RootsChat.Com
Independent Islands => Isle of Man => Topic started by: cecile on Monday 20 July 09 17:53 BST (UK)
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I am looking for some info on where my grandfather went to school about 1890 . It has been 'common knowledge' in the family over the years that he went to boarding school some say in the Isle of Man others say the Isle of Wight!!
Does anyone have any idea where I would start to look and was there a boarding school in the Isle of Man in those days? or even the Isle of Wight?
Incidentally, his name was Robert George Fraser and he was born in Liverpool in 1880.
I know that it is the old needle in a haystack, but it would be interesting if anyone had any ideas to go on.
Many thanks
Cecile
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Do you know his family - parents & siblings in 1891 ?
Theres a Robert G Fraser (c1881 Liverpool), Father Robert (born Glasgow) a Plumber & Painter in Toxteth Park area
1891 - RG12/2932; Folio 41; Page 18 - Toxteth Park
26, Beloe Street
Robert Fraser 34 Widow Head Plumber Painter Glasgow
Ann D Fraser 12 dau Liverpool
Robert G Fraser 10 son Liverpool
Thomas E Fraser 5 son do
Mary E Fraser 3 dau do
Helen Seffler 19 Servant
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Hi
Spot on!! That is the correct family
Cecile
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just wondering if there'd be enough money in that role to send him to Boarding school ?
Then again, Widowed Dad was able to employ a servant ......
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Hi again
His father was quite a wealthy man apparently, he owned lots of property in Liverpool as well as his plumbers and painters business.
Although it strates that he was a widower - that is not strictly true!! He and his wife were seperated and later divorced and he married again in 1897. She also married later.
Cecile
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sounds feasible then - what job did Robert jnr end up doing when he left school ?
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He went into the army. He collected the rents from the many houses that his father owned = but spent the money on parties for his friends - so the tale goes - (which didnt go down well with his father) he ended up leaving home and 'doing his own thing' which seemed to end up as odd jobs here and there and getting married somewhere along the way and eventually joining up again in 1914.
Although he didnt seem to do much with his life, I just wondered if he had in fact had the boarding school education that I was always told about from other members of the family.
Cecile
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There was, and is, a school of some renown at Castletown on the Isle of Man. It is King William's College and was founded in 1833.
http://www.rootschat.com/links/06qw/ will tell you more.
Teea
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Hi Teea
Many thanks for that - I will have a read through it all.
Cecile
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Had a few spare minutes in Manx Museum library today & looked at KWC entry books----no sign of your
boy , in the possible years. Some boys did enter at 10 years.
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Hi again
I realized at the time that I was probably looking for that obscure needle in the haystack!! However, I have read a bit about the school as given, and it would be nice to think that maybe ...just maybe... this is where my grandfather went to school!
Many thanks
Cecile
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there were many smaller private schools on the Island which took in boarders - eg Victoria College in Douglas
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Thanks - I will see what I can find out about that.