Hove in the Past: Davigdor Schools, Hove.

Judy Middleton 2002 (revised 2024)

copyright © J. Middleton
This view of 1908, shows the Davigdor Schools dominating the eastern skyline of the Sussex County Cricket Ground, the tall chimney belongs to Hove Electricity Generating Station in Davigdor Road.

Background

The schools were built to replace the old schools in Farman Street that had been condemned by the authorities. It is interesting to note that when the site was purchased this part of the road was still called Goldsmid Road, and did not become Davigdor Road until 1900.

There were further alterations in the name of the schools. Initially, they were known as the East Hove Board School or the Holland Road Schools. In 1906 they became Davigdor Road Higher Grade School; in 1929 the boys’ school closed.

After the Second World War the buildings became Davigdor Secondary Modern School for Girls and Davigdor Infants School.

Building

Hove School Board purchased the site from Sir Julian Goldsmid in August 1890 for £3,138-5-6d. The plans were drawn up by Brighton architect Mr Simpson, and the buildings were erected by the well-known local builder John T. Chappell. The original tender was in the region of £11,409 but by the time the task was completed in 1893, the final total had risen to £15,000.

The buildings were of stock brick with red-brick chimneys while the pediments of the porches were carved in red brick.

Swimming Pool

The site was interesting because the ground level was below the road level, and therefore the schools were erected on concrete piers. Full advantage was taken of the situation with an innovative idea to build a swimming pool in the basement. Remarkably, the swimming pool only cost £642 and it was certainly a novel attraction – and in fact it was the only Board School in Brighton and Hove to have one.

The swimming pool was lined with white glazed tiles and measured 50-ft by 20-ft, the depth being 2-ft 6-in at one end, and 4-ft 6-in at the other. There was a diving board at the deep end, but it was not too high.

However, not everyone was happy, particularly the rate-payers, many of whom grumbled at the vast expense of the new school, stating that the ‘School Board has entered upon a period of extravagance.’

In fact the School Board hoped to save money in the long run by having a well-built, spacious school with everything of the best quality. Not only did it replace a condemned building but it would also relieve overcrowding at the Ellen Street and Connaught Road Schools. The Board expressed the fervent hope that no new school would be needed at Hove for a good few years. Parents were urged to send their children to the new school, even if they lived some distance to the west because the walk would do them good.

The Davigdor Road Schools were officially opened on Saturday, 6 May 1893, and practically all the speeches made mention of the swimming pool. An enthusiastic newspaper reporter wrote that the schools were ‘probably the finest of any public elementary free school in the kingdom.’

Mercedes Gleitze

While we are on the subject of the swimming pool, it is important to note it has a claim to fame not many people know about. Mercedes Gleitze became the first English woman to swim across the English Channel on 7 October 1927, but it was in this swimming pool that Mercedes first learned to swim. Her teacher was Miss Mary Edgar who was never known to don a swimming costume, but marched up and down the side shouting instructions. For those struggling to swim, Miss Edgar would give them a rubber tyre for support while she pulled them through the water at the end of a rope.

Miss Edgar must have been popular because when it came to her retirement she received some significant gifts. The scholars presented her with a matching crocodile bag and purse, while the staff and former scholars gave her a gold bracelet watch, a signet ring, and a cut-glass bowl.

Newspaper reporters descended on the school after Mercedes Gleitze made her epic swim across the Channel. Miss Florence Yeomanson, her headmistress, told them that she was not surprised because Mercedes was always very determined. It is pleasant to record that long after Mercedes had left school and become famous, she still kept in touch with Miss Yeomanson.

On 28 October 1927 Mercedes paid a visit to her old school, and the children lined up in the hall to greet her.

It is entirely co-incidental but Miss Yeomanson was also a swimming enthusiast because she was a member of Hove Swimming Club while her brother Augustus served as its Honorary Secretary. They would have been familiar with the old Medina Swimming Baths. Augustus was later elected as President of the Sussex Amateur Swimming Association.

In March 2024 a film was released about Mercedes called Vindication Swim.

See the Mercedes Gleitze page for more information

Other Amenities

In cold weather corridors and classrooms were heated by Grundy’s hot air apparatus, and those parts of the school not thus supplied had Grundy’s open grates instead. The children, many of them from poor homes, must have revelled in such luxury.

The entire schools were fitted out with yellow deal, while the staircases were provided with Hawkesley’s patent stair-treads.

Another novelty were the blackboards – none of the old-fashioned free-standing, wobbly ones but boards made of cement and fixed to the wall.

There was also a gymnasium, and on the practical level, a carpenter’s shop for the boys.

The schools were surrounded by a high wall and railings, and there was a caretaker’s cottage in the playground.

There was sufficient accommodation for 250 boys, 250 girls and 250 infants.

