Goonhavern C.P.School

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This page shows the history of Goonhavern County Primary School over 140 years (1876-2016).

Goonhavern County Primary School opened on the 17th October 1876 and its first Headmaster was Mr William Tresidder who lived at the School House with his wife and young family. William was born in Feock but married a local girl Elizabeth Trebilcock and raised a family. Mr William Tresidder was Headmaster until he retired on April 20th 1916 after 40 years at the age of 65 years. During this period his son John and daughters Olga and Martha were also teachers at the school.

After Mr William Tresidder retired Mr Hugh Peters took over on 1st May 1916. His tenure was cut short as on the 15th July 1916 he left to join His Majesty’s Forces in the 11th Pioneer Battalion during World War 1.

On September 11th 1916 Mr Matthew Hoskin Keast took over as a temporary headmaster, the position made permanent in 1919. Mr Matthew Hoskin Keast, his wife Ada and only son Leslie lived at the School House. Mr Matthew Hoskin Keast was Headmaster until he retired at the age of 60 years on 5th January 1941.

After Mr Matthew Hoskin Keast retired Mr Leslie Crabb took over as Headmaster on 6th January 1941. Mr Crabb was appointed as a teacher in May 1930, before leaving on 31st December 1932 to be appointed Headmaster at St Gennys Bude. Mr Leslie Crabb, his wife Doreen also a teacher and children Angela & David lived at the School House. Mr Leslie Crabb stayed until leaving suddenly under a cloud on 1st May 1950.

On 2nd May 1950 a Mr C Iveson (Supply Teacher) took over as the temporary Headmaster until a new one was appointed.

Mr William (Bill) Curnow started as Headmaster on 7th September 1950, with his wife working in the office. Mr William Curnow, his wife and daughter Marilyn lived at the School House. Mr & Mrs Curnow retired in July 1974 and they moved to a bungalow on the Reen Cross Road, Goonhavern until his death.

In September 1974 popular Mr Tom Delbridge took over as Headmaster and carried on till his retirement in July 1993. Mr Delbridge was instrumental in organizing the School Sports Day and School Fete, which on those days you could hear his voice booming out across the village with his PA System.

After Mr Tom Delbridge retired Mr Roger Arend arrived in September 1993 and saw a modernisation of the school between 2000-2003, something that had been talked about for 25 years before.

In 2000 major works commenced over a four year period to upgrade the school and completely refurbish the school inside and out with additional permanent buildings being built to replace the old Elliott Classrooms that had been there for nearly 50 years. Mr Arend left in December 2008.

After Mr Arend was Mr Craig Hayes who started at Goonhavern in January 2009 and finished in July 2017.

The latest Headmaster Mr Mark Lloyd  started in September 2017.

©2018 Derek Brooks

11 thoughts on “Goonhavern C.P.School”

  1. I was a pupil from 1950 – 1955 And still remember Mr Curnow always wore a suit with waistcoat and if there was a singing lesson going on when he walked in out of the waistcoat would come the stub of a pencil and he would proceed to conduct. I can also remember Miss Osbourne Mrs Crabb and Mr Dingle why these should stick out in my mind is a mystery as there must have been others.

    1. there was Mr Jack Newby ,Miss Taylor I remember ,very good teachers ,Miss Heather came along later

  2. We lived in Goonhavern from 1974 until 1984 and both our sons started school when Tom Delbridge was headmaster, a great school in a great village.

  3. I was a pupil at the school from 1946-49, when I was moved to Truro Cathedral School. Mr Curnow was a very strict headmaster.!

    1. Mr Curnow didnt actually start as Headmaster till Sept 1950. So perhaps you were in your last year then. I don’t have any school photos of 1945-1949, guess none were taken after the war.

  4. The first headmaster was my great grandfather.I am an artist and I paint under his name,Tresidder.I have published a book of my work called,The living silence of the hours.Olga and Martha known as mat where my great aunts and lived in charlestown,as did my grandmother jane.I now live in Mousehole in st.Clements hall which was the village school I loved the photo of them outside the school.

    1. Dear Jane Carter-Tresidder,
      I arrived at this site by Googling your name, which was provided by the JOURNAL OF THE WARBURG & COURTAULD INSTITUTES. I wish to obtain permission to reprint B.A.R. Carter’s drawing of the floor plan of Piero della Francesca’s FLAGELLATION, first published in the 1953 volume of the JWCI. The place of publication will be a book of scholarly essays to be published by Routledge entitled MATHEMATICS & VISUAL CULTURE IN THE EARLY MODERN PERIOD. If you are able to grant me this permission, I would very much appreciate hearing from you at [email protected] or or [email protected]
      Thanking you for your kind attention,
      Perry Brooks, PhD

    2. Dear Jane
      I am currently editing my dictionary of the artists who lived in Hampstead, North London and would be grateful if you could fill in some gaps in your entry.
      You are listed listed at 18 Frognal Way in 1975-80 under the name Jane Ford, but I believe that you were based in Cornwall after your marriage to the artist Bernard Carter. Could you please send me the following information to my email: [email protected]
      Exaxt date and place of birth.
      Exact dates (year) when you moved to 18 Frognal Way and when you left that address.
      Did you live at any other address in Hampstead? – exact duration of occupancy.
      My dictionary covers approx. 2,500 artists – the earliest a French woman portrait painter who lived in Church Row in 1775-76.

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