PLYMOUTH |
The Encyclopaedia of Plymouth History |
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St George's Church of England Primary School is situated in Admiralty Street, Stonehouse, Plymouth. The School's origin is believed to have begun in 1811 with the Stonehouse Public School for Poor Children, which was held in a north-west gallery of the parish church, St George's. It is recorded in the Trustee's Minute books that pews were to be removed and replaced with forms for the accommodation of the boys and girls. A little later, around 1822/23, it acquired its own premises in Quarry Street, Stonehouse. It was soon extended around the corner into Market Street. There were then 150 boys and 70 girls in attendance. In 1850 the master was Mr John Glanville, the mistress was a Mrs Budge and the the master in charge of the infants' school was Mr William Hardy. It would appear that a brand new building was erected in Market Street in 1851 to accommodate 281 boys, 190 girls and 190 infants. This follows the granting of the land for 1,000 years by the then Earl of Mount Edgcumbe. The title of St George's National School appears to date from that time. The average attendance shortly after that, in 1857, was 150 boys, 95 girls and 107 infants. The master and mistress in 1889 were Mr Henry J Bailey and Miss Eliza Howe. Apparently, the National School buildings were condemned as long ago as 1911 and were still in use after the Second World War had taken its toll on the local housing. Even then, there were 253 pupils attending in 1953 but the next decade saw the remaining houses pulled down and the pupil numbers were reduced to only 140 by 1963. In 1958 the Council allocated a new site at the end of St Paul's Street but many echoed the thoughts of Councillor W G Greenway, who felt that the site was 'hopeless for children'. On Sunday November 17th 1963 Mr F C Burnell laid the foundation stone laid of the new Primary School in St Paul Street Street, Stonehouse. In driving rain thr stone was blessed by the Bishop of Plymouth, the Right Reverend W G Sanderson. The new building would accommodate 140 children and cost £40,000. It was expected to open in September 1964.
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