This page provides supplementary information about the people, places and events that related to Felsted during the period that Sheilah’s diary was written.
Can you add any information about the diary or the things written in it? Please do get in touch.
Places
Black Chapel
Bury Pond
Sheilah ice-skated on this pond when it froze over, many times.
Council School
The Council School at Watch House Green, about a mile from the centre of Felsted.
Felsted
A fantastic resource all about Felsted, where the diary is set, thanks to the Felsted Parish Council.
Grandcourts Cottages
Spelt Graunt Courts in the diary, these constitute a large house in Felsted, variously spelled as Graunt Courts or Grand Courts (Lodge and Farm, Felsted).
Queen’s Square
Mrs Rose Steward lived at one of the cottages at Queens Square (now demolished). This is where Felsted’s School Cricket Pavilion currently stands.
Various cottages surrounded Queen’s Square and into the Braintree Road. William Steward occupied one of the Queen’s Square cottages and previously ran the blacksmith premises in the Yew Tree public house yard (today someone’s home). Nine people were living in the Steward cottage.
Part of the semi-circle of the Queen’s Square, around or before the 1920s.
Chequers, Roslyn House, cottages. Queen’s Square is on the left.
The Vicarage
This is where Sheilah lived with her family during the period before, during and after, the diary.
There is also the location on the Historic England site (scroll down and click on “Zoom in”), a Google Maps image of the front of the house and some pictures of what it looks like inside from the architects that worked on the project. Note: it is now known as Andrew’s House.
People
Brian Peile Braund
Running (captain) House Prefect.
Photo of BP Braund, 1913 at Prep School.
You can read more here and also see him standing with other students, too.
Burnes
The Burnes family had a connection with Felsted School. Ormond Hugh Burne was the head of the Burnes house and was born in Burnopfield, Durham in 1861. He was married to Florence Ethel, whose maiden name was Gibson (1882-1959). Before joining Felsted School, he worked as an Assistant Master at Hill Lands School, Wargrave for 7½ years. Later, the family moved from Cambridge to Germany where he worked as an assistant master at Alte Burg, Aerzen, Hanover, Germany for 12 years. When the school closed down, he was appointed as Head of Engineering and Mathematician at Felsted School from September 1906 to July 1921. All but one of his six children, Robert Vazie Burne (1916-1999), were born in Germany.
Ormond was informed that his son Pte Harold Ormond Hugh of 1st/4th Battalion, Essex Regiment was KIA on 3rd November 1917 and buried at the Gaza War Cemetery aged 20. He took early retirement.
He had two sons who attended Felsted School - Cyril Alfred (1900-1931) and Wilfred Thomas Godfrey (1903-1989). Both boys were members of Mont’s House- Cyril from January 1916 to April 1917 and Wilfred from January 1916 to July 1919. His two daughters were also mentioned in Sheilah’s diary. Mary Kathleen Hetty (1899-1979) was mentioned on 23rd August 1918 and Adeline Enid (1902-1983) was mentioned monthly, though her name had variations such as Adeliene, Aileen, or Aline. See Felsted Remembers
Adeline Enid Burne
Adeline Enid Burne was born in Detmold, Germany on February 22, 1902, and died in Australia on March 25, 1983. She was married to Ferdinand Kuhlmann and had two sons and a daughter.
Cyril Alfred Burne
Cyril Alfred Burne was at Felsted School from 1916-1917 (1900-1932). WWI: 1917-19 Royal Fusiliers. 1919-21 Interpreter to BA in Danzig. He was the son of assistant schoolmaster (mathematics) Ormond Hugh Burne (1906-1921).
Assistant Master & mathematician. Son of Thomas, colliery clerk, of Earl’s Court, London. Born at Burnopfield, near Tanfield, Durham. Educ. King’s College, London. Adm. at Corpus Christi Camb June 1880. Migrated to Trinity, Oct 9 1880; matric. Michs. 1880; Scholar, 1883; BA (24th Wrangler) 1884. Asst Master at Hill Lands School, Wargrave, for 7½ years; family moved from Cambridge to Germany and worked as an assistant master at Alte Burg, Aerzen, Hanover, Germany for 12 years. The school closed down and he was appointed at Felsted School, as Head Of Engineering. On 3rd November 1917, he was informed that his son Pte Harold O Hugh of 1st/4th Battalion, Essex Regiment was KIA on 3rd November 1917 and buried at the Gaza War Cemetery aged 20. He took early retirement.
See here also.
Mr Thomas (Tommy) Cooper
Mr Thomas (Tommy) Cooper was a Schoolmaster at Felsted School from 1910-1949. He was the Eldest son and child of Thomas (Ham & Bacon Curer) and Caroline Simpson; born in Buxton, Derbyshire. Assistant Master. BA, St John’s Coll, Camb, degree in Theology. Joined Junior House briefly in 1910. Housemaster of Stock’s (b) 1920-49 i/c Drama (hobby acting). Acting Headmaster 1947 following the sudden death of Alistair Andrew. The name appears in the War Memorial Building. Died at Essex County Hospital, Chelmsford. Buried at Holy Cross Church, Felsted.
