Young Offenders At Marlow

This post is to give an idea on how children who committed crimes (in the eyes of their elders) were treated in Victorian Marlow. Some of our juvenile offenders have already received a post of their own. This is a more or less random selection of a few others that we came across during our research. 

The first thing that is obvious is the child's family would have a bearing on the sentence the young one recieved. If the miscreant was considered to come from an otherwise respectable family, this fact is carefully noted in reports and considered a mitigating factor come sentencing time. But if the child's parents were considered lacking in such respectability, the child was feared to be more likely to commit another misdeed and was without doubt treated more harshly.  It's unlikely a middle class child committing a theft would get sent to a  reformatory for example. So the child's appearance in court and that of their parents mattered. 

Thomas Plumridge

Going in date order, our first case is from 1843 and it involves Thomas Plumridge who is described at "about 11". He was caught stealing a piece of pork from grocer Joseph Eagle* of Spittal Street. There are two possible candidates for this young man - one the son of William and Ann of Gun Lane, the other from Handy Cross. The tearful lad presented a truly penitent appearance in their eyes.  He was able to present witnesses as to his "excellent character" which along with a guilty plea helped him escape with just 3 days in prison. He had been put up to the theft by other unnamed boys he said. Sometimes a explanation like this worked in a child's favour, in other cases it had the opposite effect and bought down warnings against a moral failing and inability to resist sin. Thomas does not seem to have erred again regardless! 

Emily Grace

Moving to 1860, we come to a contrasting case, that of twelve year old Emily Grace**. Emily was up in court for theft. She had gone into the Washbourne's Seminary for Young Ladies (a small private day and boarding school) and removed several items belonging to the young pupils from the place where the girls hung their clothes. These were later detailed as a hat and coat valued at 4 shillings and a hat and cape valued at the same. At the same time she was accused of stealing an umbrella from the parish church. Umbrellas were relatively more valuable as well as easy to abstract so were not infrequent subjects of thefts at the time. Emily was seen at the Washbourne's when the clothes were missed and a search at her home revealed the missing items hidden away. It may well be they intended to pawn them. Young Emily confessed and plead guilty at trial. Unfortunately for her, she was not regarded as coming from a strictly respectable home. The wider Grace family were frequently before the bench. PC Nash considered her a victim of bad parenting and suggested it would be "beneficial to remove her from the scene of her vice for a time."  The newspaper reports were also quick to accuse her elders as providing "very indifferent training" to Emily. A household that was considered likely to encourage their offspring into a life of crime, or at least one that did not prove capable of controlling an errant child was just the sort the authorities feared. And so Emily was considered the ideal candidate to be sent to  reformatory. This was a sort of prison come school where the children were taught "honest industry" in the hope they would gain legitimate employment on release. She was put into prison for 2 weeks first, which was at the time a requirement, and then was handed over to a representative of Hampstead Reformatory for Girls where she was sentenced to spend the next 3 years. (The minimum term was 2 years.) These institutions varied hugely in quality, but Hampstead was thought to be one of the better ones at the time. Let us hope it was. The father of Emily, Richard Grace, was summoned a few months later for failing to make the compulsory maintenance payments towards his daughters upkeep at the Institution. The newspapers headed that reported again that Emily was a victim of "bad bringing up". The court considered that Richard was earning good money and could easily afford to pay for Emily but "cared little" about doing so. 

There was no possibility of remaining annoymous if you were child criminal. Public shame was no doubt meant to act as a deterrent. But it must have made it difficult for the girls trained in their "honest industry" to get jobs thereafter, at least in their home area. Emily was 15 on her release. Obviously many young unmarried women were servants and this might well have been the job Emily was always destined for. But now she had a public bad character it was going to be difficult for her to access  this big source of employment. In the end she went to work as a servant for Elizabeth Keene, who is supposed to have taken her on out of charity. But less than a month into the job, Elizabeth missed a pair of boots which were found in Emily's possession. Emily confessed to taking them and this time she was sentenced to serve 9 months in Aylesbury gaol with hard labour. She was 16. On release Emily returned to live with her parents. She would go on to have two illegitimate children, before marrying James Smith in 1879.  (She was unable to prove paternity for the second child born 1871 so no money was forthcoming from the alleged father, John Howard. At the hearing where that was settled there was said to be raucous scenes with much swearing from both sides!!) The couple moved to Essex, the birthplace of James.

George Robinson

Next "criminal" is 12 year old George Robinson. He was guilty of doing what seems at first to be simply behaving as a child - running through a Marlow Bottom field with some other boys while playing a game. However corn was growing there and crop damage was taken seriously at a time when many farmers were operating on a small margin. The other lads got away, but George was recognised and somewhat unfairly was made to pay costs amounting to the whole estimated value of the corn damaged by all the group - 10s. His mother Emma said George was a good boy and she appealed for mercy as he "had no father". In this case it meant she was a widower. She explained that George worked to help support his household, along with brother William age 14. Both were working as furriers then but George was previously a shoemaker. Emma was a needlewoman. The court said they would be as lenient as possible and so George recieved a 6d fine plus costs and the compensation mentioned above. If his mother had not been able to pay, George would have been required to spend two weeks in jail. 

 Owen Hatch 

Lastly we have a case from the end of the era. Owen Hatch age 7 had set alight two pig styes and a shed at Cookham Dean. All were completely destroyed. It would cost elderly  owner Henry Clark at least £5 to replace them. As he had "respectable parents" and was normally well behaved, he was let off with a telling off.  It seems that Owen had been playing with matches and acting only out of misplaced curiousity. The petty sessions established that Owen's family could not afford to compensate Henry Clark for his heavy loss as the father was not in regular employment at the time. Therefore it was decided to set up a subscription fund so well wishers could make good his loss. I believe the amount was comfortably raised. 

