Old Princethorpians

Princethorpe’s connection to one of the most historic events of the 20th Century, ‘She went up as a princess and came down as a Queen’.

In the Easter Term of 1952, St. Mary’s Priory received some very shocking and sad news. Just two days later, the girls of St. Mary’s Priory listened to the proclamation of Queen Elizabeth II and they were thrilled to discover that they had their very own link to this momentous occasion.

Many miles away from Princethorpe, Princess Elizabeth was staying at the Treetops Hotel in the foothills of Mount Kenya, when the news that her father, King George VI, had died and that she was to become Queen was broken to her by Prince Philip. According to Lady Pamela, also in Kenya working as a lady-in-waiting, the Queen showed her customary humility, apologising to everyone that they would now need to return home. She was in awe of the fact that the Queen was still thinking of others in this moment of shock and grief.

Lady Betty Walker (née Feilding) was hosting Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip on their visit to Kenya in 1952, when Princess Elizabeth heard the news. It is not hard to imagine that our very own Betty Feilding overheard these momentous words, saw these exchanges, shared her sadness and sympathy with the Queen and was unwittingly a part of one of the greatest moments in 20th Century history; that she saw Princess Elizabeth on the very day that she became Queen. The young Betty Feilding, who spent her school years at St. Mary’s Priory could never have imagined what was to lay before her.

Born in Monks Kirkby at the family home of Newnham Paddox in 1899, we know that Betty was a boarder at SMP, along with her sisters Clare and Victoria, in 1911.

Betty appears to participate wholeheartedly in school life, making the most of the opportunities presented to her; achieving musical and academic success. In one award ceremony she was given the subject prize for not one but three subjects – Religious Instruction, English Studies and Arithmetic. Betty seems to have been a very talented young woman.

Further investigations in the archives have shown that Betty took part in a school play, which was ‘an early Roman play’ called ‘St. Filumena’ and apparently it was an ‘unqualified success.

Discovering Betty’s story and the pleasure she clearly felt as a member of the Princethorpe Community has come at an extremely timely moment, as we have mourned and now celebrate the life of Queen Elizabeth II. Through Betty, we are able to recognise the great wealth of history that is within our school and we have the wonderful archives that were able to verify the story we learnt at our VSOP event on the Saturday 17 September!

Shortly after her time at Treetops, Queen Elizabeth II said that her ‘whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to (our) Service’ and, seventy years later, we can certainly agree that it has.

*Peeps of Princethorpe was the annual school magazine of St. Mary’s priory and, with only a few exceptions, we have copies from 1902 to 1964 with a special 1990 Reunion edition. They contain a wealth of information and are a wonderful source to gain an insight into life at St. Mary’s Priory

[1] Peeps of Princethorpe, 1952, p. 17

[2] The India Hicks Podcast, 5. A Royal Love Story, a Commonwealth Tour and a Princess to become Queen, < https://indiahicks.libsyn.com/5-a-royal-love-story-a-commonwealth-tour-and-a-princess-becomes-queen> [accessed 28th September 2022]

[3] Ibid.

[4] Census of England and Wales, 1911, RG 14, The National Archives

[5] Peeps of Princethorpe, 1913, p. 44

[6] Peeps of Princethorpe, 1913, p. 43

OP Ed Hodgetts sent us this clipping from the Coventry Evening Telegraph back in May after finding it when he was having a clear out. The cutting is from 1966 and shows Archbishop Dwyer talking to some pupils at the official opening of Princethorpe College.

Ed recognised the faces but after all this time struggled to name them all. He thought that left to right they were: ?, John Wheildon, Archbishop Dwyer, ?, ?, Kevin Hardwick, John Tehan? and Eddie Rogers. The Priest on the right came with the Archbishop.

We recognised Sean Kerrigan and shared the clip with him, and he confirmed that he was the pupil closest to the camera on the left, but that the boy in the centre was actually Martin Nash and not Kevin Hardwick. Can anyone else help us fill in the remaining gaps?

Ed also found a photo which came from the Coventry Evening Telegraph at the time the boys school opened. With help from his elder brother he named the individuals it pictured as, left to right: Martin Zucco, Stephen Gately, Fr Fleming, Pete Davis and Anthony Hodgetts.

Ed told us, “I think most who leave Princethorpe go with fond memories, I certainly did. Fr Fleming, quiet and kindly; Fr Clarkson, always with a ready smile; Fr Horgan, chain-smoking along the corridors and into the classrooms; Fr O'Connor on the rugby pitch, I still have the scars; Fr O'Callaghan, cross country demon who could quell a riot with one look and one word .... Gosh!”

“A few of us camping in the fields above Switzerland in the holidays was a highlight. We had the run of the place and the off licence at the Three Horseshoes would quietly let us have a supply of beer and fags.”

After a life in agriculture, hospitality and finally as a lecturer in accounting, Ed is now happily retired with his wife Dorothy (32 years since knot tie) living in Freckleton, Lancashire. They have two daughters, a grandson and granddaughter.

It was fascinating to receive the clipping and the photograph, many thanks to Ed for sending them through.

If you can tell us any more about the opening of the College, the cutting or the photo, any details, names or memories then please do get in touch email oldprincethorpians@princethorpe.co.uk.

It's always an exciting day when the whole school photograph gets taken. Princethorpe's took place this week and went very well, despite the weather! Back in 1975, this photograph really captured the era with some enviable hairstyles and outfits. Our archivist, Catherine Lewis, dug this treasure out of her files and shared it this week on the @PFdn_Archives Twitter feed. Now who do you regcognise?

Within the school archives there is a huge collection of photos, that we know our alumni community would enjoy seeing. Our new Archivist, Catherine Lewis, has taken over the reins of the @PFdn_Archives Twitter account and just like her predecessor has begun to share some of the photographic treasures in her care.

Over the summer her tweets have included photos of:

• A photograph of Princethorpe College pupils c. 1970s
• Pupils from St. Joseph's Convent enjoying a day out in 1955
• A 1970s photograph of a group of Princethorpians departing for a Geography field trip
• Photos of bag pipes, steel bands and even a tug-of-war from the Summer Fete in 1980
• Sports Day photos from the 1970s

Do you recognise them, can you help us fill in the details, such as the exact year and names of the individuals, in these photos here?

Everyone is welcome to explore the 11,000 items in archive collection further, yoou can have a look here: https://archives.princethorpe.co.uk/, or you can receive regular updates, including lots of old photos, by following the Archive Twitter feed @PFdn_Archives