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| Matlock Board School, Ist Class Boys | |||
| People who lived in the Matlocks : Photographs, Postcards, Engravings & Etchings | |||
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The photograph above was taken by one of Matlock's best known photographers, William Nathan Statham, who had a studio on Dale Road, Matlock Bridge. It shows the Ist Class Boys at Matlock Board School, with the then headmaster Edwin Davis, and most boys seem to be wearing a smart uniform. Ray Ash's grandfather is amongst the pupils (2nd row, 4th from the left), so Ray estimates the photograph's date at around 1898-9. The school was built on Chesterfield Road in 1897. Many of these boys faced a very bleak prospect - the Great War - and one wonders both how many were caught up in the war and how many returned. Three generations of the Ash family attended the Council School. Ray and his two sisters followed in their grandfather's and father's footsteps. Mr Mills was head in Ray's father's time, and Mr Brown when Ray was there. Ray and his father were both taught by the same teacher, Miss Reeve. Thomas Ash (1887-1965) managed Frisby's shoe shop in Matlock as a young man, then went to work at Smedley's. He served in the RAMC throughout the Great War in advance field dressing stations on the Western Front (including the Somme). Men who served with him told his son that he was absolutely unflinching in the face of the terrible injuries he had to deal with and always did the very best for the lads concerned. He was a sergeant in the RAMC by the end of the war. On returning to Smedley's he rose to become Assistant Head Bathman and Ray believes that he was also very highly regarded for his professionalism at Smedleys. |
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From the collection of the Ash family, published here with kind permission of Ray Ash. Image scan and information supplied by and Copyright Ray Ash and is intended for personal use only. If you have any further information about the identity of anyone in the photograph we would really appreciate knowing ourselves. Please contact both the webmistress and Ray Ash |
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You may like to view more onsite information  Matlock's Schools
in Earlier TimesAbout Chesterfield
Road SchoolMr. Chippett's
School at Riber CastleThe War Memorials |
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