Who was Henry Maynard?

Henry Maynard was a member of the Maynard family who owned the manor of Walthamstow Tony from the late 17th century. The family supported education and gave several large donations to local schools. The crest of Waltham Forest has two stags as supporters. One of these was taken from the crest of the Maynard family.

Henry Maynard (d. 1686) by his will dated 1686 left £950 in trust to buy land to provide income for the minister (£400), the schoolmaster (£200), and the poor (£300), and small annual gifts to the parish clerk, churchwardens, and overseers (£50). In 1690 his executor bought Higham Hill farm (52 a.) for £1,000, but although a Chancery order in 1691 apportioned the estate the charity had not been settled by 1706, when the court ordered that trustees be appointed to whom it should be conveyed.

Lengthy Chancery proceedings over the arrears and their distribution were concluded soon after 1714. In 1719 a copyhold farm called Stretman's (30 a.) at Hale End was bought with £450 of the arrears. From 1758 the income from the two farms was divided into nineteen parts allotted proportionately to the purposes of the will. In 1809 the vestry ordered the parish officers to distribute the share of the poor as coal or food instead of money. By 1832 it had for many years been distributed in coal. Stretman's farm was enfranchised in 1890. Small pieces of land at Higham Hill were sold to the railway company in 1871, the water company in 1900, and Metropolitan water board in 1905. In 1921 the urban district council compulsorily purchased 16 a. at Higham Hill and by 1957 most of the land had been sold, and the income from the remaining land, let as allotments, and stock was £1,456. The income in 1969 was £1,836.

(Text kindly provided by Bill Bayliss)

Addison Road, Walthamstow, London, E17 3JL.
Both the Boys School and The Girls School merged to be called Henry Maynard Junior School from the 1st January 1971.

12 June 2016 - Maynard School for Boys

Dear Daniel,

recently I stumbled across this website with memories of Henry Maynard school for boys.

My family moved to Walthamstow early in 1960 to a house very close to the school. For a few months I attended the mixed infants: I cannot be sure now if it was the headmistress or the class teacher that was a Miss Bird. I recall an 'interview' with the head mistress before starting and her main concern was that I could read well (which I could).

Obviously, I, along with the other boys, proceeded to the Boys' Junior School in Sept that year. As you the website states, the head was Mr Birmingham. I didn't know Mr Frost succeeded him - Mr Frost was my third year teacher. Other teachers I had were: Mr Gower (first year), Mrs McStocker (second year) and Mrs Weeks (fourth year). Other teachers I recall were Mr Ronan (?) and Mr Henderson. Some things stick in your mind. I remember Mr Gower, who was South African, being very deprecating in front of the whole class when, in the end of term exams, one boy scored only 4 out of 100 in the English paper. I recall the boy's name, who was a pleasant lad: clearly I would hope that today he would be recognised as dyslexic and not humiliated in front of everyone. I have a few other memories. I used to wonder if the 3 schools were interconnected. I recall Mr Birmingham's office tucked away behind the main hall and nearby that the spiral staircase to the teacher's common room - was there a connection there into the girl's and infant's school?

I also have two year photos. I assume they are years 3 and 4, looking at the boys in them. One puzzle I have in my own head is that I have a certificate for coming 5th in the final of the flat race (100m in todays terms!) in the Town Schools Sports Day. I have it in mind that only boys in the 4th year competed in the town sports day but my certificate is dated 1963. In the summer of '63 I would have been in the third year....

I passed the 11+ exam and went on to the McEntee Technical High School. Overnight (it seemed) that school changed for the worst when it became a comprehensive and its subsequent demise and demolition I find very sad.

I left the area in 1980 and on returning many years later I found the area around the school had become 'gentrified' into Walthamstow Village. I had intended to park in my old street and walk down to Lea Bridge Road to watch the Tour de France go past.... unfortunately the whole area is now a CPZ and I gave up trying to find somewhere to park and returned home in time to see it pass there on TV. Very disappointing. There were far fewer parked cars than when I lived there so I'm not sure I see the need for the CPZ today.

If you are interested, I can scan the photographs/sports certificate and pass them on to you.

Kind regards,

Ian GREENSMITH Private Reply Public Reply

24 Apr 2014 - Schooldays: Maynard Road Primary Cricket Team

Have just found Walthamstow Memories after speaking to a friend and surprisingly found a photo of myself. My name is Jack Hibbert and I am first in the second row of the 1955 Maynard Road Primary Cricket Team next to David Hurst. Some other boys I remember are David Newstone at the right hand end of row three in front of Mr. Frost, John Betts seated left on the floor (he was the scorer), and David Palmer seated right on the floor.
I have a copy of this same photograph, and to see it on the Walthamstow Memories website did bring back memories of happy times and a great bunch of lads.

Jack HIBBERT Private Reply Public Reply

30 Mar 2011 - MAYNARD ROAD PRIMARY SCHOOL FOOTBALL AND CRICKET TEAMS 1953 - 1956

Hi Daniel, Please find attached some sporting photo memories of my time at my Primary School in Walthamstow E.17 1953 - 1956. I have tried to remember as many names as I could so please excuse me if I have failed to remember all of them. In the 1953 - 54 team I was playing 2 years out of my age being only 9 at the time, and I remember meeting up again with some of the lads at Warwick Senior School later on.My memories of the teachers in the photos were Mr Jones being a Welshman and very keen on both rugby and football although we never played rugby at Maynard Road. Mr Hallett a very strict teacher who I remember a number of times while rubbing out on his blackboard as they were known in my days he would suddenly turn and throw the wooden rubber in the direction of pupils who may have been making a noise or misbehaving, and there would be such a cloud of chalk everywhere.It was so funny , but effective ! Mr Frost very keen on his football and cricket, and a teacher I looked up to and who encouraged me in my sports. Mr Birmingham was the Headmaster, and very keen on schools football being also associated with the Walthamstow Schools District and Essex Schools Football teams. Salisbury Hall, just off the North Circular Road close to the Crooked Billet was the venue for most of our games what I recollect along with the George White Sports Ground in Billet Road for representing Walthamstow Schools. I hope some of my old school friends will recognise themselves , and feel like contacting me after the 50 + years that have gone since these very happy memories for me.

1953-54 Maynard Road Primary Football Team

1954-55 Maynard Road Primary Football Team

1955 Maynard Road Primary Cricket Team

1955 - 56 Maynard Road Primary Football Team:

Alan STEPHENSON Private Reply Public Reply