Warren Family: Primary School Teachers Photos courtesy Mike Warren April 2017
Mike, Donald, Peter, Gladys and Edward Warren in 1951
We often forget that children's education has only been universally available in Box since 1875, in other words for the last
150 years. For much of that time the Warren family have been involved in teaching in local primary schools.
This is the story of the family in Box.
150 years. For much of that time the Warren family have been involved in teaching in local primary schools.
This is the story of the family in Box.
Early Warren Family
The Warren side of our family were farmers in Dorset going back generations. John George Warren, born in 1854 at Monkton Wyld, Dorset, married Sarah Ann Spearing in 1883. They had ten children, seven of whom were born before John George became Farm Bailiff at Clock House Farm, Berwick St James, in 1893. In 1894 Sarah Ann Warren died and was buried at Berwick St James. Mr S Furness took over as land owner in 1898 and John continued there as his Farm Bailiff. He married again in 1902 to Jayne Mayne Knott and they had four more children but she died in 1912, also buried at Berwick. John George Warren became answerable to Cecil Chubb, after Sir Cecil's wife Mary bought Berwick in 1915. John George obviously did a good job as the family has a gold watch engraved, To JG Warren from Sir Cecil HE Chubb Bart in appreciation of his valuable assistance 1916-1919. I have been unable to find out what the assistance was; it cannot be for three years as farm bailiff. Was it something to do with Stonehenge being bought and given to the nation?
Ernest Warren, John George's oldest son, was born in 1888. In 1921 he married Flora Jane Marsh from Shrewton. Ernest took over as Farm Bailiff to Mr EK Collins in 1923, living in Clock House until 1944 when Mr Collins died. He had a son, Donald Ernest Warren, born in 1923 and a daughter, Audrey Ruth Warren, born 1923, both at Clock House. Audrey, some years ago, recounted the story about the naming of Clock House which was originally thatched with no dormer windows. It dates back to the days when animals were driven to market in Salisbury on foot, and consequently flocks were apt to get mixed up when they met up. So it was said that the shepherd from Berwick found himself with two extra sheep when they came to be sold. Mr Furness decided that the money obtained should be spent on something to benefit the whole village and a clock was bought and set up in the wall of the bailiff's house for everyone to see.
Audrey Warren remembered as a child that the bus drivers on the Bath to Salisbury run would look up at the clock and if they were ahead of time, which was not very often, would stop the bus a while. Audrey's father, Ernest Warren used to go up into the attic every Sunday morning to wind up the clock and pride himself that it was correct to the minute according to Big Ben on the wireless. The Warren family occupied the Clock House from 1883 until moving out to Brixton Deverill at Michaelmas 1944 on the death of Mr EK Collins.
The Warren side of our family were farmers in Dorset going back generations. John George Warren, born in 1854 at Monkton Wyld, Dorset, married Sarah Ann Spearing in 1883. They had ten children, seven of whom were born before John George became Farm Bailiff at Clock House Farm, Berwick St James, in 1893. In 1894 Sarah Ann Warren died and was buried at Berwick St James. Mr S Furness took over as land owner in 1898 and John continued there as his Farm Bailiff. He married again in 1902 to Jayne Mayne Knott and they had four more children but she died in 1912, also buried at Berwick. John George Warren became answerable to Cecil Chubb, after Sir Cecil's wife Mary bought Berwick in 1915. John George obviously did a good job as the family has a gold watch engraved, To JG Warren from Sir Cecil HE Chubb Bart in appreciation of his valuable assistance 1916-1919. I have been unable to find out what the assistance was; it cannot be for three years as farm bailiff. Was it something to do with Stonehenge being bought and given to the nation?
Ernest Warren, John George's oldest son, was born in 1888. In 1921 he married Flora Jane Marsh from Shrewton. Ernest took over as Farm Bailiff to Mr EK Collins in 1923, living in Clock House until 1944 when Mr Collins died. He had a son, Donald Ernest Warren, born in 1923 and a daughter, Audrey Ruth Warren, born 1923, both at Clock House. Audrey, some years ago, recounted the story about the naming of Clock House which was originally thatched with no dormer windows. It dates back to the days when animals were driven to market in Salisbury on foot, and consequently flocks were apt to get mixed up when they met up. So it was said that the shepherd from Berwick found himself with two extra sheep when they came to be sold. Mr Furness decided that the money obtained should be spent on something to benefit the whole village and a clock was bought and set up in the wall of the bailiff's house for everyone to see.
