| AdminHistory | St Bernard's Roman Catholic Central Boys' School was founded by Monsignor Canon Ring and opened in premises at Damien Street, Stepney, E1 in 1929. The name of the school reflects its patron saint, St Bernard of Clairvaux, a 12th-century abbot and it was also erected as a memorial to Father Bernard Vaughan, S.J., who, according to the school's own publications, undertook 'great work for the faithful in the East End' (Tower Hamlets Local History Library publications collection, ref: 820.3).
During the Second World War the school was evacuated to Englefield Green, north Surrey. By the winter of 1964 the school had relocated to Bethnal Green, following an amalgamation with St Gregory the Great Secondary School and the Bishop Challoner Secondary School to form St. Bernard's R.C. Secondary Comprehensive school. The school's main new premises were located in Wood Close, St Matthew's Row, within the former premises of the St Gregory the Great Secondary School. However, it was split between two sites with the lower part of the school based at Mansford Street (near Old Bethnal Green Road).
The convoluted history of the schools which amalgamated with St Bernard's in the 1960s adds a further level of complexity to anyone trying to comprehend the records in this collection and thus warrants the following clarification regarding background history.
St Gregory the Great Secondary School (Wood Close, Bethnal Green, E2)
Wood Close School opened in Bethnal Green in 1901 and closed in 1953. It was subsequently used as St Anne's Secondary School, which opened in Wood Close in 1955 and at which time was linked with the existing St Anne's primary school in Underwood Rd/Buxton St (Stepney, E1). It became a separate school and was renamed St Gregory the Great Secondary School in 1959 before amalgamating with St Bernard's in 1964/65. In 2012, when these records were catalogued, the William Davis Primary School was located on this site.
Bishop Challoner Secondary School (Hardinge St/Johnson St, Stepney, E1)
Johnson Street RC School opened in 1905, it was renamed Bishop Challoner Secondary School in 1951 prior to amalgamating with St Bernard's in 1964/65.
St Bernard's closed in August 1991 when it merged with St Philip Howard to become the Blessed John Roche secondary school. |
| CustodialHistory | The records were held by St Bernard's School when deposited with Tower Hamlets Local History Library and Archives by its Headteacher, Mr A. Hawkridge, in December 1990 and February 1991. Prior to the amalgamation of St Gregory the Great and Bishop Calloner schools with St Bernard's in 1964/65 it is most likely that the non-St Bernard's records would have been held by the respective predeccessor institutions. |