I was able to help you with the name of the Director of Education, I am afraid that I did not know your late mother, she was one school level above me, being three years older. I only knew the director's name because my mother worked in education and used occasionally to receive letters signed in his name. No your mother did not proceed to another school, the School Leaving Certificate signified the satisfactory end of secondary education and 14 was the leaving age at that time, it was raised to 15 a couple of years later and then to 16. Grammar school leaving age was already 16 as that was when you sat the GCE 'O' levels. If you went on to take 'A' levels it went up to 18 of course.

 

I did not know your mother out of school, as I did not live at Woodthorpe but at adjacent Richmond, it is just that Woodthorpe was the school closest to my home.

 

I fear that you may not get any further with this thread, because you are not asking for information in the title, perhaps you should start a new one with a title like 'Did Anyone Know Betty Carter at Woodthorpe School in the 1940's?' I wish you well in your search.

 

Regards,

 

Mike

[Gary Packer]

Hello Mike,

 

I realise that I would not get any further than my first enquiry with this thread. I had already thought about starting a new one with the same sort of "Is there anyone who knew....etc., etc."

 

However, once I found the address, my interest in finding relatives just spiralled and I lost all track of time, so I never got round to starting a new thread. I will do eventually.

 

In fact, I have just discovered a distant relative who is the great-nephew of my great-grandfather (who was killed on the first day of The Battle of The Somme in WW1 along with two of his brothers, a third being disabled and losing an eye).

 

Fascinating stuff, Mike. Thank you for taking the time to respond so quickly. I really appreciate it.

 

You take care, Sir, and I hope we get the chance to speak again.

 

Kind Regards,

 

Gary

[hillsbro]

I know my grandmother's maiden name was Emma Hunt, and I know she had a brother Ernest. ... I think my grandmother's father's name was Thomas Griffiths Hunt. She rarely spoke of her family for some reason. I found this as an address: 7 Court H Bolehill Road, Sheffield...

Hi - the 1911 census shows a Thomas Griffiths Hunt with his wife Emma and children Ernest, Emma and Charles. I imagine you have seen the census page; like you I couldn't find a Jack Hunt but the 1911 census shows that three other children had died since Thomas Griffiths Hunt had married Emma Gelder in 1905. In 1911 the address is given, as you mention, as "7 ct. h. Bolehill Road". The "courts" were usually numbered - maybe the "h." stands for "house" and this was a court-type house (i.e. a back-to-back house) adjacent to No 7, or perhaps this was a house in "Court 7". The 1901 census shows Thomas not far away on Bell Hagg Road.