Audrey Warren remembered as a child that the bus drivers on the Bath to Salisbury run would look up at the clock and if they were ahead of time, which was not very often, would stop the bus a while. Audrey's father, Ernest Warren used to go up into the attic every Sunday morning to wind up the clock and pride himself that it was correct to the minute according to Big Ben on the wireless. The Warren family occupied the Clock House from 1883 until moving out to Brixton Deverill at Michaelmas 1944 on the death of Mr EK Collins.
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My Parents
My father, Donald Ernest Warren, married a school teacher, Gladys Ethel Miller, in 1942 and they came to Box when my father was a pilot in the Royal Air Force stationed at Lyneham in the Second World War. This wasn't the first connection between the Warren family and school teachers because in 1910 my maternal grandfather was sent to Australia to get him away from a relationship with a lady teacher at Three Legged Cross, Wimborne, Dorset. He served in the Australian Expeditionary Forces during the First World War, was discharged with shell-shock, returning to the UK to marry his sweetheart in 1920. She was the headteacher at the school from 1909 until her death in 1940. My parents lived in the prefabs at Box Highlands, firstly at 54 Aldhelm Crescent, then we swapped houses with Rodney Hodgman's family at 67 Aldhelm Crescent.[1] Although the houses were demolished, some tarmac still remained there for many years in a crescent shape, which we sometimes visited out of nostalgia for the area, which was a thriving and densely-populated area during the war years. It had some important visitors too because opposite our house was the sports field where Prince Phillip, the Duke of Edinburgh, played hockey when he was stationed at HMS Royal Arthur. |
My dad, Donald Ernest Warren
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My father stayed on in the airforce during the Berlin airlift of 1948-49 when Allied western Berlin was entirely surrounded by Soviet-controlled eastern Germany who blocked supplies by road. Western Germany was in danger of falling under Communist control. He flew over 100 flights into Berlin, delivering supplies, mostly coal. My father continued in the airforce working out of Lyneham on trips to Egypt and India until the mid-1950s.
Glenavon
My parents wanted to buy a house in the local area. They went to an auction in Box, my dad in his uniform, in about 1954 to bid for Glenavon, the house on the London Road. To their surprise, they ended up as the highest bidder and owners of the house. Immediately after the auction they were offered more money to sell it to someone else but they declined.
Glenavon
My parents wanted to buy a house in the local area. They went to an auction in Box, my dad in his uniform, in about 1954 to bid for Glenavon, the house on the London Road. To their surprise, they ended up as the highest bidder and owners of the house. Immediately after the auction they were offered more money to sell it to someone else but they declined.
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I believe that Glenavon and Lorne House were built by a branch of the quarry owners, the Pictor family, whose more-affluent relatives built Fogleigh House. The house has changed a lot.
Originally Glenavon and Lorne House were much smaller, just two-up and two-down, only the fronts of the present properties. In 1880 Lorne House was extended at the back, then Glenavon in 1900, but they weren't tied together after a disagreement between the then owners. Left: Mike with Andrew Hayter in about 1960 in the back garden of Glenavon with Lorne House seen behind. There was a tall, very prominent tree in our front garden, which my father cut down when he decided to make a drive at the side of the house. |
The postcard below shows the tree but it says the view is of Wharf Road. In my time it was referred to as Bath Road but now it is London Road. You can clearly see that it is the road now called London Road with Lorne House on the right followed by Glenavon. My father decided that he wanted a swimming pool in the garden and we excavated it. We seldom used it because the pool was so deep and short that the water in it was always freezing and we later filled it in.
Postcard courtesy Box Parish Council
After my dad left the airforce, he struggled to get employment. He worked for Betterware for a short while and we had scores of tiny, sample tins of furniture polish in the house. He then worked for Hoover for many years as a sales / service engineer, going around the local area repairing cleaners and washing machines. The first washing machines were twin-tubs (one compartment to wash before the owner transferred the wet clothing into the spin dry compartment). He would use his Ford Zephyr car to take the machine round to people who could only afford to rent it for the day. Mum used the heating compartment of our machine to cook the Christmas pudding every year.
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My parents loved their holidays but in the years after the war we could only afford to go to Weston-super-Mare.
Dad never really settled in the UK, having trained in Canada and seen much of the world in the airforce. He always had a wander-lust. In the years after 1956 we used to fly abroad for holidays from Lydd to Le Touquet and put our car on a Bristol 177 plane. That's why my parents went to Australia in 1972, in their fifties, looking for more adventures. Right: Mike, Edward and Peter at Weston in 1949 |
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They decided to drive there in a long-wheel base Landrover but they couldn't get visas through Yugoslavia and shipped it out to Australia instead. At that point, my wife and I decided to buy Glenavon and keep it in the family.
