Of the collection of pictures I rediscovered of the streets off Cheetham Hill Road, this proved the most elusive to identify.
I remember our guide saying it had been a school and over the years I took it to be one of the Municipal Board Schools.
I had no name and wasn’t even sure whether it was on Derby Street, Bent Street or Empire Street.
To be fair the trip had been over thirty years ago, and I lost the notes and the original prints a long time ago.
But then in response to the Talmud Torah story, Michael identified it as a school on Derby Street because his mum had gone there.
From that, it was a skip and a jump to the directories where the school was listed in 1911, as the Jews School. The previous year it had space for 2,029 students and the average attendance was 668 boys, 625 girls and 581 infants.
According to the Local History Library the school was established on Derby Street “in 1869 and known as the Manchester Jews’ School [having] started off as Manchester Hebrew Association founded for religious classes in 1838 and by 1842 was established as a school at Halliwell St., Cheetham, moving to Cheetham Hill Road in Spring 1851.
From 1941to 1959 it shared a building with the Infants and Junior Departments of Waterloo Road, Cheetham. The school moved to Crumpsall and opened as King David High School, Crumpsall in 1959”.
The library holds a large number of records from the school including admission registers, log books, stock books and teacher record books along with information on refugees, 1940-44, staff registers and visitors books, some of which are also available from Findmypast.
I had no name and wasn’t even sure whether it was on Derby Street, Bent Street or Empire Street.
To be fair the trip had been over thirty years ago, and I lost the notes and the original prints a long time ago.
But then in response to the Talmud Torah story, Michael identified it as a school on Derby Street because his mum had gone there.
From that, it was a skip and a jump to the directories where the school was listed in 1911, as the Jews School. The previous year it had space for 2,029 students and the average attendance was 668 boys, 625 girls and 581 infants.
From 1941to 1959 it shared a building with the Infants and Junior Departments of Waterloo Road, Cheetham. The school moved to Crumpsall and opened as King David High School, Crumpsall in 1959”.
The library holds a large number of records from the school including admission registers, log books, stock books and teacher record books along with information on refugees, 1940-44, staff registers and visitors books, some of which are also available from Findmypast.
And for those who want more, Anthea Darling has posted, "Building designed by Edward Salomons, architect of what is now the Jewish Museum. Opened 1869 for 700 children, replacing earlier building in Halliwell Street. For more info go to Manchester Jews School Derby Street Cheetham.** Forgot to say it was demolished in 2012".
Location; Derby Street, Manchester
Picture; The Jews School, 1986, from the collection of Andrew Simpson
* Records of the Manchester Jewish Community, 2015, Manchester Central Library,www.manchester.gov.uk/download/.../id/.../jewish_community_archives_guide.pdf
**Manchester Jews School Derby Street, Cheetham, https://www.manchestervictorianarchitects.org.uk/buildings/manchester-jews-school-derby-street-cheetham?fbclid=IwAR2h6y5XyS-Ysi1olWUbf7qj8pXO2dH9A3YwRH16cP1jhNfgVgvkN10cCss
I thought that old Jews school had been bombed in WW2 and thats why they moved to Waterloo Road? Incidentally, that's my old school; I was there fron 1946 to 1952!
ReplyDeleteDesigned by Edward Salomons architect of what is now the Jewish Museum. Opened in 1869 for 700 children. Demolished 2012. See manchestervictorianarchitects.org.uk for more information
ReplyDeletemy grandmother i think went there. rebecca morris, from north st. she was 15 working as seamstrist when they were playing blind mens buf on the roof. She fell on the skylin and slashed her face from nose to chin. she later married louis pilnich and had my mother vera pilnic.
ReplyDelete