Appointment of Housemasters

[Kit Bartlett]

Who is the final arbiter in the appointment of House Masters? Were/are incumbents allowed to transfer to another perhaps more
appealing House when vacancies occur? Married masters were often allocated to the three end Houses of the Avenue, Peele, Thornton A, Maine B and Leigh Hunt.
Chris Bartlett

[michael scuffil]

Until about 1955, I think (senior) housemasters had to be bachelors except in Peele, MaB, and ThA, where they were invariably married as there was a house attached (quite a nice house, actually). When more staff houses were built reasonably near the boys' houses (in East Gun and West Gun Copse roads), it was easier (and quite common) for married men to be housemasters of other houses (in my time, I can think of Fryer (ColB), Tim Law (LaA), Spurrier (MidB), Barker (MaA)).

When John Page (housemaster of ThB) got married he moved into one of these, but soon moved to ThA, saying that his house in West Gun Copse road was too far away (about 100 yds!). That was not the real reason: ThA needed sorting out, and Seaman thought Page the right man for the job. (This was the only occasion I can remember when a senior housemaster changed houses.)

This statement by Page took on an ironic twist when Pat Cullen, the new housemaster of ThB, got married in his turn, and lived for a term in Worthing.

[Kit Bartlett]

It would be interesting to compare the ratio of married masters to bachelors say in the nineteen forties to the present day.
Apart from the six houses already mentioned at Peele, Thornton A, Maine B and Preparatory there were others on the estate.
D.S. Roberts and J.E. Massen occupied houses in The Avenue, Teddy Edwards and Dr. C.S Lang both bachelors also did.
Edward Malins lived on Two Mile Ash but I do not know if this was a tied CH House or outside the school boundary
With post war extensions and the introduction of extra accommodation there was a big increase in married staff families
which led to a much healthier climate all round.
The Head Master's post has always been filled by a married man at Horsham as far as I am aware.
Chris Bartlett

[michael scuffil]

There was also White's, much in demand, and reserved for fairly senior bachelor staff. A sort of equivalent was built near the infirmary in 1962, and occupied at the beginning by Kirby and ALJohnstone (who'd just retired as housemaster of LaA), and the recently widowed Dr Scott. Then Stammerham, generally regarded as the best house (after the Headmaster's) the school had to offer. And the houses in King Edward's Road.

The East/West Gun Copse houses were the first of the new build, followed by the flats in the house extensions built in 1963/64.

[Kit Bartlett]

J.H. Edwards lived on KIng Edward's Avenue as did Len Bates the cricket coach. Whites was I believe originally a
single residence and occupied by one of the earlier C H masters ? E.C. Wright. Who was the original White I wonder?.
The Estate Agent J.F. Codd had the house on Little Side near the Post Office. Sergeant Usher lived in Peele Cottages. The East Lodge was the home of G.A.T Allan and subsequently of other CH masters.
These were all of course tied houses which went with the job. Reggie Dean lived in Worthing Road Horsham and cycled daily to the school in all weathers. Major Harrup was at Broadbridge Heath

[michael scuffil]

Did White's predate the school, does anyone know? Among its residents while I was there were Jesson-Dibley, Tod (after he retired from MaA), and I think Chern (after he retired from BaB and before he went to Canada). Reggie was a legend. He had less to do with school life than any other master. I think he never went near the common room. Lorimer told me once that a test question for a new master in their second term was: Do you know who Reggie Dean is? His day involved cycling to school in the morning (but not for chapel), cycling to the Massens for coffee at break, cycling home for lunch at 12.15, and cycling back for afternoon school. (He was a heavy smoker. Was it this that killed him? He died in harness.)

MacNutt lived in Broadbridge Heath, but he was always around.

I'm trying to think who lived in East Lodge while I was there, but can't recall.

[postwarblue]

White's was named for the 1902 Treasurer. In the 40s/50s it was used by Major Goodwin who was married to one of White's daughters.

[Kit Bartlett]

There was correspondence about East Lodge when someone mentioned a Frank Pattison as living there, Was he a CH master.?
Harry Smyth Goodwin was Senior Housemaster of Coleridge A until 1921. Presumably he then moved to White's although I do not know when he married. He died 13.11.1955 and The Blue for January 1956 contains two excellent tributes from Teddy Edwards and A.H. Buck, Goodwin played cricket for Gloucestershire, 31 matches between 1896 and 1907.
Chris Bartlett

[Requested Removal 18]

Yes, Frank Pattison was Head of German and later Head of Modern Languages from about 1988 until recently. He was certainly lucky enough to live in East Lodge whilst I was there (I don't know how long he was resident at EL) and when I left the school I presented him with a photograph of the house which I had developed and printed myself.

I remember going out at several times of the day to get the light "right" for the shot, including 5.30am, eventually settling on the 8am example. I do still have the negative, but have not had a chance to transfer it to the computer as I do not have a negative scanner at present. Must give my Dad a call!