Grewelthorpe

Evacuees. World War 2.

EVACUEES. WORLD WAR 2
In the early days of the war, September 1939, 650 children,teachers and helpers were evacuated from Leeds and sent to Ripon
by train. Ripon Training College was chosen as a distribution centre, but many children were sent direct to the rural villages from Ripon station.
An ex Grewelthorpe resident tells the tale that when some of the children heard a gentleman with a Yorkshire accent say “This lot to Killinghall,” they panicked because they thought he had said “This lot, Kill em all.”

Children arriving in Ripon from Leeds.


For a small village like Grewelthorpe with only about 100 houses a large number of children were sent to the village as evacuees. From the school records we have their names and birth dates, where they came from, when they went home if at all, and where they stayed in the village. The Leeds teachers felt that they had some responsibility for the children, as they were away from their parents and homes. They said they were sure the householders who took the children in would do everything they could to make them feel welcome, and they would treat them the same as their own children. It was requested that an 8p.m. curfew be enforced. No children should be out after this hour, and it was hoped that the closest supervision would be given to the children after school hours, so that they were not wandering about unaccompanied by an adult. It is difficult to believe that this actually happened in the villages where the other children would be used to playing out until dark. It was expected that the schools would have an organised and settled routine in a very short time. It must have been very difficult for small schools such as Grewelthorpe to have this sudden influx of children, most of them older than the other children in the class, until they could be sorted out and sent on to secondary schools where necessary. Payments were made to the householders who took the children in, they were expected to provide accomodation and food but also care as the child would have expected at home. It was appreciated that there might be problems with extra laundry, but it was hoped that schemes could be set up to provide communal meals and welfare work amongst the children, which would lighten the burden of the householder. After the first rush of evacuees there was a constant trickle, as bombing increased in cities other than Leeds,and there was always a demand for householders to volunteer to take in these children. In September 1939, 17 children came to the school from Leeds, but most of them returned to Leeds within a few months. They were.
LEATHLEY GRAHAM. born 26.2.1933. Stayed with Mrs.Chapman.
WADDINGTON HERBERT. Born 29.3.1926. Returned to Leeds in 1940.
CROMACK GEORGE. Born 11.4.1926. returned to Leeds in November 1939.
CROMACK SYDNEY. Born 2.9.1928.
BLOOMBURY GEOFFREY. Born 25.8.1926. Returned to Leeds 1940.
PHIPPS DONALD. Returned to Leeds Dec. 1939.
PHIPPS CLARA. Born 14.5.1927 Returned to Leeds Dec 1939.
PHIPPS JOAN. Born 1.8.1929. Returned to Leeds Dec.1939.
BETNEY STANLEY. Born 31.12.1931. Returned to Leeds 1940.
SUTCLIFFE GEOFFREY. Born 24.7.1927. Left to attend Ripon Modern School 1940.
SUTCLIFFE PAULINE. Born 1.7.1929. Left Grewelthorpe school to attend Ripon Modern School in 1940.
LAND OLGA. Born 31.1.1928. Returned to Leeds 1940.
HARRIMAN SHIRLEY. Born 11.10.1927. Returned to Leeds 1940.
ACKROYD PHYLLIS. Born 22.4.1927. Returned to Leeds November 1939.
ARMSTRONG FRANCES. Born 1926. Left school age 14 yrs.
ARMSTRONG MARION. Born 20.2.1931. Returned to Leeds 1942.

Evacuees at Grewelthorpe school.
In 1940 children came from further away.
PETTS PEGGY. Born 28.4.1931.dau of Lilian. From Aldershot. Stayed at Westfield House, Grewelthorpe. Left the district in 1940.
DICK CATHERINE. Born 6.11.1928. from Margate. Stayed with Mrs Lofthouse, Green Farm. Left to attend Ripon Modern school in 1940. Catherine stayed in the village and married local lad Charles Wilson.


HOGGART ENID. Born 24.7.1932.Came from Middlesborough. Stayed at Spring House,Grewelthorpe. Returned to Middlesborough in Dec. 1940.

