a_skyline2

Not listed in 1894.  The school is listed in 1900 at 18 Sheil Rd, under the leadership of Mrs Mary COWMAN and  her daughter Marion, both born in Whitehaven.  By 1911, it had moved to 82 Sheil Rd (not built in 1900) and was run by the LUMBY sisters Elsie and Mary.  They are listed as teachers in the 1901 census, as is their brother John.  At that time they were living in Bishop Rd, off Townsend Lane.  The sisters were born in Rock Ferry.  In 1911, John has moved and Mary is listed as the Principal.   By 1930, Miss Elsie LUMBY is listed as the sole principal.  She is listed in the phone book at the school address (82 Sheil Rd) until at least 1960.  In the 1938 Drectory, however, the school is listed at 80a Shiel Rd, with Miss M USHERWOOD as principal.

Jean ROTH was a pupil in 1940 at Girton House and left in 1951, aged 11, to go to St. Edmund’s College, after passing a scholarship.  Jean writes:  In that year Miss USHERWOOD had the highest percentage of scholarship passes in Liverpool.  She was the headmistress and owner. Her mother used to cook the school dinners. There was also a Miss JONES who taught the infants.  Miss USHERWOOD was a great niece of the writer Robert Louis STEVENSON who wrote ‘Treasure Island’.  She was a wonderful and rigorous teacher.  She read to us a great deal.  She also wrote some stories herself which we loved.  I wonder if any were every published.

In 1951 she told my mother that she was considering retiring and closing the school as she was very much opposed to the new English teaching methods that Liverpool Corporation said she must adopt.  She felt that these new methods would be unsuccessful in giving children the right standards.

Barbara attended the school from 1952 for 4 years; her sisters attended from 1951 - 1962.  She writes:  During this time the school was divided into just three classes - infants (about 5-7), juniors (about 7-11) and seniors (about 11 - 15/16).  Boys only attended till they were 7, after that it was all girls. 

Muriel USHERWOOD was the head teacher at this time - she also taught the senior group.  Teachers came in to teach art (Miss RAWLINSON) and drama/dance (Hilary BURROWS).  I can't remember who taught middle school at that time but a Miss JONES taught the infants class.  She was a very rigorous teacher and had been there since my aunt's time in the late 1920s.

I found Muriel Constance USHERWOOD, born 22nd July 1907 in Hamphire, listed in the phone book at 80 Sheil Rd from the early 1940s.  She was still there in 1965, but seems to have moved to Woolton (Halewood Close) by 1968. She died in Norfolk in 1997.

Hilary BURROWS lived in Greenfield Rd, Stoneycroft.  She started her own dance school later on.

My Dad and I, about 1961, on Elmbank Rd.  Morrison School is at the top of the road

[Liverpool Schools] [History] [All schools] [A - C] [D - K] [L] [M - Q] [R - St Ja] [St Jo - St W] [St - Z] [Teacher Training] [Teachers] [Links] [Photo Gallery] [Bibliography] [Thanks]