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The Grove School, Watford [and Moreton House School, Dunstable] |
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The Moretonia Moreton House School Magazine |
The Moreton House Girls School at Dunstable produced a
magazine at intervals (either twice a year or annually) until 1925, when the
school moved to The Grove, Watford.I became aware of this in about 1993 when I was collecting information for the book The London Gunners come to Town, and wanted some information on what school children were doing at the time. Quite by chance I found a bound set of The Moretonia at a book browse in Tring - and used one of the poems in my book.
Sing a song of Zeppelins --
How the monsters fly -
More than twenty Germans
Rushing through the sky.
When our airmen bombed one,
How the people cheer!
Wasn't that a thrilling feat
For our gracious King to hear?
The King was in his Council room
Talking to V.C.'s.
The Queen was in the dining room
Serving soldiers' teas.
The Kaiser rushes East and West,
And curses as he goes.
Let's hope one of our "dicky birds"
Will soon peck off his nose.
The volume contains copies from June 1916 to 1925 and I suspect that it belonged to Fanny Mead. The first issue in the books describes the school prize winners and includes "Prize presented by Mr. and Mrs. Frank Lucas, who wish it to be given to the girl who, in spite of thoroughly deserving a prize, has not gained one, Fanny Mead." In the July 1918 issue she is listed as an Old Girl, at 1 Western Road, Tring.
Issues contain contributions from pupils and former pupils, reports of school activities (including the text of press reports), news of Old Girls and former staff, examination results, etc.
In 2008 I posted the reminiscences of Grove School, Watford, written by Phyllis Thomson, of Vancouver. She knew that the school had only moved to the Grove shortly before she arrived - but did not know where the previous school had been. It turned out to have been the Moreton House School at Dunstable - and the school magazine contains a number of articles about the forthcoming move to The Grove.
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Known Issues and dates:
Apart from issue no 18, where the cover is used at the front of the book, none of the issues in the book retain their covers so the number and date is not retained. I have also included references to the copies held at BLARS (The Beds & Luton Archives Service)
| 11 | December 1914 |
Copy at BLARS - Ref Z 930/1/1 |
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| 12 | July 1915 | |||
| 13 | December 1915 | Copy at BLARS - Ref Z 930/1/2 | ||
| 14 | June 1916 | In book, copy at BLARS - Ref Z 930/1/3 | ||
| 15 | December 1916 | In book | ||
| 16 | July 1917 | In book, copy at BLARS - Ref Z 930/1/4 | ||
| 17 | December 1917 | In book, copy at BLARS - Ref Z 930/1/5 | ||
| 18 | June 1918 | In book, copy at BLARS - Ref Z 930/1/6 | ||
| 19 | December 1918 | In book, copy at BLARS - Ref Z 930/1/7 | ||
| 20 | July 1919 | Copy at BLARS - Ref Z 930/1/8 | ||
| 21 | December 1919 | In book, copy at BLARS - Ref Z 930/1/9 | ||
| 22 | June 1920 | Copy at BLARS - Ref Z 930/1/10 | ||
| 23 | December 1920 | |||
| 24 | July 1921 | In book, copy at BLARS - Ref Z 930/1/11 | ||
| 25 | December 1921 | In book, copy at BLARS - Ref Z 930/1/12 | ||
| 26 | July 1922 | In book, copy at BLARS - Ref Z 930/1/13 | ||
| 27 | July 1923 | In book | ||
| 28 | July 1924 | Index | In book, advert in Book Collector | |
| 29 | July 1925 | In book |
BLARS holds some other material relevant to the school:
Z 930/2/1 Extract from the memoirs of Marion Boutwood, about her time at the school during the last two years of the Great War. n.d[c1990s]
Apart from the magazines held at Z930, they have a couple of Beds Magazine articles on the school, plus building plans for additions, 1910 (bor DP 483) and 1920 (army hut as temporary classroom - Bor DP 661). There is also a reference to the school in a booklet 'Illustrated Beds. Its History and Commerce. 1895'.
I am planning to donate the book to BLARS when I have extracted all I need for this web site.
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