Salome Valentine Wallace Outside her Retirement Home, St. Valentine's, Millbridge Road, Minehead

Miss Wallace at Valentine.jpg
Queen's Hall, Strand Promenade.jpg

Title

Salome Valentine Wallace Outside her Retirement Home, St. Valentine's, Millbridge Road, Minehead

Description

Salome Valentine Wallace became the Head Teacher at Timberscombe School on the 26th of March 1920, with her sister, Elizabeth Isabella Wallace, also hired as the Assistant Teacher (1). Respectively they were 48 and 47-years-old (2). On the same day they took possession of the cottage called School House which is semi-detached to the children's Schoolroom. Together they formed an "L-shaped"design, with construction beginning in 1805 after a foundation stone was laid (3). The door to the Schoolroom faced an unsurfaced lane on the structure's left side, with the School House door fronting the road, possibly then known as Addison's Folly and later becoming Bemberry Bank, which runs in front of the property (4). Admittedly School House was a larger and likely more comfortable space than the Schoolroom, also having a garden, as it was specifically designed to house any serving Head Teacher and family. Indeed School House is where the sisters came to live, arriving with their aged and widowed mother and this is where Salome Wallace remained, likely until her retirement in the summer of 1932 (5). She may have been planning for that day for some time as she was able to purchase the house pictured above with herself photographed standing at the front gate. Called St. Valentine's, Salome Wallace's new home (and her sister's) had been designed by the leading architect of Minehead and constructed in one of the town's most desirable neighbourhoods.

Salome Valentine and Elizabeth Isabella were born in Islington, London, the daughters of Mark and Elizabeth (nee Reynolds) Wallace (6). Their mother had been born in 1845 at Crowan, Cornwall (7), while their father was from Lambeth, where his father, Thomas, was a Shoemaker. Mark Wallace's mother, Isabelle (likely the origin of her granddaughter's middle name), was born in Edinburgh, Scotland (8). It is not clear when Mark and Elizabeth married and why they were in Pune, India in 1868 but that is where their first child, Thomas, was born in 1868 (9). Returning to England, Mark Wallace had become a Police Constable in Islington by the time Salome and Elizabeth were born and there was a third daughter, Flora Mary, listed as 6-months-old on the 1881 Census. Flora Mary had been baptised by her parents at St. Bartholomew in Islingston on the 17th of October 1880 but appears to have died in 1889 (10). By the 1891 Census, all of the three other children of Mark and Elizabeth Wallace were still living with them at 14 Aberdeen Park in Islington, with 22-year-old Thomas working as a Printer Compositor (which he described as a "Linotype Operator" in 1939) and 17-year old Elizabeth was a Dressmaker. Nineteen-year-old Salome was already "a London School Board Teacher".

At a time when it was still not common for a woman to become a Head Teacher (except at an all-girl school), by the 1911 Census Salome Wallace held that position at Halstock School, West Chelborough, Halstock, Dorset. Her Assistant Teacher was her sister, Elizabeth, positions they held for the rest of their careers. Also living with them was their 66-year-old mother, now widowed.

It has been recorded elsewhere that Salome Wallace was the first woman to serve as Head Teacher of Timberscombe School. In fact the school's fifth Head Teacher was Sarah Jane King, originally from Bridgwater, Somerset. Her tenure began in 1877 and seems to have been rocky, largely because her Assistant Teachers were problematic not only with the students but with each other. It appears Miss King was not able to control the situation but she also seems to have been not well supported by the School Managers, as well as the current Vicar, the Rev. R. J. Crosswell. Sarah Jane King left her position in 1882 (11).

Earlier in the year of 1914, John H. Miller was hired as Head Teacher for Timberscombe School, to commence on the 14th of August. His fiancee, Florence Archbold, was offered the post of Infants Teacher, provided she and Mr. Miller were married by the time school opened. They were--but also War War I was proclaimed on the same day. Mr. Miller was called to duty with the Territorial Force and the new Mrs. Miller was quickly trained and certified to be an interim Head Teacher. At her husband's return on 28 August 2016, Florence Miller returned to her duties of Infants Teacher but her performance as Head Teacher had been deemed "capable and efficient" by the County Commissions Inspector. Just perhaps, Florence Miller may have aided, in a small way, Salome Wallace being hired less than four years later (12).