HOGGART GRACE. Born 10.7.1929. from Middlesborough. Stayed at Spring House. Left for Ripon Modern school in 1940.
RATCLIFFE BASIL. Born 11.7.1928. from Chaley Sussex. Son of Nellie. Stayed at Hazel House. Left for Wath in Sept. 1940.
BETTIS DAVID FRANK. Born 17.1.1935. son of Cicely of Stoke Newington. Stayed at Crown Cottage. Returned to London in 1941.
BETTIS JOAN. Born 29.6.1936. Dau of Cicely of Stoke Newington. Stayed at Crown Cottage. Returned to London in 1941.
HUMAN MARION. Born 4.2.1937. dau of Joseph John of London. Stayed at Westfield House. Withdrawn from school after 10days.
DAVISON ENA. Born 18.3.1930. dau of Ethel from Bishop Wearmouth. Stayed at Prospect House. Returned to Bishop Wearmouth in November 1940.
DAVISON ETHEL. Born 11.11.1931. details as for Ena.
DAVISON CUTHBERT. Born 21.5.1934. details as for Ena.
CLAEYS VINCENT. Born 10.3.1932. son of Martha from Belgium. Stayed at Parker House. Also lodged with the Lofthouse family. Left for Ripon Modern school in 1943.

Vincent Claeys


LUYEUS ROSETTE. Born 24.3.1933.Son of Damida of Belgium. Stayed at Parker House. Left district 1941.
PETTEL MICHAEL. Born 7.4.1929. son of Yetta from Hackney. Stayed at Hackfall Inn. Left for Ripon Modern school in November 1940.
PETTEL SYLVIA. Born 19.2.1932. dau of Yetta. As above. Left for London November 1940.
1941 ADMISSIONS.
EDGE GORDON S. born 1.12.1933. son of George Stanley. From Coventry. Stayed at Highfield.
HULME THOMAS EDWARD. Born 31.1.1933. son of Thomas Edward & Elsie May from Gillingham. Left district in July 1941. see letter below from Matthew Rogers-Hulme.
SPENCER JOAN P. born 1.8.1931. dau of Nellie from Gillingham. Stayed at Tower Hill. Left for Ripon Modern school in 1942.
CARTRIGHT SONIA. Born 27.6.1936. dau of Roland. Stayed at Thorneycroft. Left district a week later. Returned in 1945.
JOHNSON BARBARA. Born 27.8.1934.dau of Charles from Brighton. Stayed at Willowgarth. Left district October 1941.
JOHNSON LILIAN. Born 22.1.1933. dau of Charles from Brighton. Stayed at Willowgarth. Left district Oct 1941.
HART JOHN. Born 19.12.1932. son of Harry from Brighton. Left district in October 1941.
MILNER DAVID. Born 20.1.1931. son of Mark from Brighton. Stayed at Glen Cottage. Left district October 1942.
WHITFIELD SYLVIA JEAN. Born 8.12.1935. dau of Stanley from Hull. Stayed at Cross Hills. Returned to Hull 1943.
EVANS CHARLES EDWARD. Born 10.12.1935.son of Charles Edward from Stockton. Stayed at Elm House. Left district June 1941. only 2 weeks in school.
1942 ADMISSIONS.
BOUTTRY SIMONE. Born 1.8.1938. dau of Sylvia from Belgium. Stayed with Mrs Lofthouse. Returned to Belgium in 1944.
DUNCAN GORDON. Born 28.3.1938.Stayed with Mrs Watkinson. Left for Redcar in 1943.
DUNCAN JOHN. Born 22.3.1937. Stayed with Mrs Watlinson. Left district in 1943.
The two Duncan brothers came from Glasgow. Moved to Redcar in 1943 to join the rest of their family.
Thanks to John Duncan for this information. [2023].
BENTLEY ELMA. Born 29.12 1934. Dau of Elizabeth from Wimbledon. Returned to Wimbledon in Dec.1942.
