UCL BLOOMSBURY PROJECT

History

It opened in 1877 as one of the new schools established under the London School Board

Information from the surviving Admission Register for its female pupils in 1898–1904 shows that the pupils in this period came from the immediate local area to the west and north-west of the school, including many from Red Lion Street, Lamb’s Conduit Street, Eagle Street, Ormond Yard [Mews], and New North Street (Admission Register, 1898–1904, LCC/EO/DIV3/PRI/LB, London Metropolitan Archives)

Few lived outside the area bounded by Kingsgate Street and Gloucester Street to the west, Ormond Yard [Mews], Long Yard, and Henry Street to the north, Gray’s Inn Road to the east, and High Holborn to the south (Admission Register, 1898–1904, LCC/EO/DIV3/PRI/LB, London Metropolitan Archives)

Exceptions include one each from Derry Street and Prospect Terrace (both north of Mecklenburgh Square) and Woburn Mews (north of Russell Square), as well as one from Drury Lane, more than half a mile to the south-west, and a few from streets on the far side of Gray’s Inn Road and High Holborn (Admission Register, 1898–1904, LCC/EO/DIV3/PRI/LB, London Metropolitan Archives)

In terms of parishes, this means the pupils came mainly from St George the Martyr, Trinity (Gray’s Inn Road), and St John Holborn, with some from St Alban’s and St Andrew Holborn (Admission Register, 1898–1904, LCC/EO/DIV3/PRI/LB, London Metropolitan Archives)

Pupils of the time included the following:

Elizabeth, daughter of Ephraim Jones, of 6a Cockpit Yard, born 7 September 1888 and admitted 16 January 1899 (Admission Register, 1898–1904, LCC/EO/DIV3/PRI/LB, London Metropolitan Archives)

Nellie, daughter of John Morris, of 18 Chapel Street, previously attended Lincoln’s Inn school, born 26 July 1890 and admitted 20 February 1899 (Admission Register, 1898–1904, LCC/EO/DIV3/PRI/LB, London Metropolitan Archives)

Sophia, daughter of Frederick Hanmer, of the Fire Station on Theobald’s Road, born 28 January 1890 and admitted 17 July 1899; previously at Trinity Street school; also her elder sister Emily, born 20 August 1886 and admitted 28 August 1899, having also been previously at Trinity Street school (this was presumably the one south of the Thames in Southwark) (Admission Register, 1898–1904, LCC/EO/DIV3/PRI/LB, London Metropolitan Archives)

Charlotte, daughter of Charles Gale, of 45 Red Lion Street, born 26 April 1894 and admitted 24 February 1902, having previously been in the workhouse; alas, she left the school on 18 April 1902 to go back to the workhouse (Admission Register, 1898–1904, LCC/EO/DIV3/PRI/LB, London Metropolitan Archives)

The School closed in 1955; in the late twentieth century the building was converted into flats known as The Old School (WC1R 4AY)