Certainly Salome Valentine Wallace seems to have been capable and efficient and likely was as strong and formidable as she appears in the above photograph. Perhaps more than any other Head Teacher at Timberscombe, all of whom kept school Log Books throughout the 1800's and 1900's, she reveals the least. Interestingly she writes of herself in the third person, identifying herself as "Miss Wallace" throughout her pages. Her sister is "Miss B. Wallace", although she never mentions they are siblings nor does the reader have any idea what the "B" stood for, surely a name Salome called Elizabeth Isabella all their lives. On the 11th of December 1923, Salome Wallace wrote "Miss B. Wallace absent three days owing to mother's illness", without revealing that is also her mother and she lived right there with them. Elizabeth Reynolds Wallace did die in 1930 (13) but that is not mentioned. Head Teacher Wallace dutifully reports on what children start school, finish school, truant, are good at school, or fail at school, without much editorialising. During their tenure, much illness was rampant among the children, as well as herself and her sister, which was duly reported but rarely described. On 23 November 1922, five-year-old Leonard Copp died of Scarlet Fever and Miss Wallace wrote that she was "grieved" to report it (14). In her case, this almost sounds like a scream.

None of this is to suggest that Salome Wallace was not compassionate. She was a product of her time --and profession. Miss Wallace gave her resignation--after 34 totalled years of teaching--on the 22nd of July 1932 and it is clear she was ready to go. Ironically in the Log Book, she does seem irritated when the School Governors shorten the summer holidays by one week and because a new Head Teacher was not in place, Salome Wallace had to return to her position for that time period. Her final day was delayed to 31 August (15).

No doubt Salome Valentine Wallace was eager to get settled in her new accommodation, St. Valentine's, one of 17 homes along Millbridge Road on the northern edge of Minehead, off Parks Lane and accessible to the main town. It is not clear exactly when St. Valentine's was built but it was commissioned by Miss Wallace (16) and her architect, William John Tamlyn, was considered to be Minehead's finest. St. Valentine's did not exist before 1921 and most of the homes on Millbridge Road were built during the 1930's and 1940's (17). St. Valentine's was likely completed before the 1933 death of Mr. Tamlyn, when he was heavily involved in the creation of a new row of homes in Alcombe (18).

William John Tamlyn was a tour de force, creating over 300 residences throughout Minehead in five years, many with red clay tiles, large centrally situated front windows, exposed roof rafters under the eaves and clay-tile roofed verandahs (all evident at St. Valentine's), stamping Minehead with a definite Edwardian style, while still keeping each construction unique (19). Tamlyn was born at Stokes River, Devon, the eldest son of a well-to-do farming family--a career he had no wish to follow (20). By the 1891 Census, Tamlyn, was listed as an "architects assistant" and in short time opened his own studio on Minehead's seafront, before moving onto the Parade, where his office was situated on the upper floor of what is now Toucan (21). His reputation must have been established by 1897 when 27-year-old Tamlyn was chosen to design a Diamond Jubilee Memorial for the 60th year of the reign of Queen Victoria at the bottom of The Avenue--sadly demolished in 1935 when the road was widened. By 1906, he had built his own flamboyant home, Eden Lodge, on Northfield Road, later called Southlands (22).

Beyond residences, Tamlyn created important municipal buildings that still define Minehead, including a new Market House facing the Parade, completed in 1902 (incorporating the clock from the previous Market House) which subsequently became Minehead's hospital --for which Tamlyn designed new nurse's quarters in 1927 (23). Other municipal projects include the Courtyard on Bancks Street and perhaps most evocatively Queens Hall, opening in 1914 on the seaside at The Strand (aka The Esplanade) for the screening of the first filmed talkies and live theatre, vaudeville and dance productions-- such as Pavlova and her company. Queens Hall closed in 1939 at the outset of war, to be used as barracks for the soldiers and like the former Market House, over the years has had a range of occupants and sometimes stand empty (24). A postcard featuring Queens Hall is seen above, likely taken during its prime but ironically capturing its future. Hopefully these evocative structures will survive and be put to good use.

