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OFFICE/Oldwestbrookians
Hi boys,
Look what's
just pinged into my email account! I've spoken to Mrs Metcalfe and am going to arrange a visit soon. Might be worth putting
something on the website.
From: Winstanley, Robert C.
Date: 23-Oct-2006 11:57
Subject: Mrs Metcalfe
To:
OFFICE/Oldwestbrookians
Hi
Here's a strange thing. I am based in Tokyo but my mother who lives in Canterbury
got a phone call out of the blue yesterday for me from Mrs Metcalfe, wife of Jim Metcalfe who I remember as the ex Royal Navy
geography master during my time. I vaguely remember Mrs Metcalfe too I think.
Not quite sure how Mrs Metcalfe got my name
or my Mum's phone number. Anyway I just called her from Tokyo. She lives in Hythe and says she has a lot of mementoes and
details about Jim Metcalfe. She had seen the article in the local newspaper (which I haven't seen infact) and was a bit upset
that Jim Metcalfe hadn't been mentioned. She explained to me that Jim Metcalfe was with Fozzie from the start of Westbrook
along with Mr. Household and Richard Campbell.
Anyway I explained the great work you and David-Michael are doing collecting
contacts and details about WH and I assured her that if her husband had not been featured in the article it was only that
the tracking down of old Westbrookians and the piecing together of WH history was still in progress. But I said I was sure
everybody would be really pleased to now be in touch with her in order to get the full picture about Jim Metcalfe. She said
she would be very happy to help.
Regards
Robert
OFFICE/Oldwestbrookians
Dear Sir,
I am trying to find information on one of my old masters here in UK. Francis James Metcalf, affectionately known as
'Metty', was our geography teacher at Westbrook House from 1949 to 1977. I've just had some information from the Archivist
at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, where he got a degree later in life, and it mentions that he was a pupil at your school from
1921-1924. Do your records stretch back that far and do you have any information/pictures about him there?
I'm trying
to piece together the history of our school and it would be great to have a link to your school as we have some common history.
Reply:
From the Archivist at Emmanuel College, Cambridge (26.10.2006): "Francis Metcalf from our database.
He was born in Dorset on 24 May 1912, the son of the Rev. Francis William Rucker Metcalf (Emmanuel B.A. 1897), who at the
time of his son's admission to Emmanuel was living at Wye Vicarage, Ashford, Kent. He was educated at Western Province School,
Claremont, South Africa, 1921-24, private tuition 1925-26, and at Eastbourne College from 1926. He came to Emmanuel in October
1932 and read for an ordinary degree, taking the second principal exam in history in 1933 and obtaining a third class, and
a subsidiary subject (unspecified) in the same year. He left the College after the summer term of 1934 and did not graduate".
Best regards,
Office/Oldwestbrookians
Photo taken by Office/Oldwestbrookians
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| Jim Metcalf's grave (Saltwood Church). |
Thank you for the round robin.
You wanted to know more
about some of the staff. As a former member of staff (1973 - 1989)I can add a word or two about some of the names you mentioned.
Metcalfe, F.J., married a Westbrook Matron. Lived in Hythe. For several years (1970s) taught mainly 9 - 10 year olds.
I think he went to Cambridge but never took a degree.
Only met Richard Campbell briefly - I seem to remember he had very
poor sight.
Stokes, R. H. H. He, too, married a matron - she was senior Matron at Westbrook House/DCJS for some years
into the '70s. He was a JP in Hythe and would disappear on Thursday afternoons to go to court. He was als a Freemason. Humphrey
Household I met either once or twice. He felt that he had not been dealt with fairly when the new DCJS lot came over.
Edith
Hughdie became head of the pre- Prep department under Richard Rottenbury - I think she had held a similar position under Fozzy.
She was something of a steadying influence at the bottom of the School. It seemed very much her kingdom with the two other
teachers and a total of about 40 children aged 5 to 7+
Prof. Alfie Mallard was PE master and Fencing coach virtually up
to his death. He certainly had the capacity to encourage very high standards of Fencing.