Girls

The schools started to operate on Monday 8 May 1893, and there was a surge of interest in the new establishment. In the first week 192 girls were admitted, the majority coming from Ellen Street School, but during the second week the headmistress was obliged to remove fifteen girls from the register because it seems the girls preferred their old environment at Ellen Street. The staff were as follows:

Miss Helen Woolgar, Head (transferred from Farman Street School)

Mary Edgar

Eliza Ingham

Gertrude Hawkins (ex-pupil teacher)

E. J. Cracklow (ex-pupil teacher; but she left the same year)

Louisa Brewer (2^nd year pupil teacher

Annie Hebblethwaite (1^st year pupil teacher)

In 1894 the Inspector found that the discipline was very good and ‘needlework, singing and musical drill deserve special praise.’

The girls also had a room for clay modelling and there was a kitchen and laundry under the superintendence of Miss Pinder who took daily lessons in the domestic arts. Indeed, many girls from other Hove schools were sent here to learn housewifery skills.

Change of Direction

Despite the enthusiastic beginnings, the Davigdor Road Schools became the most under-used school in Hove with the average attendance being only 262, whereas the schools at Connaught Road, Ellen Street and Portland Road were all over-crowded. But then of course the west part of Hove was more heavily populated with working-class families, and the over-crowded schools were closer to their homes.

The reason put forward for the difference was that the class of property in the east Hove area was such that parents chose to send their children to private schools. The education committee therefore decided to convert the school into a higher grade fee-paying school on condition that a sufficient number of free places was maintained.

The new venture came into operation from 3 September 1906 when scholars (both boys and girls) were obliged to pay six pence a week. However, twenty-five per cent of places in each department were reserved as free places for children who had won scholarships. There was a formal opening ceremony in the school hall when the Mayor of Hove, the chairman and vice-chairman of the education committee were present.

In 1909 the HMI wrote the following report; ‘This school was re-organised some three years ago in order to provide a somewhat fuller course than that given in other Public Elementary Schools of Hove. It has grown considerably and proved its usefulness, though it is not yet full and suffers at present under some disadvantage, as it draws rather largely from small private schools where the children do not appear to be well grounded and the Infants School has not filled sufficiently to enable it to act as an effective feeder of the upper department.’

Among the subjects taught to the boys was shorthand, which was included in the syllabus at the request of parents. In 1910 sixteen boys passed Pitman’s elementary shorthand examination.

Coronation

King George V was crowned at Westminster Abbey on 22 June 1911. Hundreds of people flocked to London from all over the Empire. Amongst the visitors were members of the New South Wales Cadet Corps who were billeted at the Hove schools.

Festival of Empire

On 16 September 1911 some 78 boys boys and eighteen adults took part in the annual excursion and visited ‘The Festival of Empire’ at the Crystal Palace.

Sport

In 1911 the HMI remarked that ‘self-reliance, keenness and intelligence are marked features of the (boys’) school.’

In May 1913 the school won the Challenge Cup, being the winners in the senior league of the Brighton and Hove Football Competition.

Heads

1893 – J. H. J. Davenport (he died in 1906)

1910 – Laurence Ives

1928 – George Ralph

First World War

There was disruption in 1917 when the premises were taken over to become a Military Hospital.

The children had to go to school at the Connaught Road premises where there was a double-shift in progress to deal with the extra numbers. The children did not return to Davigdor Road until November 1919. Then the parents received news of a bonus because fees would no longer be charged.

The Military Hospital opened on 27 August 1917 and did not close until 8 May 1919, having treated 4,355 patients. Major Richard Whittington was the officer in charge for the greater part of the time, and Dr Winklereid dealt with specialist cases. It is fascinating to note that some of the patients found themselves in familiar surroundings because they had attended school here.

The war also caused upheaval for some of the male staff.

Mr Ayling was the new woodwork instructor and only started work at the school in May 1915. By November 1915 he had been given a medical, and shortly afterwards he left school to join the armed forces.

Horace Burden joined the military in 1915 and survived the war. He returned to Davigdor Road, and travelled up to Buckingham Palace to receive his Military Medal. But he soon left for pastures new.

Mr A. Curtis was absent from the school in July 1917 because he was attending an Air Board interview, and in October he left to take up his military duties. He returned to the school in February 1920.

Mr Dimberline became a special constable, and he had to take time off to appear in court as a witness in a case of blackout neglect. (He died in June 1940).

Walter Heather was in the Yeomanry, and was absent at camp for two weeks in 1913 and 1914, besides taking some gunnery instruction. After five years in the Army, he resumed his career at the school.

H. J. Meaton enlisted in the Sussex Yeomanry in June 1915.

On 22 October 1920 there was a short dedication service by the Vicar of All Saints Hove when the school war memorial was unveiled.

Post War

Not unexpectedly, the children’s work had suffered from two and a half years of split sessions at the Connaught Road School. But it is pleasant to record that by 1921 the HMI was well satisfied with their progress. His report included the following;

‘The Head Teacher plans, supervises, and tests the work well and the Staff are loyal and energetic. The introduction of the House system in connection with work and conduct both in and out of school life is shown in many ways – the flourishing Old Boys’ Association, the handsome War Memorial and the great success of the War Savings Association may be specially mentioned.’

