City of Leicester & Leicestershire - The Good and Historical Stuff

[davieG]

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/leicester-news/people-leicestershire-schools-named-after-8174789

 

The people Leicestershire schools are named after and how they found fame
From Henry VIII's grandma to a farmer from Loughborough

ByTom MackSenior Reporter
12:24, 26 FEB 2023

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Some of the people our schools are named after (Image: Getty)
Many schools are simply named after their villages or towns and others after the street they're in. But quite a few around the county are named for the people who founded them, funded them, or just deserved to be honoured for some reason.

Obviously, there are lots of schools named after saints. We left those ones out because in most cases there were no real links between the person and the place.

But we've gone through a list of all the county's schools and come up with a guide to many of the people behind local school names. There are a few at the bottom we're not sure about, so let us know in the comments if you have any helpful information.

 

Elizabeth Woodville Primary School, Groby, and Elizabeth Woodville (Image: Google/Getty)
Born in Northants, Elizabeth Woodville was England's Queen Consort for many years and - like Camilla - a bit of a controversial figure. She married Edward IV in 1464, three years into his reign, but in 1470 he was removed from the throne for a few months during a revolt, caused by his marriage to Elizabeth.

But things were sorted out and she got her role back in 1471, carrying on as Queen Consort until 1483, when her son, the young Edward V, took over after his father's death. But his reign only lasted a few months because he was soon deposed - and possibly murdered - by his uncle Richard III, who would later end up under a car park in Leicester.

It's also worth mentioning that she was also the grandmother of Henry VIII.

John Wycliffe Primary School in Lutterworth and the man himself (Image: Google/Getty)
John Wycliffe was a philosopher in the 14th century who lived in Lutterworth at the time of his death in 1384. He had an impressive CV, being a Bible translator, a reformer, a Catholic priest and a professor at Oxford University.

He became a troublemaker for the Catholic church during the 14th century and his opinions helped bring about the emergence of Protestantism in England, which ultimately led to the English state breaking off ties with Rome during the reign of Elizabeth Woodville's grandson (see above).

Lady Jane Grey Primary School, Groby, and the Nine Day Queen (Image: Google/Getty)
Lady Jane Grey, known as the Nine Days' Queen, was an English noblewoman who was thrust into the throne of England and Ireland on July 10, 1553, only to be removed the following week and then executed the following year. Her weak claim to the throne was that she was a great-granddaughter of Henry VII and a first cousin, once removed, of Edward VI.

She was born in 1537 in Leicestershire, living some of her short live at Bradgate Hall, the ruins of which still stand in Bradgate Park. She was only 17 or 18 when she died (it's not known for sure). And she was either born at Bradgate Hall or in London - there's debate about that, too.

Robert Bakewell, the school and the man (Image: Google/Getty)
Robert Bakewell was a properly local man, who was born and died here in Leicestershire. He was famous as an agriculturalist and according to Wikipedia is "now recognized as one of the most important figures in the British Agricultural Revolution".

He was a pioneer of selective breeding, where farmers only let their best animals mate to improve the population in the future. He was born in May 1725 and died, aged 70, in 1795 at Dishley Grange, a stately home near Loughborough - but not the one that's there now, which only dates back to the 1840s.

Sir John Moore CE Primary School, Appleby Magna, and the man himself (Image: Google/Wikipedia)
Sir John Moore was born at Snarestone Lodge, just outside the Leicestershire village of Snarestone, not far from Twycross Zoo. His family also owned Appleby Hall, just down the road, and he lived from 1620 to 1702, dying a few days before his 82nd birthday, which was pretty old for those days.

He was the Lord Mayor of London for a year form 1681 and later the MP for the City of London. He was involved in global trade, including in East India, and rose to become Master of the Grocer's Company, which is still a thing today.

 

 

De Lisle College, Loughborough
The De Lisle family are still around in Leicestershire. The most noted include Phillipps de Lisle, who lived from 1809 to 1878 and founded Mount St Bernard Abbey, near Coalville.