I know it's not much but I hope
it's helpful.
Charles Whitney
Update:
My enquiries have netted this so far - from
Emmanuel College : Francis Metcalf from our database. He was born in Dorset on 24 May 1912, the son of the Rev. Francis William
Rucker Metcalf (Emmanuel B.A. 1897), who at the time of his son's admission to Emmanuel was living at Wye Vicarage, Ashford,
Kent. He was educated at Western Province School, Claremont, South Africa, 1921-24, private tuition 1925-26, and at Eastbourne
College from 1926. He came to Emmanuel in October 1932 and read for an ordinary degree, taking the second principal exam in
history in 1933 and obtaining a third class, and a subsidiary subject (unspecified) in the same year. He left the College
after the summer term of 1934 and did not graduate. From 1934 to 1936 he was at Bishops Theological College, and from 1937-39
he was an assistant schoolmaster, place unknown. As you already know, he served in the navy during the war, but we have no
details of his service. After the war he returned to teaching in various schools, including your own, but we have no further
names or dates in our records. He retired in 1977.
and Eastbourne College: He was a home boarder (dayboy) and later a
boarder ib Gonville House from Summer 1926 until December 1930. Born 24.5.12. Son of the Rev Francis WR Metcalf, Vicar of
Wye, Ashford, Kent. He was a house prefect, and in the 2 nd XV in 1930. Went up to Emmanuel, Cambridg, in 1932, BA in 1935.
Asst Master at Boundary Oak Prep School, Purbank, Hants 1937-40. In WW2 he served as a Lieut RNVR in the N Atlantic and Mediterranean
1941, N Africa and the Med 1942 and in Air-Sea Rescue in 1943-6.From 1947 he was at Broadlands Prep School, Petersfield, Hants.
We have no later information apart from that in your email, but would welcome any that you care to send us. He might be in
a house group photo in Gonville but it is half term and I could not access it.
In any case there would be a problem in
identifying him.
And so the hunt continues.......
Membership Secretary
Hi Georgina,
Attached are two photographs - Pix
for Herald (courtesy of Bev McClellan at Propert Matters) shows on back row (l-r), Roger De Haan (OW), me, Roddy Baker (Fell
Reynolds, OW) and Peter Mellor (OW). The two in the front I don't know.
Hope these are useable. And, can I see your
copy before it goes to print?
On 12/10/06, newsdesk@wme.co.uk
wrote:
Hi,
I do not seem to
have your phone number !! Would you mind giving me a call back as there are a few things I would lkie to check with you.
I
have wriiten the piece as it has to go in asap - but would love any more info such as what the 'old boys' are doing now. Also
a few more pics? I dont suppose you have any with Roger De Haan as a school boy? Or other boys, with names and dates??
I
would appreciate if you could email these bits over - and I look forward to your call,
Georgina Brisk
OFFICE/Oldwestbrookians
To Angus foster
October/12/2006
Angus,
I've just received the attached (Peterborough Advertiser, 1st Sept 1917) and thought you might like a copy.
It answers a couple of the outstanding questions about Fozzie's brothers and his father. These I am now following up.
Speak
soon,
Membership Secretary
An addition to the family bible!
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| Peterborough Advertiser, 1st Sept 1917 |
October 2006
Hi Boys,
I think I may have got closer
to solving three of the Foster riddles -
1. The Lord Bicester-Foster connection: Lord Bicester was a great racing
fan (see his obituary)
2. Fozzie's father ran a Worsted & Twine manufacturing company in Selby, not a flax mill. I'm
still trying to track down the name and location of same
3. Two Feltonfleet Schools: There was a house called 'Feltonfleet'
as well as a school, but I'm still trying to sort that one
I'm still looking for the Lady Ellenborough connection
and the reason (and date) that Fozzie's father got the OBE. There's a wealth of information to be gleaned from The Times Online.
