Headmaster of Northwood School
Posted by John Green on Saturday, 5th November 2011, 23:53
Does anyone know what was the correct name of the headmaster of Northwood School in the 1940s. He was known as Skipper Sanders, but was it Saunders or Sanders? Also what was his full name, and when did he start at the school and finish? He was renowned for being very strict with the cane, even on very young pupils.
I have been able to add several names to the list of pupils in the “Northwood Primary School – Miss Butchers’ Class circa 1952″ photo in the Photo Gallery, and there are now only a few missing names, so maybe someone can come up with the last few remaining “unknowns”.
John Green.
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I have discovered that Wilfrid James (Skipper) Sanders lived in Northwood Cottage, Wyatt’s Lane, from the 1930s to 1950s, next door to the Saunders family who I referred to in previous comments.
My first response to this question about Skipper Sanders was incorrect; my second response was mainly correct, but I was researching the wrong family. I believe that Skipper Sanders was Wilfrid James Sanders, (Wilfrid with an I not an E).
He was born 1891 in Carisbrooke, he married Nellie Powell in 1915 in Southampton, and they had three children: John born 1919, Aileen born 1924, and Jean born 1929. Nellie died 1953 in the Isle of Wight, and Wilfrid died 1959 in Horsham Sussex.
I was talking to my older sister June today and she knew Aileen Sanders , daughter of Skipper Sanders , my sister born 1928 said Aileen was about 3 or 4 years older , so after a little research I found that Aileen was born in 1924 and married Richard Norman Kennedy at Northwood in 1950 , I also discovered that Bertram Henry SAUNDERS died in 1968 and Bertram Henry SANDERS died in 1971 ..
At the time of the 1911 census a family named Saunders lived in Wyatts Lane , they had a son named Bertram Henry , born 1904 , from what I can remember of Skipper Sanders or Saunders when I started school in 1944 he seemed to be about the same age as my father , about 40 , so this could be Bertram Henry Saunders , and possibly living in the same house …
It was definitely Sanders, not Sandley. I wonder whether we could find confirmation from the Northwood School Records for the War years. These are not in the Newport Records Office, and could possibly still be in the loft of the School. This was suggested by a member of the staff. It is possible for these to be found now?
Just dug out my late husband’s (Michael Walder)school report for 1943 and I thought the name on it was Sandley but it could be ‘Saunders’,the intial looks like a Y
I can remember my late husband talking about ‘Skipper Saunders but that may have been his pronounciation with his Hampshire accent.No idea what his first name was though,I think my OH may have felt his cane more than once as he was a strict disiplinarian