Related Posts:

*You can read about Joseph Eagles grocer shop here

 **More about the Grace family (caution, some distressing content) here

The Washbourne's school here

Crime and punishment in old Marlow: here

Pictures of the old police station and police court and it's history : here

Case of Mary Ann Burt, child thief  here 

To find all mentions of an individual or family here, use the A-Z person index in the top drop down menu. There's over 4,000 people listed there. 

Cookham Dean and other areas near Great Marlow - post list here

Written by Kathryn Day. 

Sources: Washbourne family research by Charlotte. 

Judicial record summary by Jane Pullinger 1975. 

Census 1841,51,61 - transcript from microfilm  by Jane Pullinger. 

Reports From The Commissionees Vol 38, Great Britain House of Commons. 1866.

Wilkinson, Robert  - The Reformatory and Industrial Schools Acts 1866 with notes etc  (Knight and Company 1867)

The Reformatory and Refuge Journal 1860.  (Reformatory and Refuge Union,1861)

Slough, Eton and Windsor Observer 28 September 1889. Slough Library. 

© MarlowAncestors.

Old West Street Shops And Schools- not Borlase!

Researched and written by Charlotte Day.

 The building on the left with the blue door was the site of Ann Washbourn(e)'s school for girls, giving both general education and specialist embroidery lessons from circa 1853. Ann was a real expert having been one of only two Marlow people in any profession to exhibit at the 1851 Great Exhibition. She showed children clothes which she had embroidered. In the school she was assisted by her sister Elizabeth. For a short time previously to this Elizabeth had been helping another sister of hers, Mary, to run a day school in the same premises. 

You can find out about other historic Marlow schools including other West Street ones in my special schools post here.

In 1860 a 12 year old girl, perhaps herself a pupil, stole capes and hats from the pupils in the school.

As well as for a school the premises were used by Ann Washbourn(e) as a Christian Knowledge book repository and reading room.

Ann died in 1879, Elizabeth in 1889. Their sister Margaret had a relationship with and later married John Morris of the Morris drapers family of Marlow. A post showing the location of their premises and giving information about them and Margaret is available here.

After the death of Elizabeth Washbourn the premises were run briefly as a school for girls by Mary Pinson.

Occupying the other half of that building as it appears today was a butcher's shop which later expanded to fill the whole. 

The brick building operating as Mandarin Stone at the time of this picture (November 2020), was the site of John Sadler's butcher's shop in the 1830s and 1840s before it became a stationery shop ran by young widow Caroline Anthony from circa 1851 until her death following a lingering illness aged just 38 in 1862. This property was owned by the Hammond family. From 1852 she too was running a school for girls. She also sold books and decorative wallpaper.

The premises were put up for sale in 1859, with the fact that it had an "occasional room" fitted up as a school one of the property's selling points  - along with a view over Quoiting Square. The rent was then £18 a year. The sale didn't effect Caroline's occupancy of the premises and she continued there until her death.

After that the contents of her house and business were sold including a pianoforte, mahogany and rosewood furniture and her school desks.*

Noah Bartlett had a grocery shop there by the late 1870s until after 1904 when two little boys stole a can of corned beef from out of his shop*. Noah was a member of the nearby Congregational church and supervisor of their Sunday School. His wife Ellen (née Coster) died in 1876 a little over a year into their marriage. However he seems to have remarried and had a family. Ellen is buried and has a visible gravestone in the graveyard of the church in Quoiting Square. See here for more posts related to the people of this church. Ellen was the sister of future Marlow High Street grocer Edmund Coster who almost certainly worked as an assistant to Noah as a young man.

Later in Edwardian times Noah's premises became a cycle shop, one of at least two in West Street at the time. 

The white building further right was a shoe and boot makers and will also have it's own post in future.

©Image and text Marlow Ancestors. You are very welcome to reuse either if you wish provided you credit this blog.

I identify occupancy by cross referencing property papers and surveys, wills, censuses (though properties are sadly not usually visited in them in strict order), photographs, adverts, letters, court cases and anything else I can.

*Report of sale South Bucks Free Press over several issues August 1862. Copy held at the British Library. Accessed by me via the BNA November 2020.

*South Bucks Standard 30th September 1904. Accessed as above.

Also consulted: GRO death Index online, Great Marlow Parish registers my old transcription from the originals, 1851 Great Exhibition Catalogue.

Image provided by Kathryn. 

EIGHTY SEVEN Marlow Schools And Their Staff *updated Feb 2026*

Some of those listed will be the subject of their own biographical blog posts in the future.

Most early schools were conducted in the home of the owner-teacher with a room set aside as a school room but the very smallest establishments might not have even that and educated children in the dining room or parlour. Boarding pupils do not on the whole seem to have come from very far away to go to Marlow Schools.

Schools and Educational Establishments to 1945:

Any dates given after school names are earliest and latest dates of known operation but are guidelines only as I don't necessarily have a source of information for every single year. THIS LIST IS NOT YET COMPLETE ONLINE.  I have not included Sunday Schools.

For a post on the adult scholars of Regency Marlow and the very first Institution (teaching adults to read) see the post here

Albion House School - see Mrs Tylecotes. 