--
Membership Secretary
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| Lord Bicester was a great racing fan (see his obituary) |
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| Fozzie's father ran a Worsted & Twine manufacturing company in Selby |
Hi troops,
Look what I've just "found" in this
excellent online resource! I'm now looking for the award of the OBE to Fozzie's father.
I'll be in touch,
Membership
Secretary
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| The Times Saturday 1/9/1917 |
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| Fallen Officers. Year1914 |
Below are Files, right click and save to target to view.
WH historyup-date, November 5th 2006.
click here to download file
Update from David Lyne-Gordon.
A folder full of letters. Most interesting read. RIGHT CLICK AND SAVE TO TARGET
Subject: Kenneth Foster
Submitted by Angus Foster
Dear Oldwestbrookians
Further to my email last week
here is the information I got from the family bible when in Scotland:
Robert John Foster born 20 January 1864 at Selby,
Yorkshire. Died January 1935
Ellen Gertrude Gorrill born 9 August 1868 at Lancaster. Died September 1948
Married 20
June 1889 at Trinity Chapel, Southport
Children:
Robert Douglas Foster born 2 May 1890. Killed in action 1915
Daisey Gertrude Foster born 29 September 1892. Died March 1935
John Cecil Foster born 12 August 1894. Killed in action
1917
Arthur Derrick (note spelling) Huthersall Foster born 9 April 1896. Died December 1968
Geoffrey Basil Goring
Foster born 23 September 1898. Died 8 March 1899 (aged 6 months).
Kenneth Noel Goring Foster born 5 August 1903. Died
13 July 1984
Arthur Derrick Huthersall Foster married:
1. Dorothy Ann Pattinson 23 September 1923 at Great Ayton,
Yorkshire.
Dorothy Ann Pattinson born 1902. Died 1932
2.Margaret (Margot) Hilda Leresche 1938 at Folkestone
Margaret
(Margot) Hilda Leresche born 1916. Died 2002.
They were subsequently divorced. I'm not sure when. Margot was married two
more times and latterly lived in Spain, near Malaga, and was living there when she died.
Children of Arthur Derrick
Huthersall Foster
1. By Dorothy Ann Pattinson:
Patricia (Pat or Tish) Foster born 16 August 1924. Died October 1997
at Rochester, USA
Douglas Edwin (Ted) Foster born 22 July 1925 at Guisborough, Yorkshire. Died 23 June 2005 at Tayport,
Fife
Nan ("Tim") Foster born 8 December 1928. (She never married. Trained initially as a nurse at St Thomas's Hospital,
London. Worked in Africa, particularly Sierra Leone and then became an Anglican nun. Now Sister Teresa, Anglican Community
of St Francis and lives in a community in Newcastle-under-Lyne, shortly to move to Birmingham.)
2. By Margaret (Margot)
Hlida Lersesche:
Hugh Leresche Foster born 8 December 1940. Currently lives and works in Sumatra, Indonesia.
I
have not included details of the marriages and children of Patricia Foster, Douglas Edwin (Ted) Foster (my father) or Hugh
Leresche Foster but I can do so if you like.
Ken's Grandfather (Robert John Foster's father) was John Foster of Park
House, Selby, Yorkshire. John Foster was married to Rebecca Dunn whose mother Hannah Dunn (nee Cook) was the granddaughter
of Christopher Cook, the younger brother of Captain James Cook, the famous navigator and discoverer of Australia. I have a
copy of a handwritten (by my father) family tree which shows this line of descent. It was a common story told by both Uncle
Ken and my Grandfather that we were descended from Captain Cook.
There was also a common story that we were descended
from Robert the Bruce ( James and Christopher Cook's parents did move to Yorkshire from Scotland) but I'm not sure how accurate
that one is; most of Scotland claims such descent!
Another story often told by my Grandfather was that his and Ken's
father, Robert John Foster, owned the first motor car in Yorkshire but again that may just have been another Foster story.
Both my Grandfather and Uncle Ken were known to "shoot a bit of a line", as was my own father.