PALMER JOHN. Born 7.12.1932. son of Charles from Bridlington. Stayed at Hackfall Inn. Left for Ripon modern school in July 1943.
WOOD PHILIP. Born 6.9.1937. son of Ernest of Staley Bridge. Stayed with Mrs. Wood.
WOOD GRAHAM. Born 14.11.1938. son of Ernest of Staley Bridge. Stayed with Mrs Wood.
1943 ADMISSIONS.
SMITH JAMES WILLIAM. Born29.12.1932. Came from Summerbridge. Stayed with Mrs Goundry. Left for Ripon Modern school in 1944.
SMITH RONALD. Born 2.5.1934. Came from Summerbridge. Stayed with Mrs Waite at Bellwood House. Left for Hull secondary school in 1945.
COOK HOWARD PAUL. Born 27.9.1937. son of Olive Cook from Hawkswell. Stayed with Mrs Wood.
MURRELL MICHAEL GEORGE. Born 18.8.1934. Son of William from Birstwith. Stayed with Mrs Lodge. Went home in December 1944.
TUCKNOTT PETER. Born 24.2.1934. came from Boston Spa. Stayed with Mrs Thompson. Burn Brae. Returned home Dec 1944.
1944 ADMISSIONS.
CHARLTON JAMES. Son of Roland. Came from Chopwell Infants school. Stayed with Mrs Ward. Returned to Chopwell after 3 weeks.
PLUMMER ROY. Born 23.1.1934. Came from Welling. Stayed with Mrs Morley Westfield House. Left for Ripon Modern school July 1944.
PLUMMER JOHN. Born 22.4.1936. As above. Returned to Welling Oct.1944.
BATHAM GEOFFREY. Came from Bexley Heath. Stayed with Mrs Ashby at Greystones. Returned to Bexley Heath in Sept.1944.
SMITH BERNARD. Born 15.4.1937.Came from Bexley Heath. Stayed with Mrs Lodge at Glen Farm. Returned to Bexley Heath in 1945.
CARTRIGHT SONIA. Born27.6.1936. from Hensworth. Stayed for second time at Thorneycroft. Returned to London in Dec.1944.
CARTRIGHT DAVID. Born 2.10.1938. from Hemsworth.as above.
HARRIS BRIAN FREDERICK. Born26.10.1937. Came from Bromley. Returned to Bromley in 1945.
DAVID HARRIS. Came with Mother and brothers. See letter below.
CHURCH DENNIS GEOFFREY. Born 10.3.1938. Came from Bromley. Returned Sept.1944.
COYLE PAMELA. Born 9.12.1934. Came from Bromley. Stayed at Hackfall Inn. Returned to Bromley in 1945.
SCOTT ANGELA RUTH. Born 19.7.1939. Came from Kingston upon Thames. Stayed at Virginia House. Returned to Kingston in Sept.1944.
HUNTER BRIAN. Born 23.8.1936. Came from Scarborough. Stayed at Highfield. Left district Sept.1944.
HOOKE JUNE. Born 16.6.1935. From Gillingham. Stayed with Mrs Utley at Hackfall Farm. Returned home in Dec 1944.
PEART ROBERT. Born 15.4.1936. Came from Gillingham via Pateley Bridge. Stayed with Mrs Morley at
Westfield House. Returned to Gillingham in 1945.
PEART JOHN. Born 15.4.1936. as Above.
WALKER DEREK. Born 24.4.1934. Came from Gillingham via Summerbridge. Stayed with Mrs Thompson at Burn Brae. Returned to Gillingham 1945.
WALKER CHARLES. Born 24.4.1934. Came from Gillingham via Summerbridge.Stayed with W.Wilsonat The Grange. Returned to Gillingham in 1945.
1945 ADMISSIONS.
HARRIS RAYMOND JOHN. Born 28.11.1940. Came from Bromley. Stayed with Mrs Harris at School Cottage. Returned to Bromley in June 1945.
TIMBRELL MARY V.E. born 26.2.1940. Came from Ayr. Stayed with Mrs Ascough. Left in July 1945.
RAYMENT DEREK. Born 6.6.1937. Came from Finchley. Son of Wyn of 2 College Rd.