Ann Washbourn's School. West Street overlooking Quoiting Square Assisted by sister Elizabeth who had previously been the one running the school in the same premises with the help of another sister Mary. It seems a switch to specializing in skilled embroidery lessons alongside other subjects that pushed Ann rather than Elizabeth to the fore in the school. A few boys accepted but largely day school for girls. Later the site of Mary Pinson's school. See post published here a few weeks ago for a photo of the premises of Ann's school and more about her and it. 

Ann Winter's School. Ladies "seminary" boarding and day school. West Street 1855 -1864.  Offered a "polite education". Then Sycamore House, West Street from 1865 when it restyled itself as a school for young ladies and prep school for boys under 9. Ann's husband William taught the boys. See Misses Winters school

Beech House School, Station Rd AKA Miss Sherrington's school.1888-94. For girls with large garden, tennis courts and croquet lawn. The relocated and renamed Downshire House School, see below. In 1894 Miss Sherrington bought a larger school on the Isle Of Wight and removed herself and several of her teachers. Miss or Mrs Burnham took over the Marlow premises, moving the school back to it's original Chapel Street location, then known as Gazeley and renamed it Darlinghurst School see below. She remained until 1895 only when Miss M Aisbett became principal.

Bluecoat School. This or The Free School was the name used for most of history for the school we know now as Sir William Borlase Grammar School. Founded 1624 as a charitable school for boys by Sir William in honour of his dead son. Later boys could also pay to enter. Only the charity boys wore the distinctive blue coat uniform. Faced closure due to severe financial difficulties in the early 1880s but managed to overcome them and is now a co educational state school using in part the original 1600s buildings. West Street Marlow. Thomas Heather headmaster 1780, taking over from his dead uncle William. Rev Gore takes over 1793, Thomas Heather dying two years later. Mr Francis sacked as master 1835.  George Gale master on the 1841 census. Mary Gale, presumably his wife, living with him is described as a governess. Also see under National Schools for him. To read about the life at the school for boys in the 1830s-1850s see the post here

Borlase - see Bluecoat School

Bovingdon Green School- a little school not thought by Victorians to perform particularly well, largely because of the difficulty of not having enough pupils to warrant age based separation. But a favourite of the Higginson family who treated the pupils to outings and fun so probably the place to attend! No longer operational. Sir William Clayton gave land for the building of the school in 1866. 

British School and British Girls School. 1853+. Marlow is long believed not to have had a so called British school (one set up under auspices of  British and Foreign Bible society to embrace non Church of England denominations) However news reports from 1853 describe a meeting organised by the Salem chapel to discuss setting up just such an establishment. More importantly fundraising had been ongoing for some time and so the school was due to open for boys the following month (March) in temporary premises, with girls to follow. Funds were being raised to erect a permanent building. The boys school did indeed open then, and the girls British school opened 1854. Both closed c1859 but this is subject to ongoing research. It is possible or indeed probable that the "National Boys' School" referred to in press articles in the late 1850s as having recently closed and having been superintended by Mr Nash and it's sister school for girls were in fact the closed British Schools as the closed schools appear to be non denominational which fits British Schools but not National schools which were C of E. An overall history of the British schools in Marlow is here.

Caroline Anthony's School. West Street. Caroline was also a bookseller and stationer. Next door to the Washbourne's school. 1852. See a photo of the premises and read more about Caroline here.

Chapel House School, Chapel Street. 1881-82. Boarding and day school for young ladies but also offered prep for young boys. Girls were taught English, reading, writing , arithmetic and needlework with the opportunity to purchase lessons in French, Italian, drawing, piano playing and singing as extras. Pupils under 12 were charged less than those over 12. Mrs Mather wife of the Congregational minister William Morton Mather. She relocated to Kenton Villas in July 1882 after her husband's death. Chapel House was Aka The Salem Chapel Manse. A biography of Revd William Morton Mather can be found here. Several years after the Mathers left the Manse it was again used as a school by a relative of the resident minister. See Miss Glanville's School.

Charlotte Corby's School. Over by 1853. Mentioned as something she had previously ran, in her father's will.

Clarke's School. Chapel Street. Boarding school for girls. Details sketchy. George Stevens 1896 memory of this school placed it in the 1840s in what was later called Prospect House, at the junction Wycombe Rd, Little Marlow Road, and Chapel Street with a brick wall that came to a point at that area. Note at the time the Prospect House name was used for another adjacent school, this one for young gentlemen, in what was later known as The Glade at Chapel End.  

Coles school - see George Cole

Convent School/ St Peter's Catholic School/ The Catholic Charity School. All one and same. Started 1845. Initially at Albion House West Street under the Sisters of Mercy. Located in premises  previously used as a private boarding school for girls (see Elizabeth Barnes below) but moved circa 1854 to St Peter's Street. There was a convent to the rear of St Peter's Church and its nuns, Sisters of St Paul, ran the schools to 1886. The Catholic School continued without them in St Peter Street after that. Considered unsanitary and not fit for purpose in 1910! Today St Peters school is in Prospect Road. Note: there was also a Convent School at Danesfield near Marlow run by the same nuns. Both under the patronage of Mr Scott Murray of Danesfield House.

Convent Higher School AKA St Peter's Higher School AKA Convent Upper School. St Peter's Street. Private day school for children of the wealthy on same site as the convent school for ordinary children. Miss Crowther head 1894. Art teacher then Frank Percy Wild. See my future post on Artists in Marlow History for more on him.

Coopers, Mrs School. Station Rd 1911. Later Mrs Violet Cooper and Florence Farmer run a girls school from Wellingrove, Station Rd 1926. 