The Trappist abbey is famous for the beer and honey it continues to sell to this day at its gift shop. It was the first abbey to open in Britain after the dissolution of the monasteries by Henry VIII.

De Lisle family homes in the 19th century included Garendon Hall, near Shepshed, and Grace Dieu Manor near Thringstone in North West Leicestershire, which until recently was a school.

Charles de Lisles, son of Phillipps, became one of the "wealthiest commoners" in England at one point.

 

 

Humphrey Perkins School, Barrow upon Soar
The school in Cotes Road (Image: Google)
The school was founded as the Humphrey Perkins Grammar School in 1717 in the will of Humphrey Perkins. Perkins was born in Barrow and went to the University of Cambridge before joining the Church of England as a rector in Nottinghamshire.

When he died in 1717 he left he money for the school to be built in his home village and it opened in 1735. The original only had 32 pupils and the current school building in Cotes Road dates back to 1902

John Ferneley College, Melton Mowbray
John Ferneley was an English painter, famed for his pictures of horses. He was born in 1782 in the village of Thrussington, between Leicester and Melton, and died in Melton in 1860.

He was reknowned for being the second-best painter of horses England has ever known, according to Wikipedia. The website states: "Although his rendition of horses was stylised, he is regarded as one of the great British equine artists, second perhaps only to George Stubbs."

John's dad had wanted him to follow in his footsteps and make wheels for a living but the Duke of Rutland, who lived up the road in Belvoir Castle, managed to talk him into having a go at painting. John gave up his apprenticeship and moved to London to go to the Royal Academy School.

 

 

Robert Smyth Academy, Market Harborough
The school is named after a Market Harborough local. But having been born in the town in about 1570, Robert Smyth walked all the way to London to seek his fortune - and things worked out really well.

By his late 20s he had become comptroller of the City of London. Not forgetting where he came from, he used some of his money to found Market Harborough Grammar School in 1607, which is the landmark building on legs in the centre of the town.

Just over 200 years later, in 1909, Leicestershire County Council built a replacement school in Burnmill Road, originally called the County Grammar School of Edward VII, and it was renamed after the founder of the original in 2011.

Other, not-so-famous, names
There are a few we couldn't solve immediately, including Bishop Ellis RC Primary Academy in Thurmaston. We found two Roman Catholic Bishop Ellises including one who was the Bishop of Nottingham from 1944 to 1974.

He seems like the most likely candidate as the other one's from the 18th century. If you know for sure, let us know in the comments below.

The others we couldn't work out were Thomas Estley Community College in Broughton Astley, Viscount Beaumont's CE Primary School in Coleorton, and Dorothy Goodman School in Hinckley. So, again, if you know who they were, let us know below.

 

[davieG]

Humberstone Gate 1960.

 

[davieG]

orn and Raised in Leicester

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Under the Leicester City Council's Wharf Street re-development scheme Christow Street Infants School is coming down. The school was built during the 1870's by the Leicester School Board. It used to accommodate about 130 pupils but had only 30 on its books when it was closed in December, 1955. It's half-demolished walls, still bearing a nameplate saying "Christow Street Board School," stand in the middle of a sea of rubble.

The four youngsters taking a last look at the school are (left to right): Philip Wright (6), Michael Wright (7), Gerald Frape (9), and Terry Wright (. All four are pupils of Taylor Street School. Philip, Gerald and Terry used to attend Christow Street School. 

 

[davieG]

Rob Hubble

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Bishop Street 1930s

[davieG]

 

Born and Raised in Leicester

sdSentropol851u792p0 80l774rluuuA5g 2hal3t2f2ui6ia0ltf37211g  · 

Pub was first to go when demolition men moved in to Humberstone Gate in 1962

Littlewoods was to be built in its place

The fabulous photo shows the end of one of Leicester city centre’s much-loved and long-gone pubs.

