English Martyrs RC School

Hi Kevin. Being a Walworth boy I don't visit this site that often, but I thought I would respond to your posting re English Martyrs School. I used to live in one of the prefabs in Minnow Street, which was the first street on the left if you went in to East Street from the Old Kent Road. It's now called Minnow Walk and the old prefabs were demolished in the early 1970's. I lived there uintil 1969 and my next door neighbours were the McCormick family. There were two brothers. Barry, who was my age, (so would be 63 this year) and his brother, Danny, who was a year older. They both went to English Martyrs. I also knew Laurie Lake, Christine and Cathy Byrne and Danny McSweeney who also went there. Is the latter any relation of yours? I'm sure other names will come back to me eventually, but it was a long time ago. Re Pages Walk, when I was at Surrey Square primary school there was a girl in my class named Carol Francis and she lived in Pages Walk. It can sometimes be a small world, so wondered if you knew her.
Cheers,
Del.

hi guinnessboy i went to english martyers rc school i left in 1953 do u remember macleece he was our boxing instructer and a great teacher, he was pretty tough he had to be with us lot i used to live in creasy estate in aberdore street at the bricklayers arms i think there were only a few of us that went to em most of the lads went to webb street

I don't know how far back you go, but I was evacuated to Shafresbury with English Martyrs School on 1st September 1939. My mother, Mrs Dorothy McCarthy had gone back to teaching there after I was born in 1933, and when war thratened she transferred my brother Brian and me to her school so that we were all evacuated together. Miss Mahoney was the headteacher. I also remember Miss Ellie Sullivan. I can.t remember  how long we stayed in Dorset; less than two years, and when we came back I continued to go to school with Mum from our home in Sidcup until I was 10 in 1943, when I went to Notre Dame Convent through the V1s and V2s. Pupils of English Martyrs would remember my mother; she was one of a family of teachers from Peckham and taught in Walworth from the early t wenties until the fifties, with a break from 1931 to 33  to have her children. My father's family were McCarthys from Bermondsey; his father and two of his brothers had a leather factory, and all the family worked there until just before the war when things were difficult for businesses during the depression.
I'm afraid I can't remeber names of children at school; it's so long ago. My brother would have; he had a wonderful memory, but unfortunately died quite young a few years ago.
I've been researching my family tree in Bermondsey and Peckham and think it's a wonderful part of London.  I spent my own teaching career in Deptford.

Hi Kevin
I seem to remember your name and am pretty sure I was at English Martyrs at the same time as you,teachers I remember   Mr Crawford {Boot Nose] and our class teacher for about 3 years Mr Pinkney. schoolmates Steven Ryan,John Walker,John Bryan and Micheal Gobbels, he was always crying you had only have to say Boo to him and out would come the hankie and the tears. Remember we were doing the Duke of Edinburgh award and Mr Pinkney was taking the standards, one was to throw a cricket ball ex amount of yards, it was Micheals turn and he was  shaking saying I can`t sir
Pinkney said "There Not Such A Word As Can`t" throw the god dam thing. He did and hit Pinkney on the head, out came the hankie and Micheal started crying, I started laughing and Pinkney canned me instead of Micheal

I've left messages for Guinness boy but no response yet. Looking at the post's Tony Marchant, senior surfer and Dave Foley might be able to help?????

I'm trying to contact anybody that remembers English Martyr's and the Head Master Edward Wilson or his family He was there from around 1896 to 1940. He lived in Bonham Road his wife Catherine and 3 children Edward Jnr, (Teacher at Corpus Christi, Brixton Hill SW2). Eileen and Lawrence lived in Finchley Road, Walworth before.

I have found letters from 1896 and 1925 written by Edward, I am trying to build his profile on our 'Family Tree'. Any information would be great.