Darlinghurst School. AKA Darlinghurst Academy. This was the relocated and renamed Beech House School. "High School" for girls, with a unisex kindergarten class added 1896. In 1904 the school advertised typewriter tuition in 1904 and also said that it had a resident French and German mistress. Shorthand lessons were advertised in 1908. The school was located in Chapel Street 1895 when Mrs or Miss Burnham was in charge briefly then Miss M Aisbett took over. Moved to Number 26 High Street by 1899. The street numbering has changed since so this 26 High Street then isn't 26 today. Darlinghurst School was in the building previously used for first High Street Post Office and for the Fields' school (Q.V , not same as Miss Field's school in West Street) .Moved to Glade Road 1904. Proprietor: Miss Aisbitt/Aisbett 1895 to 1909. Note: the school's early premises in Chapel Street continued to be known as Darlinghurst after it reverted back to domestic use so there was both Darlinghurst the house and Darlinghurst the school in the town for a few years. The last known date for the school's existence in Glade Road is early 1909. In it's final known year in Glade Road it was advertised as a boarding school, previously it had been mentioned solely as a day school. There was an 18 guineas a year fee for boarders 1909. In 1910 Darlinghurst School re -emerged in Chapel Street under a Miss Vivian Higham as a "middle class school" for boys and girls aged 3-5. Almost certainly she had either bought the house Darlinghurst in Chapel Street which was up for sale late in 1909 or was renting the premises from the person who did. Presumably she had bought the business from Miss Aisbett and relocated it. The school looks like it had gone out of business (or moved again!!) by 1912 as Darlinghurst was up for sale. It struggled to find a buyer and in 1914 Edward Riley the owner presented it to the Provident Nursing Association to use as a headquarters.

Dean Street infants school. Mixed. Mistress from at least 1850 to at least 1863 Grace Hayes. Maria Robinson was another mistress and lived on the premises with her children 1861. Somewhat hidden from sight off Dean Street, Trinity Road side. 

Deanery School - short lived school ran  by Rev Andrew Mearns, congregational church minister 1865-1866, boys boarding at the Deanery. A biography of Andrew Mearns can be read on the blog here. When he left Mr Woodman took over and it became known most often as Woodman's School. 

Dial Close School, sometimes called Dial House School -private, The Causeway. 1929-1972. Not related to the house Dial Close on Winter Hill

Downshire House School. Chapel Street. In operation by 1880 when Mrs Ellen Edmonds was head. Her daughter Miss Edmonds assisted her. Boarding school for girls. In 1882 the school also offered dance classes to non-pupils. These took place in a new schoolroom recently added to the property. Mrs Edmunds was formerly of Abbey Barn farm and later emigrated to Australia. School moved to Beech House when Miss Sherrington took over and was renamed Beech House School, see above.

Eleanor Lord's Ladies School AKA Miss Lord's School. West Street, close to the turning for Quoiting Square 1833-42. Exact premises known and will be shown in a future post. Residential. Pupils on 1841 census are from age 7 upwards. Her sister Louisa assisted her in teaching. Eleanor left Marlow in 1842. Premises taken over by young Maria Dench by 1851 but there must have been someone else in between as Maria was too young to have been running things in 1842. Eleanor wrote a book called Modern Education in 1841, in which she cautions against providing knowledge "indiscriminately placed in the hands of the multitude".  This knowledge might become a means to remove the labourer from "their proper sphere of life" or cause a "levelling of that barrier which must in a well organised state always exist" between those in authority and the masses. 

Elizabeth Barnes School. Probably a minor establishment. 1830s + Has 2 live in pupils, on the 1841 census. In subdivided Albion House West Street. Premises used 1848 plus for the Catholic School so Elizabeth was gone by then. 

Elizabeth Washbourne's Prep School. Old Vicarage, St Peter Street. 1844. Assisted by sister Mary. By 1852 moved to West Street. Shortly afterwards Elizabeth took second place behind another sister Ann at the school as it began to offer specialist embroidery training too- Ann's speciality. Became then known as Ann Washbourn's School. Q.V Ann Washbourn's School. 

Farmer and Coopers School. Station Road. 1911. Ran by Miss V Cooper and Miss Farmer. For girls.

Faulkner's School- see Great Marlow Academy.

Faux's Academy- circa 1757 to 1797. Boys. George Faux ran a popular and respected boy's school. His wife Ann was also involved. This school became the Great Marlow Academy, see below. To read more see this post here here

Freeman's School. AKA Miss Freeman's Boarding School. (Ann Freeman) High Street,West Side. 1780+ On the site of what was later part of Wethered's brewery. 

Gazeley School - see Beech House. 

George Cole's School- Chapel Street 1812+ Day school for boys. On site of what is now Liston Hall. George died 1834. Former instructor at the Royal Military College in West Street. 

Girls and Infant National School. St Peter's Street. Built 1869. Expanded in early 1900s with two new classrooms but still considered inadequate in size and facilities in 1910. In 1954 became a mixed middle school.

Gores School - Run by Rev H H Gore, who was also master at the Blue Coats school (now Borlase). He also took on private pupils or "young gentleman". 1793+ Offers to educate his charges with a view to them proceeding to a public school, university or trade. 

Gower's School. Run by Henry  Gower. Boys' boarding. Oxford Road 1787+. See also Mary Gower's School. Henry offers French, Latin, Greek etc. 