This is Humberstone Gate in November 1962 and the start of demolition work to make way for what was to become the Haymarket shopping centre.

The pub which has just been flattened is the Stag and Pheasant.

As the demolition boards surrounding the site tell us, it was set to be replaced by a Littlewoods store as part of the huge redevelopment which took place in this area.

The other shops on the right were all on borrowed time, too.

These included one of the stores of W A Lea and Sons, chemists shop FH Clark, the Irish Manufacturing Co and another pub, the Admiral Nelson with its Art Deco façade.

Photo 1 Boards surround the demolition site of the Stag and Pheasant pub on Humberstone Gate, Leicester, in November 1962.

Photo 2 Just rubble remains in November 1962 where the Stag and Pheasant pub once stood on Leicester's Humberstone Gate.

Photo 3 The Stag and Pheasant pub on Humberstone Gate, Leicester

[davieG]

 

History of Leicestershire in Images

Rob Hubble  · otonsrdepS88i195h1670g4giu7u67h3t1u7gacc29a19fg8i6mgu94gc7g4  · 

 

 

Fosse Road North.

[davieG]

2 hours ago, davieG said:

 

History of Leicestershire in Images

Rob Hubble  · otonsrdepS88i195h1670g4giu7u67h3t1u7gacc29a19fg8i6mgu94gc7g4  · 

 

 

Fosse Road North.

[davieG]

Story of Leicester

 

Passing under the Bowstring Bridge, Braunstone Gate, 1970.

#StoryofLeicester #Leicester

[davieG]

Leicester Past & Present ~ A walk down Memory Lane.

onoSrptdesgfAi713i6af02cc c911pia036rtf 11a5i8ccf5l7ll752248  · 

 

LEICESTER FACES: The Boulevard Rink (on Braunstone Gate), Miss Holdsworth Skating ~ Postcard, unknown date.

[davieG]

 

[davieG]

5 hours ago, davieG said:

Leicester Past & Present ~ A walk down Memory Lane.

onoSrptdesgfAi713i6af02cc c911pia036rtf 11a5i8ccf5l7ll752248  · 

 

LEICESTER FACES: The Boulevard Rink (on Braunstone Gate), Miss Holdsworth Skating ~ Postcard, unknown date.

Leicester Past & Present ~ A walk down Memory Lane.

rsepnoSotd0m441u 3th96 gi611Jitai07tl27y132u9c51igu61hi62105  · 

LEICESTER PAST: The Boulevard Skating Rink, Eastern Boulevard ~ Postcard from 1910.

Google Maps

I played basketball in there when attending the Poly early 70s

[Parafox]

On 02/03/2023 at 15:03, davieG said:

 

History of Leicestershire in Images

Rob Hubble  · otonsrdepS88i195h1670g4giu7u67h3t1u7gacc29a19fg8i6mgu94gc7g4  · 

 

 

Fosse Road North.

My uncle was a director of Castle's Motor Company back then. He was allowed a Sunbeam Rapier as his company car.

 

Very much like this.

 

 

I was about 12 yrs old and to have been in it as a kid, is a wonderful memory. 

 

A beautiful car.

Edited 3 March 2023 by Parafox

[fuchsntf]

7 hours ago, davieG said:

Story of Leicester

 

Passing under the Bowstring Bridge, Braunstone Gate, 1970.

#StoryofLeicester #Leicester

What's Mick Jagger doing in Leicester on his bike..

 

[davieG]

25 minutes ago, Parafox said:

My uncle was a director of Castle's Motor Company back then. He was allowed a Sunbeam Rapier as his company car.

 

Very much like this.

 

 

I was about 12 yrs old and to have been in it as a kid, is a wonderful memory. 

 

A beautiful car.

It was always fancied one but way out of my league. 

[davieG]

23 minutes ago, fuchsntf said:

What's Mick Jagger doing in Leicester on his bike..

