School Class Photograph

Thank you to Liz Gatley for allowing me to reproduce this photograph of a school class.

Liz wrote:

Grandad

"My grandad, James Allan Small Brown, is in this picture. He is the one wearing the suit at the back.

He was born in 1913 at Bedford Crescent, Stockbridge. I don't know which school this was, but I imagine that it was somewhere nearby."

Liz Gatley: November 3, 2007

Question

Which School?

Perhaps somebody will recognise one of the children in this photo, or identify the school ties, and be able to tell me which school this is.

- Peter Stubbs: December 5, 2007

Answer

Stockbridge School

Thank you to Liz Gatley for sending me 'Reply 1' below.

Liz Gatley: February 16, 2008

Reply

Liz Gatley

England

Thank you to Liz Gatley for writing again.

Liz wrote:

Stockbridge Primary School

"I now know that this photo was taken at Stockbridge Primary School.***"

Liz Gatley, England: November 3, 2007

*** Please also see 'Replies 2 and 3' below for further comments.

Reply

Niamh Donnellan

Stockbridge, Edinburgh

Thank you to Niamh Donnellan (one of several parents at Stockbridge Primary and Nursery School who are compiling a Poster Display for Stockbridge's upcoming Stockfest) for writing with further information about this photo taken around 1925.

Niamh wrote:

Flora Stevenson Primary School

"I've now had a bit of a think, and I don't think that this photo is of a class at Stockbridge School."

Around 1925

"It is likely to be of a class at Flora Stevenson Primary School, given that James Allan Small Brown lived on Bedford Crescent and that is the catchment area for Flora Stevenson's school.

I've also had a look at the Stockbridge Primary School registration rolls from 1918 to 1922, and there is no James Allan Small Brown registered for those years.

Niamh Donnellan, Stockbridge, Edinburgh: September 6, 2013

Flora Stevenson's School

Niamph's comments make sense to me, so I've now recorded this photo as being of Flora Stevenson Primary School.

Around 1925

Even the background of this photo looks familiar to me. It looks like the same wall as was still being used about 30 years later for class photos at Flora Stevenson Primary School!

Around 1954

Peter Stubbs: September 15, 2013

Reply

Liz Gatley

England

I sent an email to Liz, telling her that I had now added 'Reply 2' above, almost 6 years after she added 'Reply 1'.

Liz wrote again, telling me that she was not convinced by the comment that this photo would have been taken at Flora Stevenson School:

Liz wrote:

Which School?

"After this photo was posted on the EdinPhoto web site, I found some notes that my Mum had written for me, with details of things like which schools her parents went to. She has now passed away.

My Mum went to Flora Stevenson's. I'm sure Grandad (James Alan Small Brown) would have told her if he had also gone to Flora’s.

I agree that the backdrop on my photo is similar to that on Flora Stevenson photos on the EdinPhoto web site that were taken in 1954 - but wouldn’t a lot of buildings from this period look alike ?

I wonder if a wider search of the records from Stockbridge Primary School could be done. Grandad was born in 1913. I don't know how old children were when they started school in those days. He may only have been registered as James Brown."

Liz Gatley, England: October 1, 2013

Liz:

Which School?

I'll leave you to contact Stockbridge Primary School, if you wish to, to follow up your comments in the last paragraph above. If you do decide to follow up this subject, how about also writing to Flora Stevenson and asking them if they have any pupil records that they could check for you?

Peter Stubbs, Edinburgh: October 1, 2013