Great Marlow Academy. [Sometimes referred to as Great Marlow School which is the name of an unrelated modern school in Marlow]. Began as a school by 1757 as Faux's Academy, see above. Under the new name of Great Marlow Academy, proprietor Henry Terry was in place by 1818 and went bankrupt 1826 meaning all of his desks, and school books (300!) had to be sold. His premises, which were in Chapel Street at the junction of Wycombe Road / Little Marlow Road at what was later known as The Glade, were then refurbished and taken over by Mr Faulkner who used the same name for the school. His school was also referred to as Mr Faulkner's School. Boys' prep school. Had it's own playground 1833. Faulkner's son was assisting him by 1835. In 1838 William left and the school changed hands. It was reborn as the Prospect House Academy in Prospect House(q.v).  For more see here

Handy Cross Church School (C Of E). Began in 1862 thanks to the efforts of the Marlow vicar. During the week it was an infants school, and on Sunday a chapel. 

Heather's Boarding School, at The Heathers, West Street for young gentleman 1770s+. At first carried on by William Heather with sister Jane taking care of the domestic arrangements for looking after the boys. William was also the master of the Free School (Borlase) but was allowed to take on private pupils independently providing it did not affect his work. On Williams death in 1780 his nephew and assistant master Thomas Heather took over at both the Free School and the private establishment with Jane continuing her role. Fees then 1 guinea entrance and £14 a year. 

Industrial School, 1831- at least 1861. Off Dean Street, Queen's Road side. Ran by the parish. Poor children trained to work. AKA Parish School Of Industry.

James Field's School. Day and boarding for boys. High Street 1823-33. He was also tailor and post master! See Matilda and Elizabeth Field's school below.

Jane Sime's AKA Syme's School. For girls. Seemingly a day school. High Street, West side of in former Lower Crown building. 1831-32. Jane was evicted by her landlord after she reported electoral fraud he was a party to. More on this and Jane in future.

Kenton Villa School For Young Ladies. Day and boarding. Also prep glasses for young boys. Glade Road. (No 4 Kenton Villas, which had the name Kenton Villa giving the odd address Kenton Villa, Kenton Villas, Glade Road). Prep school ran by Mrs Mather after she relocated from Chapel House. July 1882 + 

Lace Making School. Charity school for local girls West Street founded 1624 by Sir William Borlase but did not operate as long, as funds from the Borlase charity were insufficient.

Leighton House School, Glade Road. Boys prep boarding school age 10-16 yrs, ran point by Miss Curtis who previously ran Misses Curtis' School Q.V. At Leighton House late 1883 till at least 1898. Classical education but cricket and football offered too. See here for more

Little Marlow School. A purpose built, ornamental building complete with a residence for the teacher was opened in 1862, replacing a cottage-based school used to teach the children of the village poor. Thomas Corby of Marlow was the builder. In 1920 the elementary school at Little Marlow was described as a former Sunday school which seems odd. Biography of Victorian master and mistress of the school the Shergolds here master 

Lyle House School, Glade Road from at least 1898 to 1905 when it moved to Quarry Wood House, Station Road and changed name to Quarry Wood House School (Q.V) Girls. Seems original plan to take Lyle House name with it did not take. Emphasis on musical accomplishment. Boys prep department and later a kindergarten too. Boarders accepted but mostly day school. Had "branch" at Coralyn, Bourne End by 1903. Principal Miss Curtis 1899. The Misses Reeves were in charge 1902+

Maria Dench's School. West Street. 1851. In same premises as previously used by Eleanor Lord (see). Boarding for girls. A number of her pupils came from abroad.

Marie Gough's Private School for Girls. Station Road 1911. Victoria Road 1915. Must have been a small establishment.

Marlow Place Academy. Boarding school for boys in Victorian era established after Thomas Mathews relocated from Prospect House (q.v) in 1857. The focus then became a little less prep and a little more towards preparing boys for a life commercial. The Mathews family left for Southall in 1865 but the house was later used by others as a boys' boarding school. Reverend Thomas Gwynn operated it in 1868 to at least 1870 while a Mr A.C Bartholomew had the school in 1875/6. It closed in 1877. Marlow Place was a large house in Station Road. It is now used as offices. The school had extensive grounds including a cricket pitch and was renowned for its young cricket teams. Will be the subject of its own more detailed post- now available here

Marlow Institute- offered adults technical, fitness and art classes. Held first lecture as Great Marlow Literary and Scientific institution in December 1853 at the Town hall. Classes as opposed to lectures featured more 1890+ in the new building, Institute Road. Post on the early days of the Institute here

Mary Gower's Preparatory School. Oxford Road. 1831-32. See also Gower's School which may have been run by a relative of Mary.

Mary Garland Lovegrove's Day and Boarding School for girls. West Street. She took over the premises from an unknown person in 1829. Ran till at least 1832. Will 1835 transcribed here. Seems to have ran the school with assistance of her mother Harriet. 

Mary Pinson's School. West Street. Took over the premises of the Washbournes but doesn't seem to have lasted long.

Matilda and Elizabeth Field's School, West Street. 1823- 41 as day school for girls. Schoolroom apparently a separate building out back. Probably the same as the Miss Fields School advertising as a boarding school for girls from c1814 - this earlier  establishment caters for only 6 pupils and had a twin establishment in Blackwater, Surrey also for 6 boarders. 1814 boarding fee 22 guineas per annum for board and instruction in  English and "fashionable needlework". This doesn't mean no other subjects were taught - they were most likely charged as an extra. The ladies will attend constantly to their charges "health, morals and instruction" they say.  The site is now the Penguin Fish bar. See here for more about some other historic occupiers of the spot. 