Back Row: Peter, Edward and Mike. Front: Donald and Gladys celebrating Peter's 18th birthday
However, we still saw my parents frequently, visiting them fifteen times in Australia and we did a year's exchange to teach in Perth in 1985, where we enjoyed the school hours with lessons finishing at 2pm when we were able to spend all afternoon on the beach.
Box School
My mother trained as a teacher in the Cathedral Close, Salisbury, and at one time she worked as a supply teacher at Box Highlands School. Afterwards she got a full-time job in the village in 1960, teaching in the Upper Primary class at Box School for many years. Mum worked at the school for several years at the same time as Margaret Greenman, whose husband George, was our cricket umpire. Mum taught lots of Box residents including Andy Kerr, Graham Cogswell, Graham Guy and Andy Heyter, so some of her efforts live on through them. She then became deputy head at St Paul's School, Chippenham, and in 1972 she emigrated to South Australia where she taught until retirement. She then gave voluntary help in the school with children needing extra help until she was 85.
My mother trained as a teacher in the Cathedral Close, Salisbury, and at one time she worked as a supply teacher at Box Highlands School. Afterwards she got a full-time job in the village in 1960, teaching in the Upper Primary class at Box School for many years. Mum worked at the school for several years at the same time as Margaret Greenman, whose husband George, was our cricket umpire. Mum taught lots of Box residents including Andy Kerr, Graham Cogswell, Graham Guy and Andy Heyter, so some of her efforts live on through them. She then became deputy head at St Paul's School, Chippenham, and in 1972 she emigrated to South Australia where she taught until retirement. She then gave voluntary help in the school with children needing extra help until she was 85.
Photograph Above: Box School in 1954. Back Row Left to Right: Unknown, Christine Bean, Keith Fields, unknown, Peter Browning, unknown, unknown, unknown, unknown, Michael Warren.
Middle Row: left David Nicholas, unknown; unknown; unknown; Helen Cogswell, teacher; rest of row unknown. Front Row all unknown. At first we thought the teacher might be Mrs CM Fuller but others have suggested Mrs Bulkowski. Can you provide more names please?
The headmaster in those years was Mr Adams who had been appointed at a most difficult time in June 1945 when the children had been hardened by the effects of six years of war. He and Mrs Adams, who also taught at the school, lived at the White Cottage, Devizes Road, just before the War Memorial. I used to play chess with their son Marcus. Until then the headmaster had lived in School House, and Matt Robson, a later head teacher, also lived next to the school.
In those days it was common for children to be disciplined with a stroke of the cane on their hand. I was left handed and encouraged to use my other hand. One time I was hit with the narrow end of a metal ruler leaving a dent on my hand for many years. Methods of teaching were very different then. Children who did badly in lessons had to wear a sign Dunce and walk home with it on. Standing facing the corner was a commonplace punishment then. In retrospect it seems a peculiar way of encouraging learning. How things have changed for the better since then. I also remember being in the top class and doing pages and pages of money sums, adding up and subtracting pounds, shillings and pence with farthings, half a crowns and sixpences. One of the eleven plus questions was to write a story about The Black Cat. My mum had made me wear a badge with a little black cat for luck, so I wrote about that.
Childhood Accidents
I went to Box School from 1950 until 1955 when I passed the eleven plus and then travelled to the City of Bath School. After school we would play in Ley Woods making spears and sharpening arrows. I don't know how we didn't injure each other.
In those days it was common for children to be disciplined with a stroke of the cane on their hand. I was left handed and encouraged to use my other hand. One time I was hit with the narrow end of a metal ruler leaving a dent on my hand for many years. Methods of teaching were very different then. Children who did badly in lessons had to wear a sign Dunce and walk home with it on. Standing facing the corner was a commonplace punishment then. In retrospect it seems a peculiar way of encouraging learning. How things have changed for the better since then. I also remember being in the top class and doing pages and pages of money sums, adding up and subtracting pounds, shillings and pence with farthings, half a crowns and sixpences. One of the eleven plus questions was to write a story about The Black Cat. My mum had made me wear a badge with a little black cat for luck, so I wrote about that.
Childhood Accidents
I went to Box School from 1950 until 1955 when I passed the eleven plus and then travelled to the City of Bath School. After school we would play in Ley Woods making spears and sharpening arrows. I don't know how we didn't injure each other.