The family in Selby
(John Foster and Robert Douglas Foster, owned a flax mill or mills and I believe were pretty well off. However the business
went bust during or shortly after the First World War with the development and introduction of nylon.
With regard
to your specific questions:
1. I am sorry but I do not know why or when the OBE was awarded. I assume that there is
a register of people awarded the OBE and I will try to find out. I do have the actual medal somewhere in our house in Scotland,
which I will try to hunt down next time we are there.
2. No, I'm sorry but I do not know anything about this link
or, indeed, who these people are.
3. As I mentioned, you would get more accurate information from his son, my half
Uncle, Hugh Foster. It is my own understanding that in the First World War my Grandfather, ADH Foster, was initially an officer
at a very young age in charge of a significant number of men, many significantly older than him, in the trenches on the Western
Front but was wounded and after he returned to England and recovered he was one of the first members of the Royal Flying Corps.
He remained on in what became the RAF as a regular officer and was in the RAF in the Second World War. I am not sure when
he became a Group Captain. At some point he was based at RAF Hawkinge and it was while there that met met and married his
second wife, Margaret (Margot), whose family lived in Folkestone. For some reason, I understood that at some point he was
officer commanding RAF Cranwell, the RAF training school but I do not know if that is accurate. I also know that at least
in the latter part of 1945 he was commanding the RAF base in Karachi as I have copies of a couple of complimentary letters
to him there from the Air Vice Marshal at HQ South East Asia. At some point in his career he was also in Egypt. I also know
that he encouraged my father to leave school (Haileybury) early at the age of 17 and join the RAF and my father was in the
RAF until 1947.
4. I am sorry but I have never heard of either Athelstan or Feltonfleet schools. I do know that after
my father's mother (Dorothy Pattinson) died (aged only 30), when he was only 7 years old, he and his 2 sisters were sent to
live with their paternal Grandparents (Robert John Foster and Daisey Gertrude (known as Gertie)) who lived either in or near
Eastbourne. My father was sent as a boarder to a prep school called Hill Brow which I believe was in Bexhill on Sea and it
was always my understanding that Uncle Ken was teaching there and that was the reason my father was sent there. I can't find
any reference to that school on the internet and I expect it has long since closed down. When my father was 7 Ken would have
been 29. I assume he was teaching there because it was near his parents.
5. I do not know what it means that Ken was
"called up" in 1921 (he would only have just left school). Where did that information come from?
6. I know very little
about what Ken was doing between leaving school and starting Westbrook nor do I know what he did during the Second World War.
I do know that he was a volunteer policeman during the General Strike of 1926, though I do not know where. We used to have
his old wooden truncheon but somehow it got lost in our various moves. I always understood that he was a good sportsman and
he had been a scratch golfer at one point. I would certainly be interested to know more if you have or obtain any more information.
I also always understood that he had one serious romance, perhaps was even engaged, but that as a result of it breaking off
he never married.
Thank you for the 2 school photos, which were very interesting. I think you must be right that Ken
is the smiling boy in the archway as it does look a bit like him. My wife is not so convinced but I think it must be him.
As far as the photo from 1908 is concerned I am a bit more confused as to which one is RD Foster as there are 2 boys with
striped ties in the photo neither of whom look much like a Foster to me. I wonder if the school has it right. They should
presumably also have photos of Ken's other 2 brothers (my Grandfather ADH Foster and JC Foster) as well.
I hope this
information is of interest. I am sorry that as a family we have been so relatively poor in documenting things. My mother was
always very annoyed that apparently Ken sold or gave a way a number of old family paintings, furniture etc at or around the
time he set up Westbrook (he probably needed the money!).
I will look forward to hearing from you and if I come across
anything else that may be of interest I will let you know.
Incidentally what were your own dates at Wesbrook? I do
know of the whereabouts of two of my own contemporaries, although have not been in contact with them for a while and do not
have email addresses for them.
Kind regards
Angus Foster
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