Medmenham Church of England School. Substantial improvement works circa 1894. New school formally opened May 11 1894. Had hot air circulated in the cloak rooms to dry the children's coats on rainy days, a purpose built mess room and a paved playground, all highly unusual features for the day. Bitter disputes between the family who gifted the school to the parish and the vicar led to the school quickly shutting down but as the old buildings had been replaced the children had to be squeezed into the other remaining school there. I am uncertain as to whether the improved school ever reopened. Will be further researched. Kelly's Directory 1911 lists one mixed elementary school, built 1898, for 150 pupils. Mistress then Miss Jane Forrester, with average attendance of 64 pupils. 

Medmenham School- the other school, probably a National School. See above. Medmenham had two free schools by 1847, and both still there 1866. 

Misses Bond School. West Street. 1823. Two Miss Bonds, Elizabeth and Mary Ann were apprentice school teachers at Sophia Tylecote's ladies school in Albion House in first few years of 1800's and this may well represent the school they started up on completion of this. 

Miss Curtis' School -  Martha and Alice sisters run at Burford Farm until 1881. At Cambridge House, Cambridge Road 1881-1883. Then moves to Glade Road, late 1883 and changed name to Leighton House Q.V ran by Martha Curtis, sister Alice assists with another teacher and live in servant 1891. Boarding for boys, age 6-12 years, boarding. See here.

Miss Glanville's School. At the Salem Chapel (Congregational) Manse in Chapel Street. 1886. Miss Glanville was the daughter of Revd Glanville. She taught English, French and music as her core subjects,which sounds like a girls' school but her ads don't specifically say so. Day and boarding.

Misses Heath's School. Day and boarding for girls. Existed 1843. Listed Prospect Place 1844 but this seems an error. Not same as Prospect House Academy. All other sources give a West Street address. Said to be the largest and most prestigious ladies academy at the time. "Midway between the Crown and Quoiting Place". Listed as Miss Ann Heath Ladies School West Street in 1847 and 1852.. 

Miss Hides School, West Street. Jessie Hide- 19 year old schoolmistress living with her family in West Street 1891. Took in pupils herself in 1898, possibly earlier. "Prospectus sent on application". 

Miss Hobbs' School For Young Ladies. Recently taken over by Mrs Parker in 1814.

Misses Robinson's school. High Street 1834-35 (at least). Young boys' boarding school. For boys 4-10 years. 6 pupils only. Fee 20 guineas an annum including washing and mending. Conducted in their father's house. 

Mrs Davis's Ladies Boarding School 1784+. Albion House. Mrs Tylecote below took over her business in 1793 because Mrs Elizabeth Davis was ill. Mrs Davis promises to pay the strictest attention to the morals and education of her charges.  In 1789 Mrs Davis is one of subscribers supporting publication of "Sermons for Children". Price in 1784 - 14 guineas per annum. 

Mrs Fleming's Dame School 1863.  Mrs Harriet Fleming. Perhaps Spittal Street. Ran from her home. Took in children as young as two for the morning or afternoon, finishing at 4. A tragic case involving an accident by her pupil is here.

Mrs Gale's and Miss Mary Gales prep school West Street 1847. This is the wife of teacher George Gale of both Borlase and the National school.

Mrs Grant's School, West Street, prep. Mrs Grant leaves in 1848 after many years, due to "death in family"

Mrs George Trash's School. Boarding for girls. 1799.

Mrs Tylecote's School. Ran by Sophia Tylecote. A boarding school for girls. Giving a French education. 1793-1810 when school moved to Burton. Took over from Mrs Davis, see above. At Albion House, West Street. Aka Albion House School. 

Misses Winters' school, West Street 1827, for young ladies. Probably became Ann Winter's school. Day and boarding. Misses Winter school for young ladies is listed 1865, at Sycamore House, West Street, in which year they decide to also open a prep school for young gentleman aged under 9 years. To be conducted separately from the girls school. Prices for boys will be 16 guineas per year for boarders including dance instruction and laundry costs, 12s6d a quarter for day pupils. Singing, drawing and music lessons extra. 

Monks Wood School. Occupied part of the Railway Hotel 1926-1938 minimum. A "select day school for girls" plus mixed kindergarten. Seems to have started as the Marlow Preparatory School at 16 Station Rd, c 1925. 

Nash(e)'s School (1)Okey / Oakey Nash, Revd and schoolteacher 1798. Moved from Marlow at some point after 1813. Later ran Manor House School in North End before becoming vicar of Throwley, Kent. He and his wife Elizabeth were the parents of artist Joseph Nash born in Marlow in 1808. Joseph was a pupil of Augustus Pugin no less.  

Nash's School (2) mixed non denominational private day school with Mr Nash teaching the boys and Mrs Nash the girls. Existed 1858 as a fairly new establishment. Mr Nash had earlier been the master of the first, failed British school, boys' section. Mr Nash was also a dance tutor for adults.

National School. One existed by 1815 when pupils from it went to a church service in All Saints followed by refreshments in Crown Meadow. Probable start date 1812. 

National School Spittal Street. May be the one already existing in 1815. That school was said to be "near Chapel Street" 1831. George Gale then master. He left to be master of his own school in Chapel Street briefly then to left to run the Bluecoats school by 1841 but after 1833. Address later given more specifically as Spittal Street National School. On the Boots / Crown Lane side of the road, apparently in the old farm house set back from the toad.

National School Quoiting Place / Oxford Lane, now Oxford Road. Infant school. Originally in Mr Washbourne's former baby linen warehouse, Quoiting Place later in a purpose built building. In 1844 ran by Henry and Jane Badger.  They replaced the previous sadistic teacher whose cruelty was objected to even by parents with Victorian ideas of discipline. Henry and Jane later ran Bisham School. Head 1852 Henry Heald. Seemingly rebuilt 1854 [this probably its first purpose built building]. Enlarged later. Annie Jane Badger mistress in 1863. The school building remains and is a language learning centre.

