Grange Valley - where it all began!

The history of Grange Valley...

Where it all began!

"Hello my name is Wren. I am the POWERS character for our History curriculum At Grange Valley, we have found all the old log looks which have provided an amazing insight into the history of our Grange Valley Family. Take a look at our timeline and click on the interactive buttons to find out more!"

THE HANOVERIANS

Queen Victoria 1837 - 1901

Victoria was the only child of Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg and Edward Duke of Kent, fourth son of George III. The throne Victoria inherited was weak and unpopular. Her Hanoverian uncles had been treated with irreverence. In 1840 she married her cousin Albert of Saxe-Coburg. Albert exerted tremendous influence over the Queen and until his death was virtual ruler of the country. He was a pillar of respectability and left two legacies to the UK, the Christmas Tree and the Great Exhibition of 1851. With the money from the Exhibition several institutions were developed, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Science Museum, Imperial College and the Royal Albert Hall. The Queen withdrew from public life after the death of Albert in 1861 until her Golden Jubilee in 1887. Her reign saw the British Empire double in size and in 1876 the Queen became Empress of India, the ‘Jewel in the Crown’. When Victoria died in 1901, the British Empire and British world power had reached their highest point. She had nine children, 40 grand-children and 37 great-grandchildren, scattered all over Europe.

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Local History

Wider World History

Grange Valley History

1820 - 1910

Prime MinisterSir Robert Peel 2nd Baronet 1841 to 1846, 1834 to 1835

July 1867

Warm weather! Teachers sprinkled water on floors to make it cool

November 1878

Deduction of money due to poor inspection.

Florence Nightingale , known as “The Lady With the Lamp,” We study this in Year 2!

February 1878

Half a day off for the chimneys to be swept.

October 1867

Thomas Barnardo opens first shelter for children.

July 1883

Grange Valley recieves its first telegram.

June 1867

June 1878

Shortage of slates for children to use in school.

Explosion at the wood pit, children sent home!

Click the button to find out more about the history of British Prime Ministers

Pandemic

May 1891

School closes for the races.

January 1885

October 1898

Grange Valley closes for a whole month due to a measel outbreak!

Ocotber 1902

Circus visited St Helens.

New style of writing introduced.

October 1891

January 1901

Removal of school fees.

November 1902

On 22nd January 1901, Queen Victoria passed away, leaving Edward to inherit the throne.

Dual desks brought into school.

May 1887

School photographs were taken for the very first time.

HOUSE OF SAXE-COBURG AND GOTHA

Edward VII 1901 - 1910

A much loved king, the opposite of his dour father. He loved horse-racing, gambling and women! This Edwardian Age was one of elegance. Edward had all the social graces and many sporting interests, yachting and horse-racing – his horse Minoru won the Derby in 1909. Edward married the beautiful Alexandra of Denmark in 1863 and they had six children. The eldest, Edward Duke of Clarence, died in 1892 just before he was to marry Princess Mary of Teck. When Edward died in 1910 it is said that Queen Alexandra brought his current mistress Mrs. Keppel to his bedside to take her farewell. His best known mistress was Lillie Langtry, the ‘Jersey Lily’.

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June 1911

March 1913

School closed for the coronation of George V

School closed for King George V and the Queen passing through Haydock.

Pandemic

April 1907

Discussion of midday meals during strike.

School closed for measles outbreak.

March 1912

April 1912

March 1908

Pandemic

School closed due to whooping cough outbreak

Change in syllabus

Piano bought for school.

January 1918

School closed due to fires not been lit by cleaner.

October 1911

HOUSE OF WINSOR

NAME CHANGED IN 1917

George V 1910 - 1936

George had not expected to be king, but when his elder brother died he became the heir-apparent. He had joined the Navy as a cadet in 1877 and loved the sea. He was a bluff, hearty man with a ‘quarter-deck’ manner. In 1893 he married Princess Mary of Teck, his dead brother’s fiancee. His years on the throne were difficult; the First World War in 1914 – 1918 and the troubles in Ireland which lead to the creation of the Irish Free State were considerable problems. In 1932 he began the royal broadcasts on Christmas Day and in 1935 he celebrated his Silver Jubilee. His latter years were overshadowed by his concern about the Prince of Wales and his infatuation with Mrs. Simpson.

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September 1918

August 1940

Headteacher Mr Stevenson killed in France.

1936

Air raid warning and children taken to shelter.

George V diedEdward VIII abdicated George VI crowned

June 1921

Won football competition

March 1945

School closed for King George VI and the Queen passing through Haydock.

September 1939

November 1952

World War II began when Germany invaded Poland.

School boy visits Haydock Cottage Hospital

Pandemic

March 1945

February 1919

National holiday for the beginning of the end of hostilities in Europe.

School closed due to influenza.

HOUSE OF WINSOR

Edward VIII 1936 - Abdicated1936

EDWARD VIII abdicated the throne in December 1936 after only 6 months.Edward was the most popular Prince of Wales Britain has ever had. Consequently when he renounced the throne to marry Mrs. Wallis Simpson the country found it almost impossible to believe. The people as a whole knew nothing about Mrs. Simpson until early in December 1936. Mrs. Simpson was an American, a divorcee and had two husbands still living. This was unacceptable to the Church, as Edward had stated that he wanted her to be crowned with him at the Coronation which was to take place the following May. Edward abdicated in favour of his brother and took the title, Duke of Windsor. He went to live abroad.

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HOUSE OF WINSOR

george VI 1936 - 1952

George was a shy and nervous man with a very bad stutter, the exact opposite of his brother the Duke of Windsor, but he had inherited the steady virtues of his father George V. He was very popular and well loved by the British people. The prestige of the throne was low when he became king, but his wife Elizabeth and his mother Queen Mary were outstanding in their support of him. The Second World War started in 1939 and throughout the King and Queen set an example of courage and fortitude. They remained at Buckingham Palace for the duration of the war in spite of the bombing. The Palace was bombed more than once. The two Princesses, Elizabeth and Margaret, spent the war years at Windsor Castle. George was in close touch with the Prime Minister, Winston Churchill throughout the war and both had to be dissuaded from landing with the troops in Normandy on D-Day! The post-war years of his reign were ones of great social change and saw the start of the National Health Service. The whole country flocked to the Festival of Britain held in London in 1951, 100 years after the Great Exhibition during Victoria’s reign.

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1952 to 2023

Coming soon

please come back next week to find out more about our history!