The Early Years
Bournemouth School opened its doors on the 22nd January 1901 at the site in Portchester Road. Later the same day the news was reported that Queen Victoria had died.
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A new century, a new king, a new school and a new era.
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The first headmaster was Dr Edward Fenwick ('Tig') from 1901 -1932.
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The 1906 prospectus lists the following subjects:
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Religious Knowledge
Reading, Writing, Arithmetic (including Commercial Arithmetic)
History and Geography (including Commercial Geography)
English Grammar, Composition and Literature
Mathematics (Pure and Applied)
Shorthand and Book-keeping
French, German, Latin and Greek
Natural Science (Practical Chemistry, Physics, etc.)
Manual Training and the Use of Tools
Drawing, Vocal Music, Drill and Gymnastics
Piano and Violin at an extra cost
Portchester Road site (centre of picture)
Bournemouth School in World War I
At the start of the war there were 306 boys at Bournemouth School. All of the boys who had been students in the first years of the school were old enough to fight when war broke out. By December 1914 one master and two former pupils had been reported killed in action. 170 members of the school were in active service, consisting of masters and former pupils. The issue of The Bournemouthian for December 1918 contained 22 obituaries.
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For the next four years The Bournemouthian contained letters written to Dr Fenwick by former students. Some of these letters were published as a collection in a book - 'Tig's Boys.'
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In 1919 the school launched an appeal to raise funds to build a school library, as a memorial to those killed in the war.
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In the main entrance of the school there is a large wooden memorial giving the names of all those from the school who lost their lives in the war, 98 names in total.
Bournemouth School in World War II
During the Second World War Bournemouth School opened its doors to children from Taunton's School in Southampton (one of which was Benny Hill!)
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In 1940, 800 French soldiers were evacuated from Dunkirk and billeted to Bournemouth School. When they left the school 400 British soldiers arrived and lessons for the students were restricted to the upper floors.
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The School Magazine of Spring 1940 records that -
"It has been possible to teach about 70% of the normal peace-time hours"
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The school entrance hall houses a Roll of Honour naming all the Old Bournemouthians who lost their lives during the conflict of 1939-1945.
Tig's Boys
When the First World War broke out, all the boys who had passed through Bournemouth School were old enough to be conscripted. Many of those boys wrote to the man who had been their headmaster and inspiration during their school years, Dr Fenwick, known as 'Tiger' or 'Tig' for short. In turn, Tig replied to each and every one of the letters he received. Some of those letters have been published in a book, Tig's Boys, Letters to Sir from the Trenches, edited by David Hilliam, who was a deputy headmaster at Bournemouth School many years later.
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The book includes extracts from letters about the conditions in the trenches, but also about some of the lighter hearted activities that kept the men occupied while they were away from home. There are also black and white photographs of some of the Old Boys and of Dr Fenwick.
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What really comes across in the letters is the respect that these boys had for their old headmaster. Extracts from the letters were printed in the school magazine which was written by Dr Fenwick at the time.
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Former Deputy Headmaster, William Pyke, has published "Bournemouth's Heroes: The Patriots of Bournemouth School 1914 - 1918", telling of the experiences of old Bournemouthians on the Western Front.
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The Daily Echo recently ran an article on the book and quoted Mr Pyke , saying :
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"With this book, I wanted to honour those who not only lost their lives, but also the ones who survived the war and lived to tell the tale."
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