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Some of my contemporaries there were Jeremy Wring,
Dave Boulton and John Mortimer. Slightly older than us were Bob Hancock and Mick Betteridge. It was the three of us that had a famous accident with a canoe in Box Brook. The scouts had spent two years building it from canvas and plywood out of a kit. It had never been trialled before so Bob, Mick and I took it out to the lower field before the Dirty Arch behind the Northey which had flooded and become a lake. The water was funnelled swiftly through the arch, which had a gate at the end and a log holding it in place at water level. We smashed into the log, the canoe was splintered in pieces, we lost our clothes and shoes in the torrent and had to walk back to Box. Left: Scout canoe being launched (courtesy Richard Pinker) |
When the scouts went to Le Bequet, Guernsey, the boat sailed without any of our kit, no way was the ship coming back for our stuff. We slept on mattresses in a building run by the Scout Association and waited for our kit to come but the incident absolutely made our holiday. On that trip I went out rowing in Petit Bot Bay with Bob Hancock who had bought some cigars. I had smoked wiff wine before in Ley Woods but the cigar made me violently sick.
Later Years
When I left Box School I had a free pass to go to City of Bath School by bus or by rail from Mill Lane Halt. On the bus with me were Dave Johns, Dave Lambert, Pete Browning and Clive Banks who was a bit older. We had to climb 140 steps up Jacob's Ladder and three of us raced each other every day. After a couple of years we were all running cross-country for the school because we were so fit. Roger Bannister, who broke the four-minute mile, went to City of Bath Boys' School.
I often visited Bence's shop in the Market Place, where Leslie Bence let me grind up coffee or slice the ham. I would go to Lorne House, the home of Leslie and Violet Bence next door to Glenavon, whilst waiting for mum to come back from work. This was great for me as they had a television set in the 1950s and we didn't.
Later Years
When I left Box School I had a free pass to go to City of Bath School by bus or by rail from Mill Lane Halt. On the bus with me were Dave Johns, Dave Lambert, Pete Browning and Clive Banks who was a bit older. We had to climb 140 steps up Jacob's Ladder and three of us raced each other every day. After a couple of years we were all running cross-country for the school because we were so fit. Roger Bannister, who broke the four-minute mile, went to City of Bath Boys' School.
I often visited Bence's shop in the Market Place, where Leslie Bence let me grind up coffee or slice the ham. I would go to Lorne House, the home of Leslie and Violet Bence next door to Glenavon, whilst waiting for mum to come back from work. This was great for me as they had a television set in the 1950s and we didn't.
The Old Box Surgery in 1989 (courtesy Patty Baldwin)
I remember the doctors' surgery being built in Box by John Harris. When my dad excavated our swimming pool at Glenavon we used the soil to level the site of the surgery between Mount Vernal and Lorne House, which originally sloped away on the railway bank. I believe that many old cars were buried there. When the surgery wanted to put a second storey on the building they were refused because the site was all land-fill. Before then Dr Strode lived opposite at 1 Kingston Villas, London Road.
In my adult life I worked in primary schools throughout Wiltshire ending up working as head at Neston Primary School in 1982 and for the next seventeen years. I was issued with a school cane but never used it, although I smacked a few with my hand, now also not acceptable.
I met Joan when we were sixteen at Jambinos, part of the Bath Festival. They had a jazz week and there were loads of hay carts around the Abbey Square. Joan worked as secretary at Box School for three years whilst our children were young.
In my adult life I worked in primary schools throughout Wiltshire ending up working as head at Neston Primary School in 1982 and for the next seventeen years. I was issued with a school cane but never used it, although I smacked a few with my hand, now also not acceptable.
I met Joan when we were sixteen at Jambinos, part of the Bath Festival. They had a jazz week and there were loads of hay carts around the Abbey Square. Joan worked as secretary at Box School for three years whilst our children were young.
The practice of caning was claimed to enforce discipline on errant offenders and to protect the rights of other children in the class. Often applied at a time considerably after the offence and without parental consent, it was considered by many parents to be unacceptable when they themselves did not punish their children by force. It was held by the courts of law to be a "degrading punishment" and abolished in UK state schools in 1986. Anyone who has had the pleasure of seeing the exemplary behaviour of current Box schoolchildren would agree that good teaching doesn't need corporal punishment.
Reference
[1] Mr Hodgman's father ran the St John's Ambulance in the Methodist Hall for many years.
[1] Mr Hodgman's father ran the St John's Ambulance in the Methodist Hall for many years.