Memories of a school lost in World War Two

CHRIS ROBINSON STUDIES PAST TIMES AND FORMER HEADS OF HOE GRAMMAR

THE mention of Hoe Grammar School last week, in relation to Frank Chapman, who was an old boy and a Lord Mayor of Plymouth, prompted thoughts of other past pupils who had the honour of wearing the chains of that particular office, among them Isaac Foot (1944/45), Leslie Paul (1957/58), Ron King (1980/81), and Ivor Thompson (1976/76).

One might properly include a former headmaster of the school, too: George Dymond, who held office in 1931/2 as Mayor of Plymouth, a couple of years before the status of Lord Mayor was conferred on the city.

Dymond had taken the school on in 1887, some 20 years after it had been founded by 33-year-old Scotsman, Alexander Simpson Hendry, at 15 St James's Terrace.

This was, as Dymond himself later noted, "three years before the first Elementary Education Act and years before the Education Act of 1902. It may therefore be regarded as one of the pioneer schools of this locality, and was doing advanced work in education many years before the State schools were erected".