In all we know that 73 children were admitted to the school as evacuees. There may have been more that were not enrolled on the school register. If you know what happened to any of these children, or if you were indeed one of the evacuees yourself, I would love to hear from you. Do you have a story to tell about the war years in Grewelthorpe?.
Researched by B.Bradley. 2006.
Updated October 2010.

Thanks to Jack Cook for the following memories.

Hi, Whilst looking up Ripon Modern to see if they had any attendance records for this period, I came across the Evacuees story. I was 11 in october 41, and with Mum and Paul my younger brother, aged 4 we stayed with John Wood at the farm on the green ! I went to the Modern by bus, I remember a pal called Harland, Maurice I think, John Ashby so tragically killed after we found the mortar bomb on the moor, I was there at the time, just walking over to Wood’s when the thing exploded. John and a boy we called Belgie and I had been up on the moor and found this bomb thing, John was carrying it to the farmhouse and we were going to use his dad’s tools to open it up when his mum called him for his meal, we parted and there was this enormous bang. Such a loveley lad, a great pity, we had some great times, at Hackfall castle after jackdaw eggs, and in the river for trout, we set snares for rabbits on Woody’s back fields, a great time, then we left to live in Northern Ireland as dad was posted there.I also remember a girl called May Morley, Maurice used to chase her about but we were not allowed to tag on as we were too young!! We got real winters then and skated on the pond for weeks in winter,and sledged down the hill behind Ashby’s somewhere. My grandad Cook had a farm at Kirkby Malzeard, Biggin Grange, and we spent time there haymaking and potato picking etc., I am 79 now and live in Whitby, two daughters, two sons, and ten Grandchildren, Oh, and one great grandaughter very new!! Look forward to hearing from you, Yours, Jack Cook.

Thanks to Barbara Wood [nee Johnson] for the following:-
My sister Lily and I (nee Johnson) were evacuated to Grewelthorpe in 1941. We stayed with Albert & May Stelling at Willow Garth.I have written about our stay in a book by Henry Buckton called The Childrens Front. Lily and I remained in contact with our Foster Carers for some ten years but then lost contact with them. In 1984 Lily travelling through Yorkshire visited Grewelthorpe and was delighted to find Albert & May still living in the village.Sadly Albert died that year and Lily & I visited three weeks later to pay our respects at his grave and spend time with May. Since then both Lily & I and our families have visited the village and May has made many visits to Brighton.May is still living in Grewelthorpe in a bungalow opposite Willow Garth and I spent a lovely few hours with her in April this year. Looking out of her picture window across the pond to Willow Garth, what nosalgia!.A friend who drove me there his first words were “Barbara you must have thought you had died and gone to heaven when you first saw this village”. How true, Grewelthorpe was so beautiful in 1941 as it still is in 2000 and hopefully always will be.



Lily & Barbara Johnson.
See story submitted by Barbara under the War Time in Grewelthorpe section of the History site.


Thanks to David Harris for the following memories [ May 2017]Hello, my name is David Harris and I was evacuated to Grewelthorpe with my Mother and two brothers in 1944.
I have come back to Grewelthorpe on a nostalgia trip.
Brian Frederick Harris and Raymond John Harris were my brothers. We stayed at the School cottage [next to the school] I was only about 7 years oldat the time but can remember a little, including another friend called Brian Bain.
Sadly David died in 2018.


If you remember the Harris boys please contact the site.


Letter from Matthew Rogers-Hulme. February 2018.
Thomas Edward Hulme was my father, also my Grandfather of the same name is mentioned, there is a sad story as my Grandfather was an officer in the Royal Engineers at the time, and sadly died at Ripon on 28th September 1941, my father was there with his two sisters and mother, who were staying and working at a farm house 3 miles from the school.
Regards
Matthew Rogers-Hulme
(my dad married a Rogers)


Thomas Edward Hulme’s Father also called Thomas Edward Hulme was killed in Newark.
Here is the newspaper report and photo from 1941.

Thanks to Shaun Noble and Matthew Rogers Hulme for this information.


Children from Gateshead were also evacuated to Masham.

Evacuees at Masham school.
Details of this can be found on the BBC site WW2 Peoples war.
bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar.