Search Results

<p>Starting with the headmistress Miss Florence Anstey, the Census goes on to list seven Assistant Mistresses and one Housemistress who were all resident on the 2 April 1911. The Census lists 12 boarders on this page.
</p>
<p>Of particular interest is Dorothy May Davies, aged 16, born in Liverpool. This is the legendary 'Do' who went on to teach at the school from 1919 to 1961.On other pages the Census records pupils born in Bombay, Madras and Shanghai.While most pupils were born in Wales many, like the mistresses here, were English. The final page (of four), includes the names of the domestic staff resident at the school and is also published on our site - see link.
</p>
<p>Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
</p>

First page of DWS Census Return 1911

TAGS

<p>This page shows there were 100 women and girls resident on the day the Census was taken. The youngest by far on this page (Sybil Thomas) was just 7 years old. 11 domestic staff - a cook, a laundrymaid, 6 housemaids (including one born in Colorado), 1 sewing maid and 2 kitchen maids boarded at the school on the 2nd April 1911. The page is signed by the headmistress Miss Florence Anstey.
</p>
<p>This page contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
</p>

Last page of DWS Census return 1911

TAGS

1911 Census Boarders Domestic staff

<p>The 1911 Census records that Florence Anstey was born in Bath, Somerset and was 44 at the time the Census was taken and that she was not a Welsh speaker. There were seven Assistant Mistresses, aged between 27 and 33, resident at the school at the time. Five spoke only English the other two spoke English and Welsh.
</p>
<p>79 pupils are recorded; most were born in Wales or England. Three pupils were born in Bombay, Madras and Shanghai respectively.
</p>
<p>One of the pupils (Dorothy May Davies) aged 16 and from Liverpool, was to go on to become something of a legend at DWS. She retired in 1961 after 42 years teaching.
</p>
<p>The DWS Homefront 1914 gallery pages on this site reveal how the school 'did its bit', affording glimpses of the impact of the war in rural Wales and on one school community. Miss Anstey must have been a source of inspiration for all their efforts.
</p>

Miss Florence Anstey, Headmistress 1906-1924

TAGS

Headmistress World War 1 Census Dorothy Davies

<p>The first page of the School Magazine published in February 1915 records how the girls immediately set about making garments for soldiers, sailors, Belgian refugees 'or others in distress and want caused by the war'. Two hundred garments were completed and despatched during the term.
</p>

The outbreak of War and how DWS responded, Article 1915

TAGS

World War 1 Refugees sewing

<p>This auxiliary military hospital opened for two years during the First World War, closing on the 22 March 1919. There are stories in the school magazine about the entertainments, eggs and newspapers provided by the girls and staff of DWS for the wounded soldiers while they were convalescing at Caernynwch.
</p>
See the Related Story links on this page.
<br>

Caerynwch Auxiliary Military Hospital, patients and nurse

TAGS

Military hospital World War 1 Caerynwch

<p>Miss Owen left at Christmas to prepare for her marriage.
</p>
More pupils were being accommodated.
<br>Form 11 increased to such 'an alarming extent that it was found necessary to make a separate First Form'. Three little Belgian girls who are refugees in Dolgelley are placed in this form.
</p>
<p>Great excitement was caused by a visit of part of the Welsh Army Corps on January 20th on a route march through Merionethshire.
</p>

A page of snippets from the July 1915 school magazine

TAGS

magazine 1915 refugees Welsh Army Corps World War 1

<p>Image from a contemporary school magazine shows dining room tables (complete with vases of flowers) in a long gaslit room. There is a fireplace along one wall. The pictures we can see appear to show school teams.
</p>

