Newtownards Schools by Derek Beattie

Last Update - 13 February 2016
Scrabo Road
Opened in July 1862 as a non-sectarian school the Model was one of several throughout the Province. Not only was it a boarding school for male and female scholars but was also involved in the training of future teachers. Boarding fees ranged from 5/- Five shillings (25p) to Ł1-10-00 then called 1 pound and ten shillings or today Ł1 and 50 pence. The school which is now a Primary Education establishment has a long and proud history of suppling the local area with a considerable number of well educated people.

1st. January 1863 - William H.Greer of the school was mentioned in the Experimental Physics section of the English Journal of Education

Christmas 1869 Exam - Alexander Hamilton passed on the subject of Magnetism and Electricity - Teacher was S.McKimm

1897~1898 - Charges of insubordination were brought by Dr.Beattie against the Head Mistress for omitting to record certain absence of herself and disappearance of her assistant.

LAVERTY, Second Lieutenant Joseph. A school teacher by profession he had held posts at Edenderry in Omagh, Ballinalee, Wilson’s Hospitals Endowed School in Westmeath and Newtownards Model School before being appointed principal at Castlerobin National School, Lisburn (just north of Sale’s Corner), where he appears to have lived. He volunteered for the army through Queen’s OTC and served in 13 RIR. He was KIA in Belgium on the 16.8.17 a year after first going to the front. His death is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Belgium, panels 138-140, 162-162A and 163A. He was the son of James Laverty of Tobermore, Co. Derry and brother of W.J. Laverty of 165 York Road, Belfast

Another early pic.. added 20th. April 2012 - pic taken way before the Scrabo Road existed ..

Model Primary Elementary School

1901[Model School] N/ARDS

McClement Robert 18 Male Boarder Presbyterian Co Down Pupil TEACHER Read and write Not Married
Magill Wm J 18 Male Boarder Presbyterian Co Down Pupil Teacher Read and write Not Married
Doyle Michl J 18 Male Boarder Rom Catholic Co Kerry Pupil Teacher Read and write Not Married
Graham George 18 Male Boarder Episcopalian Co Donegal Pupil Teacher Read and write Not Married
Griffin Michl 18 Male Boarder Rom Catholic Co Kerry Pupil Teacher Read and write Not Married
Keaney Eleanor 20 Female Domestic Servant Rom Catholic Co Sligo General Dom. Servant Read and write Not Married
McGinley Maggie 19 Female Domestic Servant Rom Catholic Co Donegal General Dom Servant Read and write Irish and English Not Married
Conway Hugh 43 Male Head of Family Presbyterian Co Down Teacher (Graduate) Read and write Married
Conway Elizabeth F 36 Female Wife Presbyterian City Dublin Employed Matron Read and write Married

18th. January 1917 - Death at Westport Hospital, Taranaki. Nedw Zealand of Samuel Morrow Scott J.P. formerly of the Model School Newtownards

16th. August 1917 - Killed in action - 2nd.Lieut.Joseph Laverty Royal Irish Rifles - assistant at Model School - Parents live at Tobermore, Co.Derry

A 1915 Pic of the girls of the Model Primary School		1923 Pic of the Boys of the Model

The 1924 Model Rangers Football Team,.. can anyone add names please...		May 1922 saw a gun attack on some members of the "B" specials outside the Model School,. fire was returned .... There were no casualties...

Another excellent find by Bryan Lynn names please
Rear L-R = Tom Dalzell the Headmaster - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - John Clark - 6 - 7 - 8 - Piers Summerfield - 10 - Teacher
2nd. Row L-R standing = 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - David McBride - Roy Dunbar- 10
3rd. Row L-R sitting = 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - Freda Algie - 7 - Olive Thompson - Olive McGladdery - Isobel Bennett - Jim McMaster
Front Row L-R - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6
Many thanks to Margaret Chambers nee McMaster for the names and also suggests the date may be 1955... ?

Ok folks let have some names please for this 1954 pic..
L-R Rear = Teacher Miss Lavery or Laverty
Front Left seated = Will Brown
Pic Courtesy of James Meredith
Help with names from - Marie Mateer

C1955 can anyone help with names etc. - Click to enlarge
L-R Rear - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10
L-R 3rd. row - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11 - 12 - 13 - 14
L-R 2nd. row - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11 - 12
L-R front row - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11

C1950s can anyone help with names etc. - Click to enlarge
L-R Rear - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11 - 12
L-R 3rd. row - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11 - 12
L-R 2nd. row - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11 - 12
L-R front row - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10

