S
those of you who have read through
the previous sections of this work already know, our headmaster,
Neville Bradshaw, had a brother, Ronald, six years younger than
himself. Ronald also attended Halesowen Grammar School (as did
two of his sisters) and had a subsequent career that had many
parallels to that of his elder brother, Neville.
Very few, if any, pupils at LCGS or indeed the staff had any knowledge that there was another county grammar school at St Albans run by a Mr Bradshaw that had so many similarities to that at Lewes that one could almost regard the St Albans operation as a new branch of the Old Firm! It seems that the brothers exchanged ideas in several ways, and both used ideas tried before at Halesowen Grammar School.
onald Bradshaw was born in 1902, six years after NRB, at
Springfield Lane, Rowley Regis in the Black Country. He was the
fourth child and second son of the family. He too attended Knowle
Primary School near his home and at about 11 he moved to Halesowen
Grammar School to join NRB and his sister Cicely.
There are several references to him in the "Halesonian" and he appears to have followed very much in his brother's footsteps. He had parts in the school plays, played cricket and football and we have several photos of him in the school teams. He took the usual exams and like his brother passed well but did not achieve great distinction.
Being six years younger, his experience of the Great War was, of course very different frm Neville's. During the war he was still at school and his military experience was limited to the School Cadet Corps of which he was a prominent member. We see him in the cadet photo with three stripes showing sitting three places to the left (as you see it) of the C/O, Captain Dickinson.
In 1920 he left school and followed his brother's path by enrolling as a student at Birmingham University. By this time the Bradshaw family had moved from Springfield to a house in Powke Lane, Blackheath about a mile to the south of their former home. He would then have commuted from Old Hill station.
Birmingham University kindly supplied us with a copy of its records of his academic progress. It appears that he had passed his Higher School Certificate (Joint Board) at school in July 1920 though the subjects and grades are not recorded. Presumably the level that he had achieved was sufficient for him to enrol that October in the Honours School of History. Neville, who had left school six years earlier, had to take the Intermediate Arts Course in his first year. This difference was probably because the standard of preparation for university at HGS in 1920 was greater than in 1914.
In his first year Ronald took examinations in Latin, English, French and History (including the higher paper) and passed comfortably in all subjects. In his second year he took History, French and General Economics, again passing easily. For his final year he took more History, Economics and Philosophy. He graduated with Class II Honours History in June 1923.
It is doubtful if Ronald's three years at Birmingham were financed by school, local authority or state funds. He did not fight in the Great War so would not have been eligible for an ex-serviceman's award. It seems most likely that the costs were found out of family funds. The fact that the Bradshaw family moved from Springfield to a newly-built house in Blackheath around 1915 could have been a consequence of the death of the Gillard elders, who had been born about 1836, and a subsequent legacy. There are a number of small indicators that the family finances had improved.
Ronald had graduated at age 21 only one year after Neville, who was by then 27. In career terms they only differed by one year but in terms of maturity they would have been poles apart. This fact is reflected by the speed at which they progressed in the career that both had chosen - teaching.
We have no record of Ronald's early career (1923-31), which may or may not have been in teaching, but for reasons unknown he returned to his studies and went up as a mature student to St Catherine's College, Cambridge in 1931 to read Geography and History. The university archives show that he was placed in Class 2.2 in Part I of the Geographical Tripos in 1932 and Class 2.2 in Part II of the Historical Tripos in 1933. As an affiliated student and graduate from Birmingham University he was allowed to take his degree after six terms on 20 June 1933.
After Cambridge he returned to teaching. We have no record of his progress but we have been told he was teaching Geography at The Haberdashers' Aske's School at Elstree, Herts before his time at St Albans.
In 1937 Cambridge granted Ronald his MA. In term of academic credentials he was now on a par with his brother Neville. But Neville by this time had been headmaster at Lewes for seven years and was coming into his prime. Ronald was still a history and geography master.
According to the chairman of the Old Boys of St Albans, Mrs Ronald Bradshaw told him that her husband nearly missed out on becoming headmaster of St Albans. He did not see the advertisement and it was his brother Neville who drew his attention to it. He applied - late - but the application was accepted.
With Neville's experience and advice on just the sort of problems that would be encountered as headmaster of a newly-built county grammar school, Ronald would have had a considerable advantage over less well prepared candidates. The Appointments Committee were probably greatly impressed with his grasp of the problems ahead. He was chosen as the most suitable candidate. It was late 1937 and Ronald was then 35 - almost exactly the same age as Neville in 1930 when he became headmaster at Lewes.
The headmastership began on 1st January 1938 and the school was destined to open in the April with an intake of 54 boys. In the following September the numbers were to rise to 100. Ronald had to start from scratch, appointing a secretary and then an initial staff of 6 graduates. He would also have had to sort out a multitude of problems that would arise in such a situation. The help of his brother Neville must have been invaluable. The school duly opened on time in April 1938.
We do not have any detailed information about the events that took place under Ronald's headship, 1938 to 1967, but it is highly likely that the brothers were in regular contact and sharing their experiences. There is some evidence that some of the school plays put on at the two schools were the same. It is also said that there was a branch of Horne Bros. (the school outfitters) in St Albans which had photos of both headmasters on their walls!
Ronald Bradshaw should have retired in July 1967 but was given special dispensation to continue to Dec 31st. This meant that he, like Neville, served for exactly 30 years.
Your webmaster has been in contact with the Chairman of the Old Boys of St Albans School (The Old Verulamians) and more details about Ronald Bradshaw will, I hope, be appended here in due course. The Verulam Old Boys do have a website which you can visit.