National School in Church Passage (infant school). Mistress 1853 Frances Costar. Mistress Mary Keir 1863. 

National Boys' School. Established 1851 according to proud contemporary reports but at least three schools dubbed the  "National School" had existed before then! One of which ran by a Mr Nash had closed in fairly recent times in 1858 and Mr Nash set up his own school with his wife as a result. See below. The boys' National School in 1869 seems to be the National School referenced as existing in a new building in the High Street or perhaps that should say the Causeway. The National Boys' School was said in 1912 to be then on the Causeway but was about to move. Moved to Wethered Road 1913. In the latter location it is now a mixed C of E middle school called Holy Trinity.

National Girls' School, unknown location. One had ceased to exist due to a drop off in pupils and subscriptions in the recent past in 1858. This was likely in fact the British School incorrectly referred to. Circa 1864 a Girls National School proper opened in the former music and lecture hall in St Peter's Street. 

National Girls' and Infants School St Peter's Street. A National Girls School opened circa 1864 in the former music and lecture hall in St Peter's Street. In early 1867 or very late 1866 this building was sold to Mr O Wethered and it is not certain what happened to the school immediately after that. A new purpose built girls' school was opened in 1871 on the same site as an National Infants School which was opened in 1869. The land for these was given by Mr Wethered who had bought the next door lecture hall.

Night School (mens)- intended for working class men and youths over the age of 12. 1859-90 but possibly with gaps in existence. Was originally set up by the Vicar of All Saints who taught there with his wife, 2 curates and some friends, 3 evenings a week during the winter months. In latter times at number 8 High Street, in the boys' Sunday schoolroom earlier. No 8 High Street then is not the same as no 8 today.

Night School (women's) - set up by the Vicar and his wife in the 1860s. Known for only one season, so far.

Parmer and Coopers (Misses) School for girls. Station Road. 1911.

Prospect House Academy. At Prospect House which stood at the junction of Chapel Street, Wycombe Road and Little Marlow Road. Established by 1757  -previously called the Great Marlow Academy and Faulkner's School. (Q.V). For young boys. Day and boarding.  Bought by Samuel Field Hooper 1838. His widow Elizabeth Hooper had it 1841. William Baker had the school in 1843. He had been working for Elizabeth Hooper previously. Thomas Mathews had the school by 1848. His wife was actively involved in the boy's care, taking the younger boys aged 6-9. They sold themselves on a home from home environment and the pretty rural location of the house (if it still stood now it would have a heavy main road right by it and the fields the Mathews looked out upon would be under bricks and mortar!). Mathews held an annual public exhibition of his pupils' technical drawings, maps etc. Outgrew the premises and moved to Marlow Place (q.v) in 1857.  For more see here and here, plus biography of their drill master here

Prospect House School- not to be confused with the Academy above, though in same premises. 1910. Day and boarding. School for girls and also  boys to prep level. Subjects included Domestic Economy, Cooking, Callisthenics and Home Nursing. Headmistress Miss Leddiard. Day pupils from 2 guineas a term (extras to pay for lessons in drawing, singing, languages, and music.) Boarders from £20 per annum. 

Quarry Court School - Quarry Woods, Bisham side of the Thames. Address always given as Marlow though. Started for girls (day and residential) by Miss K Armstrong in 1926. Also had a morning class for "little ones". Still going in 1936. 

Quarry Wood House School, Station Road. The former Lyle House School (Q.V) after a 1905 relocation. Girls originally, later also boys prep, to at least 1910.

Riverwoods Preparatory School. "For the children of gentlefolk", an oddly outdated expression at this time, 1924. Ran by Mrs Sampson who lived in the High Street, however the name of the school suggests a possible location on the Riverwoods estate.

Royal Military College Junior Department, at what is now Remnantz West Street 1802+ Not all of the original buildings survive. Boarding school for anyone who could pay for it with scholarships available for the sons of those who had been in military service. Intended to train them as future officers. Other sites were used to board the pupils in Marlow too. Not a happy place apparently for many of the young pupils, with several running away and others rebelling. There was persistent unease as to the suitability of the location and fitness of the education the pupils received. Will be the subject of a future post. Moved to Sandhurst.

School for Manual Training and Domestic Science - a Bucks County Council training establishment erected 1929 behind the then boys school in Wethered Road. (Holy Trinity now) For pupils age 11 or over attending one of the schools in the neighborhood. They attended weekly. Woodwork is on the menu for boys, and cookery, "housewifery" and laundry work for the girls. 

Sharp's School. Tiny day school for boys ran by John Sharp, West Street (South side of) 1839-1852. John was also a boot and shoe maker! Had 6-7 pupils. 

Sir William Borlase Grammar School, see Bluecoat School.

Sneath's School. Ran by Mrs Sneath. 1770. Boarding school for young ladies. 

South Place Day School. 1861 South Place. Mistress Harriet Coster 1861. She was a teacher earlier but where is uncertain.

St Peter's Roman Catholic School, see Convent School. For the St Peter Street National School see above under Girls National School.

Susan/Susannah Rolls' School. High Street 1823-45 in Brampton House. Day and Boarding for girls. Previously Susannah and Maria Roll's School. 1824- at least 1832. Unknown location then but may have been High Street as later.

Sycamore House School - See Ann Winters, above. 

Technical School. For adults. Without own premises. Under auspices of Kensington Museums. Used rooms in the Music Room, the Literary Institute and Borlase school. Taught French, carpentry, art and more. Included ladies classes. Also held classes at Lane End. 

