Embedded Files
Standard IV B, 1930
Back row, from left: W. Wade, J. Knowles, W. Murnane (or Peter Cryne), John McAuley, Tom Mackey.
1st row from back, from left: Paddy Molloy, Albert Flynn, Brian Salter, James Walsh, Frank Orry.
Seated, from left: Ted Phelan, Tony Dunkerley, Mr L.A. Fitzgerald, Mr Wilfrid Holmes (Headmaster), Mr J.W. Kerr, Brian McGrath, John Donovan (or Tom McKee).
Front row, from left: Eddie Barry, O’Neill, James Gilligan (the donor), Tom Keogh.
This tatty and rather poor-quality photograph is of Form 4B and was taken in the schoolyard outside the headmaster’s office, according to James Gilligan, the donor, who was 15 in the February of 1930. This means, of course, that this group of boys were in their fourth and final year at the school after having started their course of studies in 1926.
The picture is interesting in a number of ways. It shows Mr Holmes, who was aged about 43 at the time, with two of his staff. The class group is rather small, just 18 boys. They are all smartly dressed, all wearing jackets and most sporting ties. Note how some have their shirt collar over their jacket collar, a popular fashion at that time for young men.
Senior class, about 1930
Featuring nineteen boys and three teachers, this photograph dates back to about 1930. The original photograph was very small, measuring just 4 inches by 3 inches, and was badly torn, creased and marked. Pictured on the front row, extreme left, is R. Lund, who was a member of Arrowsmith House and head boy: his son, Robert, donated the photograph. The three teachers, who are seated third, fourth and fifth from the left, are: Mr H. Avery, Mr Wilfrid Holmes (headmaster) and unidentified. Note how the latter two are wearing winged collars. Mr Avery was appointed in 1925, aged 30, and taught mathematics.
Central School Certificate, July 1930
This is a rare example of one of the earliest leaving certificates issued by the City of Manchester Education Committee and awarded to boys on completing their four-year education at St Gregory’s. This particular pupil, James Walsh, had studied a wide range of subjects – English Composition and Précis, Arithmetic, English, History, Geography, Algebra, Chemistry, Craftwork, Art and Machine Drawing. Note the name of the chairman of the Education Committee – Wright Robinson, a future Lord Mayor of Manchester after whom a leading Manchester high school would later be named. Near the top of the document is the city’s coat of arms; near the bottom is the signature of Wilfrid Holmes, the school’s Principal. Note also that the certificate is for pupils of central schools.
Fr John F. McNulty, Bishop of Nottingham
Prior to being elevated to Bishop of Nottingham in 1932, Dean McNulty had been Chairman of St Gregory’s Managers from 1930 following the death of Monsignor Kelly. During this time he was the parish priest of St Anne’s, Ancoats.
School’s out, 1930
This interesting and rare photograph of boys in the playground was taken on 25th July 1930, the occasion being the end of term and commencement of the midsummer holidays. The boys are smartly dressed with many, but not all, wearing ties and caps. All the boys are wearing blazers and some have metal badges on their caps. Note the T-shaped cobbled track leading from the archway, and the parked car. The archway led through to Leonard Terrace. To the right of the archway is the old gym. The surface of the playground remained in a poor state for several years more and must have made the playing of ball games – or any other physical activities for that matter – extremely difficult and even hazardous. In fact, the HMI Report of 1936 would point out that the surface of the playground was in such a bad condition that it “needs to be entirely renewed”.
The photograph was donated in 2006 by Mr Tom Vernon, then aged 90, who studied at the school from 1927-31 and who is one of the three boys pictured near the archway (the one with his back to the camera). In a letter written in 2006, Mr Vernon referred to the playground as the “quad at the back of the school”. One wonders if this was how it was known by the boys and staff at that time.
The holidays, by the way, lasted exactly four weeks, with the boys returning to school on 25th August along with 116 new admissions.
Letter from Tom Vernon, who lived in Wakefield at the time, to the headmaster of St Gregory’s High School, 2006
Dear Sir,
I am a former pupil of your school. I am now 90 years of age. I attended the school from August 1927 to August 1931. Jobs were hard to find then but I did find one at a gents’ outfitters, working from 7.00am to 7.00pm and getting home at 8.00pm. As soon as I was 17 I joined the Army, giving my age as eighteen. I rose in the ranks and became a member of the sergeants’ mess in February 1937. After the war I was invalided out at the end of 1946. I was a WO I RSM* at that time. I then joined the Prison Service and retired in 1972 as a Chief Officer Class 1. I visited the school about May 1939 and met the masters in their [staff] room and one of them was an ex-pupil at the school in my time. I wondered if you had any news of a pal of mine in those days who was captain of Campion House – TOM SCULLY.
I enclose a photo of pupils breaking up for the August holiday in August 1930 in the quad at the back of the school.
Yours sincerely
Tom Vernon
* Denotes Warrant Officer Class 1 Regimental Sergeant Major.
Note how Mr Vernon referred to the teachers as masters.
Reference letter, 1931
Below is a typed copy of part of a letter of reference hand-written by Mr Holmes in 1931 for school-leaver Francis Walsh.
Francis Walsh has been a pupil of this school
for the past four years.
During that time his conduct has been satisfactory
and his general demeanour that of a boy desirous
of making the best use of his opportunities. In the
School Leaving Examination he was successful in
passing in English Composition, Arithmetic, and
Geography and his papers show a fair degree of
proficiency in the other subjects. His attitude to
his superiors shows that he is a youth capable of
understanding the wishes of his future employers
and of carrying out such wishes effectively and
efficiently.
W. Holmes MA, B.COM.
(Headmaster)
Although some detail is missing from this copy – such as the letter heading and exact date – it is, nevertheless, a useful source in that it is a reminder of the fact that Mr Holmes took the time and care to write in his own hand good and positive comments about leavers, helping them in difficult economic times to obtain employment, apprenticeships or training. Owing to the poor state of the original document, it has been necessary to type out the letter.
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