Wellesley Nautical School
Encyclopedia
The Wellesley Nautical School was a naval training school first located on the Tyne
, and later removed to Blyth
under the leadership of James Hall, 'to provide shelter for Tyneside waifs and train young men for service in both Royal and Merchant Navies.' The first accommodation was on board a Bombay built 74-gun third rate ship of the line
HMS Cornwall
, which had been launched as HMS Wellesley. This ship was repossessed and replaced circa 1874 by the hulked third rate, HMS Boscawen, moored on the Tyne at North Shields
and also renamed T.S. Wellesley. By the early 1900s Wellesley was accepting boys from London
, Manchester
and Liverpool
as well as from Tyneside
and Yorkshire
.
A change occurred in 1914 when the training ship was destroyed by fire, although all boys were brought ashore safely to reside until 1918 in the Tynemouth Plaza, on a temporary basis. An appeal was launched and raised £22,000 which allowed the school to take over the World War One submarine base at Blyth where it has been based since - apart from a period from the Second World War when the school evacuated to Hamsterley Forest
in County Durham
.
Wellesley became an Approved School
in 1933, but continued to train boys (some of whom were still there as abandoned children or voluntarily) for sea-going trades in a variety of vessels sailing out of Blyth. In 1973, following substantial changes in the treatment of young boys incorporated in the Children and Young Persons Act 1969, Wellesley became part of The City of Sunderland's Council
's Social Services Department and although the nautical element continued into the 1970s the last thirty years of its operation saw a distinct move away from sea-going training towards more general education and training as "Wellesley Community Home".
After being refused planning permission by Blyth Valley
Council to make improvements to the site, an appeal was made and won by Sunderland Council. However, after much consideration it was decided by Sunderland that the home would be closed; Wellesley officially closed its doors on 6 November 2006. Sadly the original forum and it's connecting website have been closed down by the Webmaster for unexplained reasons.
River Tyne
The River Tyne is a river in North East England in Great Britain. It is formed by the confluence of two rivers: the North Tyne and the South Tyne. These two rivers converge at Warden Rock near Hexham in Northumberland at a place dubbed 'The Meeting of the Waters'.The North Tyne rises on the...
, and later removed to Blyth
Blyth, Northumberland
Blyth is a town and civil parish in southeast Northumberland, England. It lies on the coast, to the south of the River Blyth and is approximately 21 kilometres northeast of Newcastle upon Tyne...
History
The Wellesley Nautical School was founded in 1868 by a group of philanthropic businessmen on TynesideTyneside
Tyneside is a conurbation in North East England, defined by the Office of National Statistics, which is home to over 80% of the population of Tyne and Wear. It includes the city of Newcastle upon Tyne and the Metropolitan Boroughs of Gateshead, North Tyneside and South Tyneside — all settlements on...
under the leadership of James Hall, 'to provide shelter for Tyneside waifs and train young men for service in both Royal and Merchant Navies.' The first accommodation was on board a Bombay built 74-gun third rate ship of the line
Ship of the line
A ship of the line was a type of naval warship constructed from the 17th through the mid-19th century to take part in the naval tactic known as the line of battle, in which two columns of opposing warships would manoeuvre to bring the greatest weight of broadside guns to bear...
HMS Cornwall
HMS Wellesley (1815)
HMS Wellesley was a 74-gun third rate, named for the Duke of Wellington, and launched in 1815. She captured Karachi for the British, and participated in the First Opium War, which resulted in Britain gaining control of Hong Kong...
, which had been launched as HMS Wellesley. This ship was repossessed and replaced circa 1874 by the hulked third rate, HMS Boscawen, moored on the Tyne at North Shields
North Shields
North Shields is a town on the north bank of the River Tyne, in the metropolitan borough of North Tyneside, in North East England...
and also renamed T.S. Wellesley. By the early 1900s Wellesley was accepting boys from London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
and Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
as well as from Tyneside
Tyneside
Tyneside is a conurbation in North East England, defined by the Office of National Statistics, which is home to over 80% of the population of Tyne and Wear. It includes the city of Newcastle upon Tyne and the Metropolitan Boroughs of Gateshead, North Tyneside and South Tyneside — all settlements on...
and Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
.
A change occurred in 1914 when the training ship was destroyed by fire, although all boys were brought ashore safely to reside until 1918 in the Tynemouth Plaza, on a temporary basis. An appeal was launched and raised £22,000 which allowed the school to take over the World War One submarine base at Blyth where it has been based since - apart from a period from the Second World War when the school evacuated to Hamsterley Forest
Hamsterley Forest
Hamsterley Forest is a commercial forest in County Durham operated by the Forestry Commission. It is the largest forest in County Durham and covers more than 2000 hectares. Recreational activities are promoted within the forest and are focussed at the eastern end around the...
in County Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
.
Wellesley became an Approved School
Approved School
Approved School is a term formerly used in the United Kingdom to mean a particular kind of residential institution to which young people could be sent by a court, usually for committing offences but sometimes because they were deemed to be beyond parental control...
in 1933, but continued to train boys (some of whom were still there as abandoned children or voluntarily) for sea-going trades in a variety of vessels sailing out of Blyth. In 1973, following substantial changes in the treatment of young boys incorporated in the Children and Young Persons Act 1969, Wellesley became part of The City of Sunderland's Council
City of Sunderland
The City of Sunderland is a local government district of Tyne and Wear, in North East England, with the status of a city and metropolitan borough...
's Social Services Department and although the nautical element continued into the 1970s the last thirty years of its operation saw a distinct move away from sea-going training towards more general education and training as "Wellesley Community Home".
After being refused planning permission by Blyth Valley
Blyth Valley
Blyth Valley was a Local government district and borough in south-east Northumberland, England, bordering the North Sea and Tyne and Wear. The two principal towns were Blyth and Cramlington...
Council to make improvements to the site, an appeal was made and won by Sunderland Council. However, after much consideration it was decided by Sunderland that the home would be closed; Wellesley officially closed its doors on 6 November 2006. Sadly the original forum and it's connecting website have been closed down by the Webmaster for unexplained reasons.
External links
- School Index data from www.missing-ancestors.com