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A procession going past the Walhouse School. This is thought to be part of the Coronation celebrations of Edward VII in 1902. © Conduit Trustees
The Walhouse Girls School in 1906. It shows the Headmistress at the time Mrs Margaret Walker and her daughter Minnie Walker who also taught at the school. She later became Headmistress as well. © Conduit Trustees
A 1911 photograph of the boys of Walhouse School, when Napier Walker was Headmaster. [Nappy to his boys!] © Conduit Trustees.
The Walhouse School buildings taken in 2004. This is now a privately owned home. © Conduit Trustees
The inscription over the doorway to the school. © Conduit Trustees
The grave of Mr and Mrs N.H.Walker in the grounds of St. Luke's Church, Cannock. © Conduit Trustees


   
   
Walhouse School 1828 - 2004
 Location: Staffordshire

The section regarding the history of Walhouse School from the book The Story of Cannock Town Centre through the Ages was researched and written by Arthur Hampton and David Pearsall.

Ann Claycroft Walhouse was the wife of Moreton Walhouse II and after her husband's death in 1821, she bought land in and around Cannock. She cared for the needs of "Children of the lower orders" and decided to build a school. It was sited in New Penkridge Road and was completed in 1828. One major influence in looking after the poor was The National Society of the Church of England. It often helped to provide furniture and equipment for schools, so Ann Claycroft Walhouse named it The Walhouse National School. The name can still be seen today, though the building is no longer part of the school.

After its foundation as a Boys' school, it was followed by a separate Girls' school which opened in 1874. There were four different Mistresses in the first four years. The first one left after just six months, the next one stayed just for one year. It would appear that she received a visit from the H.M.I. one afternoon and resigned within the hour. In 1878 Mr Napier Henry Walker and his wife Margaret were appointed Master and Mistress of the Boy's and Girl's schools respectively.

This was the start of a great and distinguished chapter in the history of the school. In 1900 the name of Minnie Walker appeared on the staff list for the first time. She was the eldest daughter of Mr and Mrs N.H.Walker.
Mrs Margaret Walker resigned due to ill health on the 30th April 1913 after 35 years of service as Mistress and then Head Mistress of the Girl's School. Mr Napier Henry Walker was Master of the Boy's School until 1914 when he resigned, he was known to all the pupils as "Nappy" Walker (Behind his back of course).

Napier and Margaret Walker had worked through life side by side and in death they are buried side by side in the grounds of St. Lukes Parish Church. Minnie Walker remained as Headteacher of the Girl's School until 1945 and is still remembered by a lot of people to this day.

The Boy's and Girl's School was amalgamated in January 1959. Arthur Hampton took over as Headteacher in January 1963. He retired at the end of the Summer Term in 1982, after 19 years of faithful service to the school. David Pearsall took over as Headteacher until 2001.

At the end of its Autumn term in 2004 the curtain will finally fall on the name of Walhouse School, as it merges with another old school - John Wood. In January 2005 the merged schools will be known as St.Luke's School.




 


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