Happy New Year to one & all! I haven't been idle these past few days, so I'll relate what I've found. I'll deal with the school first.I've deliberately left out references otherwise this thread would be miles long but if anyone wants them, just let me know!The building that's there today was indeed built in 1893 BUT there was another school building there before that!The LMA has a large collection of papers relating to the school, this is one of them, 'Girls School conveyance 1. George Cooper of New Brentford, surgeon. 2. James Clitherow of Boston House, New Brentford Esq. & other trustees of National Girls' school premises: plots of land at the uppermost of the Half Acre, New Brentford for erection of girls school' Dated 1840. Other documents relate to the repairs & improvement of this building over the years. It was in 1859 that they transfered the infants school from The Butts to Half Acre. There is a memorandum dated 1892 from the trustees & managers of girls' & infants school in the Half Acre concerning building a new school building for girls & infants. They contracted Messrs Dorey of Brentford to do this.The National School for girls appears in the Mason's Court guide in 1853. In the 1881 census the school is noted with 1 cottage attached.Now for the Half Acre.In 1851 there are only 2 houses recorded.In 1861 there are 15 unnumbered houses.In 1871 there are 19 numbered houses.In 1881 it specifically says it's Half Acre, West side. 16 houses counted with one having a cottage in garden which housed a widow & her two adult daughers. It then notes, 'cottages' & there are 3 of them, so these are the one's now known as 'Charlotte Cottages', as the next entry is for National School for Girls & infants!In 1891 there are 15 houses with rather eratic numbering. 12 of these houses only had 4 inhabited rooms (so quite small) the other 3 had 5 or more.In 1901 at number 34 there is Walter F. Weedon his wife & 3 stepchildren. He is a coalporter.At number 35 is Henry Carter or Curtis, labourer, with his wife & 2 sons plus a Christopher Ryall with wife & young daughter (how did they sqeeze them in?)At number 36 is Edward Crouch?, wife, 2 sons plus 1 boarder. Edward is a dock labourer.I noted that all of the occupants throughout the censuses were labourers, plumbers etc.I spent a few pennies & had a look at the 1911 image. Number 34 had 5 rooms which included the kitchen. Mr. Weedon is still there with his wife & step daughter (who worked at Pears as a soap wrapper) plus 2 male boarders, one works as a labourer at the gas works & the other as a dock labourer for GWR as does Mr. Weedon who is a coal porter there.In 1911 the numbers for Half Acre run, 34-46 numbers 44&45 are one house, then 48-51, then comes Vestry Hall.I also checked Google street view for the number of the cottage that abutts the school & it's 34. I found on Hounslow county council website a planning permision request for numbers 35 & 36 to erect a 2-storey structure in the back yard, so this is what might have been going on when that street-view image was taken as it's evident that work is being carried out & they don't appear to be occupied.I have some more work to do on this but thought I'd share what I've got at this moment,Jane
Jane Masri ● 5332d