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Friends of Woking Palace |
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The Grange Supplement part one |
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As the result of a number of articles compiled by the late Denis Upcott and which appeared in Woking History Society’s Newsletter, it has been possible to supplement the information regarding this house particularly with regard to the period after Rev. Francis Wilson took over the house from Charles Arnold
It is said that the Rev Charles Bowles, who was living at the house at the time of the 1841-61 Censuses returns, moved to the Grange because he found the previous vicarage the Old Vicarage was too cramped for his wife and 11 children! PM By 1838 he had set up a small school in the village, AC, which was supported by voluntary contributions GD. The number receiving instruction was 170 boys and girls.
The Rev.Charles Arnold, took over the house from the vicar, Charles Bowles and set up Woking College in the premises. By 1871 the school had 60 pupils from all over the country.AC .
When Francis Wilson MA took the house over, he continued to run the establishment as a preparatory school, but it seems, on a smaller scale. Wilson's Prospectus is very brief and is titled Woking College, Woking, Surrey. There is a copy of this at the Lightbox. He is described as of Emmanuel College, Cambridge, 2nd Class in the Classical Tripos of 1888, Assistant Master in Cheam School.
Francis Wilson lived here with his wife, Edith, their son, Graham Francis Winstanley, their two daughters, Margaret Elizabeth (Madge) and Edith Irene Matilda (Hilda) and his mother.
Much later Miss Madge would relate her childhood memories of the Edward Ryde's visits to The Grange. The family would walk across the road from Poundfield House opposite to take tea but, when occasionally visiting for dinner, they would have the carriage harnessed up and be driven the 30 yards or so to the Wilsons’ house.
Denis Upcott says Mrs Frances Wilson, (Rev. Wilson's Mother) died in 1901 and Mr John Wilson (his father?) in 1905. However, there is no entry for Mrs Wilson in the St Peter’s burial register and although there is an entry for a Mr John Wilson of Westfield who was buried on 10 May 1905, there is nothing to confirm that this relates to Francis Wilson’s father. Mrs Edith Wilson, Francis Wilson’s wife, owned two black houses in Rydens Way, on the site of Woking College. These were let to gypsies. She ran a Sunday School for gypsies and gave them Christmas Dinner at The Grange. The Rev. Francis Wilson died in 1932 aged 84.
AC A History of Woking by Alan Crosby original 1982 edition PM Parish Magazine – Wilson GD 1842 Guildford Directory |
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