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  1. #1
    Kath Betts
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    Question Castle Hill Academy, Mere Wiltshire

    I have a relative Arthur Bibbings who was born in Cardiff in 1869 but who appears on the 1881 census as being at this "institution". I have tried TNA & Google on-line searches and so far have failed to turn up any information on the type of place that it was.

    As his father & possibly his mother had recently died I am wondering if he was sent away to school, although his slightly younger brothers were not but they were "farmed out" to Glos.

    Has anyone heard of this Academy?

    Kath

  2. #2
    Famous for offering help & advice. Trish's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Kath Betts
    I have a relative Arthur Bibbings who was born in Cardiff in 1869 but who appears on the 1881 census as being at this "institution". I have tried TNA & Google on-line searches and so far have failed to turn up any information on the type of place that it was.

    As his father & possibly his mother had recently died I am wondering if he was sent away to school, although his slightly younger brothers were not but they were "farmed out" to Glos.

    Has anyone heard of this Academy?

    Kath
    Kath, have you been able to look at the actual census image?

    The head of the "family" is a Richard RODMAN whose occupation is listed as "Teacher of English French German". His wife, Sarah, is the "[Something illegible]Superintendent" -- I think it's "Domestic Superintendent" but something else has been written over the first word. There are also 2 domestic servants: a "Housemaid" and a "Nurse-girl."

    Richard and Sarah have a number of offspring who are also scholars. Richard's niece is the "Cook", his nephew is the "Booking Clerk." There are 3 other teachers -- of English and music. In addition to the RODMAN children, there are about 28 students listed, all male, between the ages of 8 and 14.

    There's a bakery near by as well as shops, a bank and a hotel.

    All in all, it seems to be a normal boys' boarding school.

    Good luck with obtaining more information.

    Trish

  3. #3
    Kath Betts
    Guest

    Red face

    Opps! I had looked at the image and the 2nd page relating to it. I have just shown my inexperience, because I had looked for him but not realised the significance of the other people. I think that in the excitement of finding someone that I had “lost” I got a bit carried away!

    Thank you for taking the time to look at the census return.

    Kath

  4. #4
    pdawson
    Guest

    Default Castle Hill Academy in Mere

    Just as a matter of interest, my great grandfather, Edwin RIDGLEY, attended this school (which I can confirm was an ordinary day/boarding school).

    1881 Census:
    Dwelling: Castle Hill Academy, Mere, Wiltshire, England

    RIDGLEY, Edwin; Age 10; Scholar; Born Gillingham, Dorset
    Head of Household: Richard RODMAN (Headteacher)

  5. #5
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    I believe one of the english or music teachers mentioned was my great grandfather Albert Euerby Martin, born in 1855, in Car Colston, Notts., who attended the Castle Hill Academy, in Mere, and later became one of its teachers. Albert left Mere and founded The Commercial Academy, in Welshpool, and in 1888 emigrated to Argentina with wife Priscilla Annie Williams, of Wincanton, Somersetshire, and 4 young children, where he founded english speaking schools and musical academies. In 1892 their son Cyril Percy Martin, my grandfather, was born in Buenos Aires. The whole family moved south to Bahia Blanca in 1898. Albert founded the first english school in Bahía Blanca. His son Cyril founded the Martin Shipping Agency, was the Honorary Vice Consul for Sweden and Denmark, and temporarily the Honorary Consul for the UK and Chile, and was knighted by King Gustav of Sweden with the Royal Order of Vasa.

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