                        Cheers John Wilson

Hello David
Yes, I do remember you, we were both in the same class at English Martyrs and left in 1963, I also remember all of the names you have mentioned plus a few more. George Pinkney was a great teacher as well as Miss Buckley and a very young cracking Polish teacher, Mr Monger was the head untill he handed it over to Mr McAllease.
I still have my Bronze Standard Duke of Edinburgh green book, did you go on the Duke of Edinburgh weekend camping trip with us?
How has life been for you? I now live in Berkhamsted in Hertfordshire, been married nearly 43 years.
Where has the time gone!
it would be great to hear from you
Kindest Regards
Kevin McSweeney

Kevin McSweeney "Guinnessboy". Please contact me, I am trying to build a profile of Edward Wilson and his family, he was headmaster before you went to English Martyr's do you have any information about the school and retired teachers?
johnwilsonpr2@msn.com  

Seniorsurfer...... Please contact me on johnwilsonpr2@msn.com I am sure you can give me vital information on English Martyr's RC School at Walworth. Your mum Dorothy McCarthy would have been there when Edward Wilson was Headmaster. As you may have seen from my previous posts I am trying to trace his family and build a profile of his achievments. His brother and sister went to Australia in 1900. Their grandchildren have now come back to London. So I'm trying to mend the broken threads that Edward made and linked the family from Preston to Australia via London.

Kind Regards John Wilson

Are you the same dave foley, that was in the Merchant Navy back in the late 60s early 70s

Kevin McSweeney "Guinnessboy". Please contact me, I am trying to build a profile of Edward Wilson and his family, he was headmaster before you went to English Martyr's do you have any information about the school and retired teachers?
johnwilsonpr2@msn.com  

-johnwilsonpr2

Seniorsurfer...... Please contact me on johnwilsonpr2@msn.com I am sure you can give me vital information on English Martyr's RC School at Walworth. Your mum Dorothy McCarthy would have been there when Edward Wilson was Headmaster. As you may have seen from my previous posts I am trying to trace his family and build a profile of his achievments. His brother and sister went to Australia in 1900. Their grandchildren have now come back to London. So I'm trying to mend the broken threads that Edward made and linked the family from Preston to Australia via London.
Kind Regards John Wilson

-johnwilsonpr2

Hello John
Sorry that I have not replied sooner, but I have not been on the website for quite a while. I was at English Martyrs from 1958-1963 and the only headmasters I can remember are Mr Monger and Mr McAllease, let me know if I can be of any more help.
Kind Regards
Kevin McSweeney

hello -my name was jean killaspy (McGoldrick) i attended English Martyrs school from  1949 until  1953;1 remember Mr Mongan, head teacher Mr Tar, Miss Lonegan , Miss Jublon (a french lady) and the dreaded Mr Denham (art teacher) who caned the boys on a regular basis -  the classes were streamed i remember A being the lowest  up to  C class being the top.   I was in the lowest A form but graduated up to the B stream. 

My friend Brenda Dunn and I came from when we were eleven from Notre Dame school st Georges  and we were delighted to go  to English Martyrs from the austere and frightening Notre Dame. I still am friends with Brenda and we had a trip to Egypt this year we are both 73 - people I remember John Cobb, john Clark, a boy called someone kiely who used to wear his dads first world war uniform to school, it had long sleeves that he used to try to pull down when getting his frequent caneings. Frank Loveday - boy Sandford, Nora Fitzpatrick, Esther Fleming, pat sutcliffe, Queenie Dobbs, Ann Torpey, maureen Bygraves who was Max Bygraves the comedians sister and many more names that I recall, but too many to list.

 Also i dont remember Tony Marchant one of the contributors on this site although he did leave English Martyrs the same time as I did - my sister  Pam Killaspy she is two years older than me also went there, her friends i recall were Betty Marshall and thevery beautiful Ann Byrne

I lived in Heygate Street and went to English Martyrs School, I remember Barry and Danny Crawley, Frankie Fraser, Laurie Lake, Margaret Bowe, Esther Mcredie, Micheal Salvatore, John Lynch, Barry Doyle and many others (sorry any names with wrong spellings).  My teacher was Miss Craig, I also remember a Mr Flynn, headmaster Mr Rossetti and Canon Cotter in the church.  I am now 65 and have many fond memories of being at school.
Carol