Besides designing buildings, William John Tamlyn was a fervent musician, who founded the Minehead Operatic Society, was Chairman of the Minehead Choral Society, a player in the Orchestral Society, a conductor of the Brotherhood Orchestra, secretary of the Town Band and known to play a banjo solo at the drop of the hat. For good measure, Tamlyn operated Minehead's roller-skating rink, created carnival floats and constructed and painted the scenery for local theatre events (25).

It is not clear if there is any connection between Salome Wallace' s middle name and the name of her house--although it almost seems there must be. William John Tamlyn seems to have been just the sort of fellow who would find a creative use of the name of his stately client. The house remained known as St. Valentine's (sometimes the "St." was dropped) throughout the period of the 1947-1965 Ordnance Survey Map. At some later point it became know as Hafod, as it remains in modern times.

On the top photograph, another woman is visible looking out of the window overlooking the garage. It could be Salome's sister but even though she is only seen indistinctly, she does not seem to be Elizabeth Wallace. On the 1939 Register, two other women were living with the Wallace sisters, 80-year-old Emily Laroche and 68-year-old Alice Wingrove, both "retired school teachers". They have other connections that might reveal further dimensions of Salome and Elizabeth Wallace. Miss Wingrove was born in 1871 in Paddington London, where she later did teach but at the age of 21 was discharged from a Workhouse in Islington (26)-- where the sisters grew up and their father worked as Constable. Born in 1859, Emily Laroche was a 29-year-old widow when she was discharged from another Workhouse in Islington. Mrs. Laroche, who had been committed because of "larceny to a person", was discharged because she would be "taking one child from school" (27)--which sounds ominous but as she was being discharged, Mrs. Laroche might have been taking a child from a workhouse school to a proper school.

Salome Valentine Wallace died on the 5th of June 1947 at her home (28). Elizabeth Isabella (Miss B) continued to teach at Timberscombe School until 31 March 1936 and died in 1959. Both women were returned to Timberscombe to be buried at St. Petrock's (29).

The top photograph was donated in 2021 by Bernadette (nee Ash) Brunker, who has associations to both homes of the Wallace sisters. In 1980, Ms. Brunker and her late husband, Ronald Maurice Brunker, the former Choirmaster and Organist of the Old Royal Naval Academy at Greenwich, London, had purchased School House, where Salome and Elizabeth Wallace lived during their time at Timberscombe School (30). At some point after the passing of Salome Wallace, St. Valentine's had been purchased by Pauline Davies, yet another Head Teacher--the position she held at Croydon School, London from 1990 to 1997 (31). Pauline Davies was also the aunt of the sister and brother, Ursula and Oliver Davies, both of whom spent much time at St. Valentine's when it was known as Haford. Oliver Davies was a dear friend of Bernadette and a well-loved and respected musician, who enjoyed traveling from London to Minehead. He was quite fascinated by Salome Wallace and also enjoyed participating in the same Minehead music societies that were founded, chaired and played in by William John Tamlyn. After the passing of Pauline Davies and Oliver Davies, Ursula Davies presented the upper photograph to Bernadette Brunker in 2021.

Creator

Anonymous /
Anonymous

Date

undated, possibly 1930s
undated, between 1914 and 1939

Language

English

Identifier

photograph of Salome Wallace, Head Teacher of Timberscombe School in front of St. Valentines's, her retirement home on Millbridge Road, Minehead, taken between 1932 and 1947 / an early photograph of Queen's Hall built by Tamlyn, opening in 1914

