Elmfield College

An ongoing research project

Added 31.3.17 (see comment below)
B. THIERRY des EPESSES

I am researching a history of Elmfield College (York, 1860s-1930s) and would be delighted to hear regarding any of your ancestors who were associated with this college. (Please see the Wikipedia article, much of which I have written – but I have a lot more information besides.)

I’d be glad to hear from anyone with information or interested in Elmfield College in York. I’d particularly like to track down copies of ‘The Elmfieldian’. I’m currently writing something based on letters sent home from the trenches by old boys during WW1 – is anybody else doing anything similar?

I’d also be interested to hear anything about the history of Primitive Methodism in York.

Comments about this page

  • Hi Iain Catternach.
    Yes I have his entry in the Elmfield Admissions Register and some other info.
    Will you please send me your email address and I will email them to you?
    My address is johnbibbyjohnbibby@gmail.com

    By John Michael Bibby (13/08/2023)
  • Hi, my great Granduncle, Lincoln Brown, is shown on the 1881 Census as attending Elmfield College aged 15. He subsequently lived in Grenada, West Indies where he died at the age of 33. I would be very interested in any information that you may have about him.

    By Iain Cattanach (12/08/2023)
  • I now have your grandfathers entry in the Elmfield Admissions Register, Caroline. Let me have your email if ypud like a copy

    It reads
    Entered 23 January 1901
    Firth, Frank Barnard
    1886 Aug 18th
    Parent Mr F Firth, 177 Kirkgate, Wakefield
    Left Xmas 1902

    My email is johnbibbyjohnbibby@gmail.com

    I also have some info from Ancestry

    By John Michael Bibby (26/09/2021)
  • How fascinating Caroline!
    I would dearly like to have a copy of this in the archives. I will.have a look to see what other information I have.
    Could you email me please on johnbibbyjohnbibby@gmail.com?

    By John Michael Bibby (26/09/2021)
  • I have a notebook belonging to my grandfather F B Firth which starts ” I will now narrate the adventures of the boys in Dormitory No 1 at Elmfield College York in the year 1902″ It goes on to describes the antic and punishments of the boys in Feb/March 1902. Would this be of interest to you – it does not name the boys but mentions “the Governor ” Mr Crombie and various other masters. If not of use to you can you suggest who I may contact.

    By Caroline Firth (25/09/2021)
  • I have the Admissions Register which will have his name in Anne.
    Do you have a copy of his medal?
    Can you please contact me via JB43@york.ac.uk

    Thx.

    JOHN BIBBY

    By John Bibby (14/02/2019)
  • My great grandfather Thomas Michael Turnbull was at Elmfield College as a master in the 1881 census. He must have been a former pupil because he was awarded a silver medal for Maths in 1875 presented by J Bradbury and a silver medal for English in 1876 presented by C Brown Esq. He went on to study Maths at Durham University. I would be interest to know if you have any information about him. His parents were not rich,

    By Ann Wood (12/02/2019)
  • My great-uncle John Fletcher Redhead, who has a page of this website devoted to him, went to Elmfield College in 1899. I have discovered two pages of an ancient family photo album are devoted to his stay there. One page has a date of 1905 on it and the other 1906. There are 3 views of the school and small head shot photos of him and his pals (I suspect they were cut out of a class photograph. They called themselves the “Fraternity”. Included are one of a teacher and I suspect the headmaster or “Gaffer” as it says under the photo.

    John Fletcher was killed in action in WW1 and was commemorated on the school war memorial unveiled in 1921. I only know this from a scan of the order of service for the unveiling I was able to download from a John Bibby website I found on-line. Does the war memorial still exist and/or are there any photos of it?

    I have scanned “my” photo album and happy to share it. Also have some other photos of John Fletcher after he left Elmfield but, sadly, none in military uniform.

    David Redhead 01646 650155 

    By David Redhead (27/01/2018)
  • Roy: Can you email me please at jb43@york.ac.uk. If your father went to Elmfield then I probably have his records!

    By John Bibby (06/01/2018)
  • My father went to Elmfield and I have many photos of him and his schoolmates at Elmfield

    By Roy (18/12/2017)
  • Dear Sir, 

    I have a few letters from Cephas Hartley, Claude La Chesnais – a young french student-, his mother and father. It is quite emotional. All these documents are from about 1911-1913.

    Yours faithfully 

    Post scriptum : how can I get your book on Elmfield?

    By THIERRY des EPESSES (30/03/2017)
  • I too am seeking ‘Elmfieldians’ – but only relating to the first war period (so covering say 1900-1919) as I am trying to build some kind of picture of the lads who went to war – for all three schools (inc Ashville & New Colleges) and did not return. This week, York Library tell me they have an August, 1917 copy! I’m too far away to go and digitally photograph it. But I will. Your fine Wiki site is most useful. Sadly Bill Booth’s wealth of material – including ‘Elmfieldians’ presumably (as he quotes freely) – seems lost – to the Ashville archive anyway. They have nothing as I understand it. Good wishes, Nick J Ashville 64-70

    By Nick Jackson (29/06/2013)

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