Turketts School, Mrs - in the sub-divided Albion House, in premises used at other times by Elizabeth Barnes, Sophia Tylecotes, Elizabeth Davies and the Convent for their respective schools. Girls boarding, small. 

Verney's School - started c late 1856, probably by the same Mr George Verney who had taught at the British School in the years before. Aims to give a "thoroughly sound business education" to the sons "of respectable farmers and tradesman." A short-lived venture as in 1857 George removed to Slough pursued by the constables of Marlow as he had not paid his church rates. He declined to pay to support the established church of which he was not a member as a non-conformist Christian. There was no room for conscientious objection to that tax unfortunately for George. His ads for the Marlow school say he would provide good food for the pupils' minds and bodies. If he is feeding those bodies it implies that the school had ability for pupils to board as providing meals to day pupils was not normal.

Westbrooks' School - run by the Misses Westbrook with Mrs Westbrook supervising the domestic arrangements. Set up in July 1850. Chapel Street. Mixed prep for girls and boys aged 5-12 years, day or boarding. "Strict attention to health, morals and improvement of the pupils entrusted to their care." Cost: 18 guinea per annum for ages 5-8, 20 guineas for those 8-12. Day pupils 4 guineas a year. Washing 2 guineas etc. Lessons for some accomplishments extra. 

Winters School - see Misses Winter and Ann Winter. 

Woodman's School. Boarding school at the Deanery St Peter's Street 1867-1872. Ran by William Woodman. AKA The Deanery School. Took over these premises from Andrew Mearns 

Yate's School - private boys school in Glade Road early 1880's. Run by former headmaster of the Bisham Schools John Yates, after he had resigned from that role. He could not make much success of the new school especially after the rival Borlase school was reorganised and given a new lease of life after suffering financial difficulties. He gave up teaching, built Gloucester Villa in Bisham and remained there until his death age 73. 

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 St Peter's Girls' and Infants school, built 1869 for Infants and later extended for older girls too. These are the teacher residences at the front of the site. Photo ©Colin Groves and used with permission. 

Other School Staff Or Educational Professionals Not Already Mentioned (a selection only):

Thomas Andrews schoolteacher 1798. Unknown School.

Mary Ann East,  Chapel Street 1841 census.

Alice Endall - age 24 schoolmistress living in West Street 1891.

Nicholas George - schoolteacher 1798. Unknown school.

Nathanial Hart- private dance instructor 1782-98. Originally from London. Ran schools in Wycombe and other places as well as Marlow and hosted a yearly ball at Marlow Town Hall to give his pupils an occasion to work up to. See here

Miss Elizabeth Hunt - Head Mistress of St Peters Street National Infants school. Received award for 40 years service in July 1909. See more here.

Edward Lysett. 1841.

Jane Maskell. A "public teacher" living with her parents Crown Lane 1851.

Miss Mather - Teacher at unspecified boys school. See also Mrs Mather above. 1883 Kelly's Post Office Directory. May be for Mrs Mather. 

Jane Newnham, National School 1876 Harrods Directory, 1881 census (Mistress of Oxford Lane infants). Lodger in the High Street.

John Southby- 2nd master at Borlase School, under Rev M Graves.

Emma Street. Assistant schoolteacher Dean street Infant school on 1851 census living with her aunt Grace Hayes who was the mistress in Dean Street. Age 15.

Miss Mary Tennant - Teacher at one of National schools 1854 Post Office Directory.

Miss H Thimblethorp - mistress of St Peters Street National Girls School. A Marlow hero who will be the subject of a separate post. 1883 Kelly's Post Office Directory. This was Harriet. See post about her here.

MR J.S Walters  - "third master" at Borlase under Rev. M Graves, 1883.

Alice Way- young assistant school teacher 1881 census. Unknown school. Her family will be the subject of a post on this blog later this year.

Robert A Williams - Master of Boys' National school 1876 Harrods directory 1883 Kelly's Post Office Directory.

Compiled by Charlotte Day with assistance from Kathryn.

I (Charlotte) have been researching this since my teens- my sources run into the many hundreds but some are:

Robson's Buckinghamshire trade directory 1839 provided by the University of Leicester on a no rights reserved licence. Also from them 1831 and 1844 trade directories. Later print copies of Kelly's guides.

My own census transcriptions from microfilm supplied by the LDS church at a Family History Centre.

Buckinghamshire Posse Commitas 1798 transcribed in the 1980s by Jane Pullinger. [Male schoolteachers in 1798]  Thanks Jane!

Private letters.

My own will transcriptions.

1833 Marlow property survey, the original notebook of this held by my family, transcribed by me.

Newspaper copies held at the British Library and accessed through the BNA September 2018-February 2021. Reading Mercury 5th Jan 1795, 10 June 1848, and 1st July 1848. Windsor and Eton Express 6th May 1826.  South Bucks Standard October 6th 1899, May 12th 1905 and 30th September 1910. Bucks Herald 17th December 1853. South Bucks Free Press 29th September 1865.

Reading Mercury July 6th 1850, January 10 1827, January 13 1835 as above. 

Harrods Commercial and National Directory 1876

1931/2 Official Marlow Guide by the Marlow Chamber of Commerce. 

Marlow Guide 1903 & 1907

Marlow Almanack and Directory qv 1907. 

Post researched and written by Charlotte and Kathryn Day.

©Marlow Ancestors. You are very welcome to use this information for family or local history research. If quoting from this research please link here so my sources remain credited correctly for the information they provided for me. Thank you. 

Remember to check back to this post as more schools and educators are listed.

To find other education related posts, see the General Marlow History post listing here