The School Dining Room in the 1900s

TAGS

Dining room gaslight 1900s

<p>A page from the 1915 School magazine includes an item about a lecture by a Miss Tungate, an American lady, who 'kept her audience enraptured for more than an hour' talking about her experiences in Belgium at the outbreak of war.
A collection was made for destitute Belgians left in their own country.
</p>
<p>Another item notes the celebrations for the school's 37th birthday on February 7th.
</p>
<p>The snippet at the top of the page completes an item about a route march by the Welsh Army Corps as it goes past the school during dinner. It afforded 'An excellent view of the splendid looking men who are doing their best for King and Country'.
</p>

Miss Tungate's 'Delightful lecture' on being in Belgium 1914

TAGS

Magazine World War 1 Belgium School Birthday

<p>A page from July 1915 school magazine lists the various societies pupils supported by making clothes. The garments were sent weekly to the Red Cross,the Sailors' Institute, Queen Mary's Needlework Guild,the Zenana Mission (for Indian soldiers wounded or at the Front),local territorials and refugees in Aberystwyth, Barmouth and Dolgelley and also to destitute Belgians left in their own devastated country.
</p>
<p>Socks seem to have been in demand, judging by this page.
</p>

Sewing for the Red Cross, Refugees, destitute Belgians 1915

TAGS

magazine World War 1 Refugees Red Cross sewing

<p>Gifts to the museum recorded in the July 1915 School magazine included:
</p>
<p>A piece of the Bell of Nieuport Cathedral in Belgium, shattered by bombardment
</p>
A Belgian Railway ticket
<br>

<p>Biscuit, as supplied to our Soldiers, presented by Majel Fennell
</p>

Swallows Egg and Staghorn Moss from Cader
<br>

<p>and an item identified thus: 'The Roman Matrons giving up their jewels to carry on the war against Hannibal (cf. German Women in 1915)
</p>

A bell shattered by bombardment in Belgium, Museum gift 1915

TAGS

magazine museum 1915 World War 1

<p>Items in the School Notes from the School Magazine July 1915 describe the fundraising and practical projects undertaken by pupils to support the war effort.
</p>
<p>'Sandbags Stop Bullets'( Headline- British Journal of Nursing 1915)
</p>
<p>How to make Miss Tyler's sandbags (Instructions found in the Journal of Nursing):
MATERIAL: hessian or jute, SIZE: 33in by 14in when made up.
SEAMS: Put edges together, turn them up once, together; Sew over strongly with string or stout linen thread (or machine twice with thread, NOT chain stitch). Take deep stitches, one end to be left open (lightly caught or raw edged) Turn bags inside out and tie on a piece of stout string to close sack when filled.
</p>
<p>NB:- Wide turnings, strong seams. The bags are tossed about and must stand strain. Empty bags sent to Miss Tyler will be sent to the Front without delay. Millions of bags are wanted.
</p>

Red Cross, Russian Flag Day, sewing, making sandbags -1915

TAGS

World War 1 Red Cross sandbags fundraising sewing

<p>Gifts to the school museum, noted in the school magazine February 1916, included cartridges taken from a Turkish soldier in Gallipoli, a glass float from a net to catch submarines found on the Carnovonshire coast, 'curiosities' from Bolivia, a shell case from Northern France (donated by Captain Cecil Gwynne Thomas) and birds' eggs.
</p>

Gifts to the Museum included cartridges from Gallipoli, 1916

TAGS

Gallipoli World War 1 museum France submarine

Dr Williams’ School
Dolgellau
1878 - 1975

Explore The Themes

Search Results

First page of DWS Census Return 1911

Last page of DWS Census return 1911

Miss Florence Anstey, Headmistress 1906-1924

The outbreak of War and how DWS responded, Article 1915

Caerynwch Auxiliary Military Hospital, patients and nurse

A page of snippets from the July 1915 school magazine

The School Dining Room in the 1900s

Miss Tungate's 'Delightful lecture' on being in Belgium 1914

Sewing for the Red Cross, Refugees, destitute Belgians 1915

A bell shattered by bombardment in Belgium, Museum gift 1915

Red Cross, Russian Flag Day, sewing, making sandbags -1915

Gifts to the Museum included cartridges from Gallipoli, 1916