 

 singing under the boardwalk

[Parafox]

7 minutes ago, davieG said:

It was always fancied one but way out of my league. 

Yeah, me too. £70,000 plus.

 

 

[fuchsntf]

23 minutes ago, davieG said:

 singing under the boardwalk

Touché…

[davieG]

Built in the 30s, expanded in the 50s (you can see the join) demolished in the 90s.

 

Would have lasted 100s of years.

 

 

Surely there must have been an architect alive somewhere who could have transformed the internal set up into a modern Mall?

 

[davieG]

Rob Hubble

storpoeSnd957h01c509t1793cig5a19aulli3ml8agth110l5hag1fth290  · 

 

Gallowtree Gate 1950.

[davieG]

Not so good.

 

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/leicester-news/highcross-shopping-centre-put-receivership-8213996?fbclid=IwAR1rY9P30uWQHMxMV6EreThHu3a-aCjTZ-NdaDdfTan8jOn8yzPlGjJG8fY

 

 

The Highcross Shopping Centre in Leicester has been placed into receivership. Directors at British real estate firm Savills have been appointed as joint receivers of the Centre as of Thursday, February 9.

A letter sent from Savills to businesses within the shopping centre, which has been seen by LeicestershireLive, said the appointment "does not impact" day-to-day trading and the on-site management team will remain in their existing roles.

It reads: "Our appointment is solely over the charged property, i.e. Highcross Shopping Centre. We have no involvement with the running of the landlord company itself.

 

"While we are working consensually with them, Highcross Shopping Centre Limited, the legal owner, have no authority to make decisions with regard to the Centre following our appointment and all decisions relating to the Centre will be taken by the receivers.

"All income receivable from the Centre and all monies payable by occupiers, whether by way of rent or otherwise, is now due to the Receivers." Any payments made to Highcross Shopping Centre Limited will be considered "non-payment of rent", according to the letter.

The letter states the Receivers were appointed as "managing agents to deal with the day to day management if the property" and a "consensual handover" is taking place.

It means Savills will now be responsible for the handling of rent and service charges and be a point of contact for onsite tenants. The centre has more than 130 units which include shops and restaurants.

[davieG]

Greg Thornton

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1958 - Improving the housing stock in Leicester, pollution, better housing for older people, cost. Similar themes still around today.

 

[davieG]

Story of Leicester

prsnodteSo39mm084c2a22hhc2ac504f5h581l8610451mh5chgc5mc790m7  · 

 

Gallowtree Gate once housed Adderly & Co., a large and spacious department store. The building stretched from Gallowtree Gate to the Market Place.

Adderly’s was one of the few upmarket stores in Leicester in the 1900s. In its heyday it was considered Leicester’s foremost store, and many of its staff considered it an honour to work there. Staff had apprenticeships so that they could learn their trade. The store reputedly employed “beautifully mannered sales assistants” and sold, among other things, ladies fashions, menswear, haberdashery, china, and linen.

By 1947 the store was listed under the name Marshall & Snelgrove, and had become part of the retail giant Debenhams when it closed in 1970.

Some of the remaining store façade is still visible from the Market Place side, where you can also learn more about it on a newly installed heritage panel.

Image credit: Leicester & Leicestershire Record Office.

#StoryofLeicester #Leicester

[Stadt]

The council thinks sticking up heritage panels is in itself useful. Show a bit of ambition, CPO eyesores or help fund new facades. Gallowtree gate looks like Minsk

[davieG]

16 minutes ago, Stadt said:

The council thinks sticking up heritage panels is in itself useful. Show a bit of ambition, CPO eyesores or help fund new facades. Gallowtree gate looks like Minsk

Lipstick on a pig.

[Parafox]

2 hours ago, Stadt said:

The council thinks sticking up heritage panels is in itself useful. Show a bit of ambition, CPO eyesores or help fund new facades. Gallowtree gate looks like Minsk

Most of Belgrave Gate opposite The Haymarket would be gone, if they did that.