Wednesday, February 03, 2010

Beaumont Union (or not?) Research Requested

Greetings Alan  your following message was recently posted in this blog's guestbook:

 Alan Cranfield




Date 2010-01-29
Location
Message Hello
I've been doing some research on my late father who I believe attended Beaumont College during the early years of WW2. He ran away from the college in 1943 to join the army by lying about his age.
A google search led me to this blog as the Beaumont Union was mentioned. I'm looking for some proof that my father did indeed attend Beaumont and if so was hoping to get a copy of an old class photo (if they exist).
Can you provide a contact name of someone who could assist me in my research?
thank you


Alan Cranfield

But as the  guestbook part of the blog is probably  less visited than the blog's main posting board I have copied and pasted here - both guest book and posting pages are public anyway,.

Alan your father if he did go to Beaumont was there  a few years  ahead of me but I am bringing your enquiry to the attention of another BU blogger and to the current  big chief organiser of the BU.
I hope that you receive some info though in the absence of an email address they may have to
post comments here.

6 comments:

  1. Hello Alan Cranfield

    The Chairman of the BU suggests that you let me have an email address for me to pass on to him so tha the can send you some information.

    Another member of the BU writes:

    "I was at Beaumont from 1948 to 1953, and so a little behind your father.
    However I have done quite a lot of research on Beaumont and can recommend the Jesuit Archives at Farm Street in Mayfair, London as a good source. The archives have a more or less complete set of the Beaumont Review (the school magazine) and in one of the later volumes (I think around 1964 or 1965) there is a complete alphabetical list of all pupils from the 1860's right up to immediately before the closure of the college in the mid-1960's. If your father did go to Beaumont his name would undoubtedly be there.
    If you don't live in London, or visit only occasionally, I could pop in when I next go past Farm Street and have a look, and then let you know what I find.
    Good luck with the family research."

    ReplyDelete
  2. I've had a look at the lists in the Beaumont Review - the A-C list appeared in the October 1963 edition. I'm afraid there is no mention of a Cranfield.

    It is possible that the lists as publised in the Review were not exhaustive though. In a later edition there was a proposal that they would be published separately, though I am not sure that this ever happened. It was suggested that though they were substantially complete they needed revision and updating, so it is possible that a name could have been omitted.

    I think that all pupils joining the school were mentioned in the Beaumont Review - this was case in later years anyway - so if Mr Cranfiled can get access to the Farm St archive, it would worth a check on the editions in the early Forties.

    ReplyDelete
  3. TXs anonymous.

    A thought that occurs to me is that during WWII the Cardinal Vaughan School in West London was evacuated to Beaumont and shared classrooms and facilities.

    Well b4 my time but I gather though that a "never the twain shall meet" custom applied as regards the students of College and School.

    Possibly Alan's father was, if not of Beaumont, of the the Cardinal Vaughan?

    ReplyDelete
  4. A recent BU comment posted under an old blog post is copied and pasted below in view of the possible connection with with some of the above:

    "Anonymous said...
    My first cousin, once removed, Carlos Brown was an American student at Beaumont at the outbreak of WWII. He became an RAF pilot of a Lancaster and with his crew was shot down over Germany in Dec. 1943. I have recently been informed by the military that at long last the crash site has been found. There will be an excavation and service the weekend of 3/20-21 at the site. I thought this might be of interest to the editors of the Beaumont Union. dinimallory@gmail.com

    Monday, March 08, 2010"

    ReplyDelete
  5. I am also interested in contacting the Beaumont Union for research purposes -- the survival of the school magazine in the Jesuit Archives is a very encouraging lead! -- and would appreciate it if you could email me on research@orange.wingsandbeaks.org.uk where I can go into more detail.

    NB Going by your comments on jogging etc. I believe we may be neighbours!

    ReplyDelete
  6. An email is winging its way to you at wings and breaks Anonymous.

    ReplyDelete

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