Another from Elliott Clarkes Collection - 1921 Model Rangers
L-R Back = Bob McMillan (Manager) - Ernie Maxwell - Sam Stevenson - Johnny Arnott - Charlie Haskins - Andy Thompson
L-R Middle = Tom McCartney (Principal) - Harry Johnston - Willie Sailes - Hugh McCutcheon - Jim Kerr
Fred Fitzsimmons - Norman Clarke - Hugh McDonald
L-R Front = Jim Skimmin - W.Stewart - Davy Kelly - Tom McCartney - Davy McDowell

model-football-1958-59.jpg (567302 bytes)

1958-59 Football Team
Pic Courtesy of Wilma Meredith
L-R. Back = Derek McAleese - Roy Stevenson - Russell Bowden - Ingram McDonald - ? - David Gardiner
L-R Front = Norman Plunkett - Terry Gazzard - Robert Campbell - David Shields - Clive Russell

P7 in 1959
Pic Courtesy of Wilma Meredith
L-R Back = Sam Stevenson - ??? - William Brown - Philip White - Kenneth McFadden - Raymond Gibson
George McKee - David Shields - Roy Stevenson - Derek McAleese - James Clark - ???
L-R Middle upper = Alex McGowan - George Davis - ???? - Patricia Wallace - Linda Gilmour - Kathleen Donnan
Edith Bailie - Jacqueline Scott - Irene Hawthorne - Patricia McCandless - ? Kane - Frank Campbell - Keith Russell
L-R Middle lower - Jacqueline Wallace - Angela Menagh - Esther Boyes - Ann Caughers - Pamela Wilson
Jayne McDowell - Kareen Wray - Anita McDonald - Wilma Boal - Yvonne Sloan - Deidre Chevalier
L-R front = Bruce Stevenson - Dennis Gourley - Derek Eagleson - Paul Ferris - Tom "Tucker" McMillan
James Campbell - ???? and Edward Robb

Additional info on pic above from David Bell - George McKee died in a road accident between a motorcycle and a Mini he was in at Rathgael..

Back. L-R = Mr. Iveston - Wesley Rowley - Davy McCartan - Tom Rowley - Mystery - Norman Deering - ..... McKee
Russell Bowden - Ian McDonald - Mystery - Jackie Ledgerwood - Ingram "Ramsay" McDonald

3rd. L-R = Jennifer ........ - Audrey Ross - Kay Robinson - Elizabeth McMillen - Geraldine ...........
Doreen Robinson - Sally Laverty - Cynthia Murphy - Freda Savage - Dorothy McCullough - Carol Boyd - Mystery

2nd. L-R = Elma Carser - Carol Gaw - Valerie Thomas - Freda Park - Noleen Clark - Jennifer McKeag
Sally McIlroy - Marilyn Blake - Patricia Wilson - Eleanor Watson - Priscilla Bull

Front L-R = David Gardiner - Clive Russell - Mystery - Malcolm Algie - Alvin Bradshaw - Brian Powell
Colin Palmer - Mystery - Samuel Graham

Pic Courtesy of James Meredith - Andrew McDonald spotted his Dad 4th. from left back row.
Lates info on names thanks to Patricia Osborne and Tom Rowley

1868 Statistics - In the Barony of Lower Castlereagh - Townland of Corporation South
Male=135 - Female=81 - Infants=81 ~ The school was also a training school for teachers

1910 District Model School, Old Belfast road—Boys' department—Head-master, Hugh Conway, B.A.; assistants, Messrs. Boyd and R. MacIlwaine; Girls' department - Head-mistress, Miss Todd; assistants, Miss Byers and Miss White; Infants' department—Head-mistress, Miss Ledlie, assistants, Miss Annie Caughley and Miss Harris

Bradshaw, Sarah - Died 5th. April 1874 aged 33 years - A School Teacher at the Model School also a Spinster.

Brown, Mr.W.J. - 20th. November 1875 - Of the Model School - A notice "Botany for Schools"

Caughley, Miss Annie - 1901 - Assistant Teacher at the Model School Infants dept.
Caughley, Miss Annie - 1911 - Assistant Teacher at the Model School Infants dept.

Conway, Mrs. Elizabeth Frances - 3rd. December 1921 - Of the Model School
22nd. February 1922 - Probate of the Will of Elizabeth Frances Conway late of The Model School Newtownards County Down Married Woman who died 3 December 1921 granted at Belfast to Hugh Conway Schoolmaster the Husband Effects Ł1030 2s. 2d.

Skeffington, J.B. - 1878 - At the Model School - School Inspector - Born in England

White, Mary - 1901 Census aged 18 - Of 2 Castlereagh Street - Teacher in the Girls Dept. at Model School on old Belfast Road