Rev Seiriol John Arthur Evans
Mr Evans who was an Anglican dean and author in the third quarter of the 20th century, was also known as Rev Seiriol John Arthur Evans, and worked as an assistant master at Junior House, Felsted School from 1917 to 1919. He earned his B.A. from Kings College, Cambridge and played bass solo at Queens.
In May 1918, he left the school temporarily and joined as a Private with the Inns of Court O.T.C. (Army Reserve, Regiment No. 13206) on June 5, 1918, at Whitehall in London. His army medical records at Bury St Edmunds showed that he was 22 years and 3 months old, had dark brown hair, was 5 feet and 11 inches tall, weighed 146Ibs, had a distinctive mark on his right cheek, and his home and paid address was Felsted School, Essex, where he worked as an Assistant Master. Seiriol was released early on January 13, 1919, as he was called back to work at Felsted School, though he only remained there until April 1919.
He was ordained in 1921 after studying at Salisbury Theological College. He served as Curate of St Mary and All Saints’ Church in Kidderminster, then as Sacrist of Gloucester Cathedral. Afterwards, he became Precentor of Ely Cathedral from 1923 to 1929, and then Rector of Upwell.
He married Selina Georgina Towoney on April 11, 1928, in Chesterton, Cambridgeshire.
During World War II, he joined the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve as a Temporary Chaplain in Pembrokeshire, Wales.
He later became the Archdeacon of Wisbech from 1945 to 1953, after which he was appointed Dean of Gloucester, where he served for 19 years.
After retiring, he lived in Fulborn with his wife until he passed away on June 29, 1984, in Fulbourn, Cambridgeshire. A stone effigy dedicated to him can be found at Gloucester Cathedral.
Cyril Stanley Hodge
Cyril Stanley Hodges worked as an Assistant Schoolmaster for Felsted School in 1918-1918.
Image taken in December, 1918.
John Hugh Owen
John Hugh Owen (Felsted School 1907-1937), Senior Mathematician Master and science and games expert; directed Boxing for 20 years, member of Felsted School Scientific Society. He also contributed many publications for British Birds books and also a publication on the cuckoo in the Felsted district ‘Cuckoos, Cowbirds & Other Cheats’ in 1933.
Mr. J. H. Owen, of Felsted School and the Essex Field Club exhibited a special series of some 150 lantern slides from photographs illustrating the “Nesting Period of the Sparrow-hawk” as observed by himself, and gave an interesting running commentary upon the slides Hobby-ornithology.
Retired in 1937. Son to John and Martha Owen, born in Kinton, Nesscliffe, Shropshire. Scholar of Jesus Coll, Oxf. Vice-President of the Shropshire Ornithological Society from its inception in 1955. Died at Oswestry, Shropshire age 82.
See also: Lecture on “Birds of the Neighbourhood”, president of the Scientific Society at the Bury.
Dr William Donald Smallpeice
L.R.C.P. London, M.R.C.S. England was the physician, surgeon medical officer and public vaccinator for Felsted district including Felsted School and Dunmow. He was married to Cicely Smallpeice née Philipps (1866-1976). They had two children, a daughter named Andrea Smallpeice who was born in 1894 at St Margarets, Westminster and passed away in 1976, and a son named Cosby Donald Philipps Smallpeice who attended Felsted School from 1909-1913. According to the 1911 census, the family lived at The Limes, Felsted, along with three servants - a cook, a parlour maid, and a house boy. Andrea and Cicely would occasionally volunteer at some of Felsted School’s events. During these events, Cicely would hand out sports prizes to the pupils while Andrea, who had an artistic flair, would occasionally create designs for the school’s programs.
See here.
Kenneth Ridout Tench (Ken) (1899-1971)
He attended Felsted School from May 1908 to July 1917 and was a House Prefect. He was born in Great Dunmow. In 1917, he passed into RMC, Sandhurst and became a 2nd Lieutenant in the Suffolk Regiment. During WWI, he served as a Lieutenant in the Suffolk Regiment. On March 25th, 1922, he travelled from Liverpool to St. John, Canada. On April 30th, 1935, he was baptized as a Catholic in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. He was a former employee of Cooperators Insurance and a former Corporal in the Saskatchewan Royal Canadian Mounted Police (Service No. 10965). He was married and did not join the Indian Army as suggested by Sheila’s diary entry of May 4th, 1918.
Rev Francis Duncan Windsor
Rev Francis Duncan Windsor was a Schoolmaster at Felsted School from 1891-1928? Housemaster, Windsor House (c) 1900 - 1928, Librarian, Assistant Chaplain and Local Sec of the Mission, until he retired to Wembley.
Known for his famous slow walk down the drive, monocle in his eye, with a straw hat on his head, secured by the crook of a walking stick held with both hands behind his back. Sclerosis got the better of him.
Born in Kingston, Canada and son of Samuel and Blanche M Windsor. In 1871 the family lived in Worrall, Yorks. In 1881 he was Scholar at Christ’s Hospital School, Newgate St, London. Rev F.D. Windsor, Oxf, MA.
Florence Trigg
Florence Trigg (nee Holgate). She worked in service in Felsted, where she was born and bred.
Events
Steeplechases
See more here.
The Gordon Cooke
The Gordon Cooke is a running event (athletics) at Felsted School.
Don’t Forget … Can you add any information about the diary or the things written in it? Please do get in touch.