By: Catherine Denley

Catherine Denley — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 22:47:38 +0000

As my family lived in Latham House for 33 over years from 1957, I have an unquenchable interest in the old place which I still fondly think of as home.
As far as I know, the House/School had always been separate from the Hospital, but was gradually taken over by the latter, even while my father was still living there. He had originally been promised (sadly only on a gentleman’s handshake) that he could retire there, but was eventually evicted altogether, somewhat callously, by the trustees of the time. This left rather an unpleasant cloud over my family’s memories and would surely, we feel, have gone against Parson Latham’s principles. However the building will always retain its warmth and character for us.
I remember well playing as a child in the old school staircase mentioned above, and thinking how absurd it was that it should end in a wall at the top! (This separated it from what was then my parents’ bedroom) My brother used to take great delight in shutting me there if ever he got the chance!
I’d be very interested to know more about the records of the Bluecoat school.

By: Z. V. Thomas

Z. V. Thomas — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 15:58:07 +0000

This is an interesting article and wondered whether records of the Almshouse are available back to the 1860s. My interest is that a gt.gt.gt grandmother was the sub matron and matron for some decades from 1860 (Mary Coulson)and her son’s mother in law was also resident (Susan Baker).

Comments on: Ageing Gracefully over 400 Years

By: Catherine Denley

By: Z. V. Thomas