Acquisition Date

2021
2023

Acquisition Method

Gift
Research

Category

PLACES: Houses / Minehead
PEOPLE: Named / Timberscombe

Condition

Good

Condition Notes

entered by Tom Sperling

Condition Date

2023

Dimension Type

W X L

Dimension Units

cm

Dimension Value

19.5 X 14.5
11.5 X 18

Institution Name

St. Petrock's History Group

Notes

(1) Timberscombe School LOB BOOK, 3 April 1910-25 March 1947, page 183 (2) England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Indexes, 1837-1915 and 1881 and 1991 England Censuses (3) Timberscombe School LOG BOOK, 3 April 1910-25 March 1947, page 183 and Victoria County History.ac.uk (4) as seen at SP-039, an undated (likely pre 1915) postcard of the road on the western end of Timberscombe, when called Addison's Folly, with School House evident on the right side of the road (5) Timberscombe School LOG BOOK, pages 359 and 360 (6) England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Indexes, 1837-1915, 1881 England Census and London, England, Metropolitan Police Pension Registers, 1852-1932 (7) 1841 England Census and FindMyPast.com, 1921 Census of England and Wales (8) 1851 England Census (9) 1939 England and Wales Register, 1881 England Census (the birth records of Thomas Wallace list his birthplace, Pune, India as "Poona, India", as it became known after the 1818 occupation of the city by the British and did not revert to "Pune" until 1978 : en. Wikipedia.org>wiki>Pune) (10) London, England, Church of England, Baptisms, 1813-1914 and FindMyPast.cm all England Records (11) Timberscombe School LOG BOOK, 8 March 1872-31 August, 1892, pages 257-274 (12) Timberscombe School LOG BOOK, 3 April 1910-25 March, 1947, pages 96-125 (13) FindMyPast.com, England and Wales Deaths, 1837-2007 (14) Timberscombe School LOG BOOK, 3 April 1910-25 March 1947, page 223 (15) Timberscombe School Log Book, 3 April 1910-25 March 1947, pages 359-361 (16) as recalled in 2021 by Bernadette Brunker of School House, Timberscombe and in 2023, Ursula Davies confirmed the house was built by Tamlyn for Miss Wallace (17) Ordnance Map Survey, 1921-1953 and Rightmove.co.uk (18) "Minehead's Memorable Architect", wordsgetaround.co.uk., compiled by Sally Bainbridge, Minehead Conservation Society (19) "Minehead's Memorable Architect", wordsgetaround.co.uk, compiled by Sally Bainbridge, Minehead Conservation Society (20) 1891 and 1901 England Censuses (21) "William John Tamlyn, Architect, 1870-1933" by Pauline Brain, 2011, Somerset Heritage Centre, A/CT215 (22) Minehead Street List, 1910, mineheadonline.co.uk (23) Minehead Town Hall, en. Wikipedia.org, "THE COMMUNITY HUB AT THE OLD HOSPITAL", mineheadconnect.co.uk and Court Design and Conservation, William Stansell, Statement of Historic Significance, Minehead Old Hospital, The Parade, Minehead, on Behalf of Minehead Old Hospital Investment, Ltd. (24) Queens Hall, mineheadonline.co.uk, Somerset County Gazette, May 5, 2020 and The Queens Hall in Minehead, Cinema Treasures, cinematreasures.org (25) "Minehead's Memorable Architect", wordsgetaround.co.uk, compiled by Sally Bainbridge, Minehead Conservation Society (26) 1911 England Census and London, England, Workhouse Admission and Discharge Records, 1764-1921 (27) England and Wales Criminal Registers, 1791-1892 and London, England, Workhouse Admission and Discharge Records, 1764-1921 (28) England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations) 1858-1995 (29) FindMyPast.com, England and Wales Deaths, 1837-2007 and St. Petrock's Churchyard Levelling List of Graves, 1971 (30) as recalled by Bernadette Brunker in 2020 and 2022 (31) Croydon High School, Academic Dictionaries and Encyclopedia , en-academic.com>dic.nfs>enwiki

Storage Location

St. Petrock's History Group Archive

Storage Date

2023

Storage Notes

St. Petrock's History Group PHOTOGRAPHS

Item Reference

SP-249

Technique

copies

Comments

Citation

Anonymous / Anonymous, “Salome Valentine Wallace Outside her Retirement Home, St. Valentine's, Millbridge Road, Minehead,” St. Petrock's History Group, accessed May 2, 2024, https://stpetrockshistorygroup.omeka.net/items/show/3611.