Hove Council's Medical Officer's Report 1920

Help for the Rhondda Valley

In 1928 there was a great deal of distress in the mining communities of South Wales and the Rhondda Valley. Perhaps the boys had seen news-reals of the situation at the cinema. The boys decided to to ‘adopt’ a school and chose Penyrenglyn Council Boys’ School, Treherbert, Rhondda. They collected what they could and managed to despatch six bales of clothing, one box of toys and one box of food.

East Hove Senior School for Girls

In 1929 Hove schools were re-organised. This meant that the boys school closed down, and on 16 September 1929 the building became the domain of girls. The total on the books was 318 girls, and they came from the following schools:

Connaught Road School -125

West Hove School – 105

Ellen Street School – 49

George Street School – 27

Portland Road School – 7

Coleridge Street School – 1

Other districts – 4

The staff were as follows:

Miss Florence Yeomanson (head)

Miss L. A. Beaton (deputy head)

Miss Ashbee

Miss Bolton

Miss Dickerson

Mrs Fuller (French teacher)

Miss Lee (temporary)

Miss Metcalf

Mrs Morris

Miss Neild

Miss Phipp

Miss Robinson

Miss Trenance

Miss White

Heads

1893 – Miss Helen Woolgar

1905-1907 – Miss Florence Yeomanson

1939-1948 – Miss L. A. Beaton

1949-1969 – Miss Dorothy Tickner

Miss Florence Yeomanson

She was headmistress of the school for 32 years. Her father, William Yeomanson, earned his living as Stationmaster of Hove Railway Station. She started her career as a pupil teacher at Ellen Street School, and in 1891 she was placed second in order of merit of all the female pupil teachers in Brighton and Hove.

In 1927 Revd P. Cazalet wrote a report about scripture teaching and had this to say: ‘Anyone who knows Miss Yeomanson’s great power as a teacher and her great spiritual influence over her girls will not need to be told that her lessons were models of what such lessons should be.’

Another of her pupils was Edith Purdue who was an assistant at Hove Museum from 1927 to 1962.

Miss Yeomanson retired in 1937.

Second World War

All Hove Schools closed from 4 September 1939 to 8 September 1939 because of the evacuation of children from London and Croydon to Hove to protect them from bombing that was expected to take place soon; Davigdor was used as an evacuation centre. Then the school building had to be shared with the following schools:

Latchmere (Battersea) Senior and Junior Schools

Kennington Road (Croydon) Senior Girls

Some lessons had to be taken in Holland Road Baptist Church. However, the inconvenience did not last long because the authorities came to realize that the south coast was not such a safe haven after all. By 15 July 1940 the school had full use of the building once more.

In March 1941 a few Davigdor girls were evacuated to Birstall but by 1942 there wee still 216 girls on the books.

In May 1940 an air-raid warning drill was held and everyone had reached the shelters in under three minutes.

On 25 September 1940 as the girls were leaving the building at noon, a policeman on point duty sent them to the shelters because of machine-gun fire.

On 29 March 1943 three high-explosive bombs fell near the school in Nizells Avenue, Colbourne Road, and Addison Road.

In June 1943 during the Hove Wings for Victory campaign, the school raised £525 to buy ‘George’ an automatic pilot – the target set was £200. Squadron-Leader McIntyre came to the school to talk about ‘George’.

In April 1944 during the Salute the Soldier campaign, the school raised £682 to kit out fifteen soldiers – the target had been set at £208.

Post War

After the war the 11-plus exam was introduced, and the school became Davigdor Secondary Modern School for Girls. This arrangement lasted until the 1970s. Then during 1977 and the first six months of 1978 the girls were transferred to Knoll School for Girls. However, the Davigdor Infants School remained on site until 1988. Meanwhile, in 1986 squatters moved into the former caretaker’s house. The school buildings were finally demolished in the late 1980s.

copyright © J.Middleton
The building on the left was erected on the old school site, the west end of the Church of St Thomas the Apostle can be seen in the background.

Sources

The Keep – Davigdor Road Schools Log Books

(The early books in this series cover the old school at Farman Street)

ESC 101/1/1 – Boys, December 1862 to January 1878

ESC 101/1/2 – Boys, 1878 to July 1908

ESC 101/1/3 – Boys, 1908 to August 1929

ESC 101/1/4 – Girls, July 1878 to December 1911

ESC 101/1/5 – Girls, 1912 to 1945

ESC 101/1/8 – Infants, May 1893 to October 1955

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Encyclopaedia of Hove and Portslade

Royal Pavilion & Museums, Brighton & Hove

Thanks to D. Sharp for research on the Yeomanson family

Page Design by D. Sharp

03 May 2024

Davigdor Schools, Hove.