When Godwin school went to Paris - 1912

We have featured the history of Godwin school over a number of posts., over recent months (see here, here, here, here, and here for details). One of the most memorable events in that 130 year history is when a choir from the school visited, and won two first prizes, in a singing competition in Paris, in June 1912 (see here) for reference to this.

The competition was well covered, over a number of editions by the Stratford Express at the time. We are extremely fortunate that they published a diary of the Godwin visit, written by one of the staff accompanying the pupils.  We reproduce this diary, in full, below.

The 150 West Ham children (including
 50 from Godwin) on the steps
 of Vincennes Town Hall

Wrapped around this verbatim account of this visit, we provide some context.  This is a lengthy post - but a fascinating snapshot of a quite extraordinary event in the history of Godwin school, and some of its pupils.

Context of the competition

Stratford Express headline of a very
 detailed account of the Paris trip

The Stratford Express of 29 May provided the context of the visit:

One hundred and fifty boys and girls have been taken to Paris this Whitsun. They feel they have been somewhere, have seen something, and they certainly have had an experience the memory of which will live with them for as long as they live.

 Beckton Road Girls' school, Godwin Road Boys school and St Paul's Boys school had the honour of supplying each a choir of 50 voices to represent West Ham in the great International Music Festival organised by the Paris municipal authority ...

In all there were some twenty thousand entries from England and the Continent for the various choir and band contests, but none were more eager and expectant than the children from our elementary schools.

 To visit Paris was an idea almost too good to be true and it can easily be understood that the long-looked-for journey, with all its experiences, has filled the minds of all the fortunate children who formed the special choirs of their respective schools.

What follows, below, is a fascinating verbatim account of the trip to Paris, from the Godwin perspective, penned in the Stratford Express, by an unknown teacher (there were only 3 on the trip, Mr Herbert, the Head, Mr Earle, the choir master and a Mr May).

Godwin Road in Paris Day by Day

The long-looked-for visit to Paris has come and gone, and not a hitch of any kind has occurred to mar the pleasure of the success of the project. Godwin went primarily to sing, but much more has been done, and the pleasant remembrances of the visit will remain in the memories of those who took part for many years to come.

The boys and their teachers lined up at Forest Gate station at a quarter to seven on Saturday morning, and many parents of the boys came to see the choir off, and wish the party bon voyage. At Liverpool Street two buses were waiting to convey the boys to Holborn Viaduct. By a quarter past eight the Godwin party was comfortably settled in two saloon carriages communicating with each other and at 8.25 the train started in highest spirits.

The ride to Folkestone was of great interest and pleasure to the boys who showed themselves keenly anxious to see Chislehurst, where Napoleon III resided after the Franco-German war on 1870. Arriving at Folkestone at 10.15, the party with other West Ham schools, went aboard the Empress, which also conveyed the LCC (ed: London County Council) choirs to Boulogne. It was a brilliant morning, the sea was smooth, and things augured well for a grand crossing.

The air was keen and invigorating, but soon signs of mal-de-mer began to manifest themselves among some of the boys. As we neared Boulogne a slight twisting pitch and roll made it necessary for some of the youngsters to go below. But the scene at Boulogne harbour soon pulled everybody together, and put the boys in the highest of spirits. The quay was lined with French; bands played the National Anthem and the Marseillaise by turns, and indeed everybody seemed en faite to welcome Les Anglaise.

One of the first sites in France to greet
the boys - a near contemporary post card
 of Boulouge-Sur-Mer railway station

When the boys were seated in the Paris train, His Worship the Mayor of West Ham (Mr Alderman JP Hurry), and those accompanying him, worked with the teachers like Trojans (ed: for American readers: not what you are thinking!)in distributing lunches to the West Ham schools. While this was going on, the French dames distributed dolls, flags and favours to the youngsters, and scenes of wild enthusiasm prevailed everywhere.

Godwin's section of the train stood opposite the entrance to the buffet, and here a group of French and English stood listening to the remarks of the young people. Very amusing it was, after some of the boys had been "chipping" them for some time to hear the French manager retort with: "Get your hair cut and sing up". This was the signal for the boys to pipe out the Marseillaise.

In a short time the train steamed out of Boulogne station and the first idea of the French country occupied the attention of the boys. The first stopping place was Amiens. Here many alighted to stretch their legs, but soon the train was off again.

As the party proceeded, the attention of the children was called to the historic incidents of the district, such as the battles of Crecy and Agincourt and the crossing of the Somme by the English under Edward III. Nothing of importance occurred from Amiens to Paris, and the party contented themselves by looking out on the well-wooded and cultivated country.

Arriving at the Gare-du-Nord about 5 o'clock, Godwin's party was met by Mr Lawler, the English master at the Institute Commercial, where the boys were to be put up at Vincennes, about four miles outside Paris. His services during the whole of the visit were invaluable, and most generously accorded.

Vincennes Town Hall today
 - a French listed building

leaving the Gare-du-Nord, following the placard "Godwin Road School" a dense crowd was encountered. It soon appeared that it was impossible to find a tram to convey the boys to Vincennes, and Mr J T Meadows-Smith, secretary of the British Chamber of Commerce, Paris very kindly came forward and accompanied us to the Place de la Republique.

The party alighted at the Institute. Here a royal reception awaited the boys. "Welcome", in huge letters, was over the entrance, drums were beat, and the young foreigners prepared to get settled into their new conditions.

On Sunday morning all were up early, for the municipalite of Paris had arranged for the West Ham schools to go down the Seine to St Cloud at 9 o'clock.  Breakfast over and prayers having been said, the boys started for the Hotel de Ville, from which point the schools were to embark. Here they were met by Mr Boumaire, the agent of the festival, our Mayor and Councillors, and the others accompanying the children. As the boats proceeded down the Seine to St Cloud, our destination, the various buildings of interest were pointed out.

A near-contemporary photo of Notre Dame,
 as the boys would have seen it.

Our Mayor, busy as usual for the good of the West Hammers was occupied by changing the boys' money into the French coinage. On the return the other schools were on the first boat, and so Godwin alone occupied the second, and the boys enjoyed themselves well, as they well know how to do.

In the afternoon a reception was held at the Town hall, Vincennes. Our Mayor, robed at the "Institute" and the members of the party followed by the boys of St Paul's and Godwin proceeded to the Town Hall. On the steps of the building, the two schools lined up on either side, while the Mayor's procession entered.

At the reception speeches of good cheer were made, and the school children of the various schools sang. Godwin's item was Wake up, my merry masters, all. The room was getting very crowded and Godwin's choir retired to the vestibule, and resumed their position later on the steps to meet the return of our Mayor, who, by the way, expressed the sentiments of the entente cordiale in such kindly terms that one of the French dignitaries said afterwards he felt ready to cry with joy.

To leave the boys for a moment, at the dinner of the house-party in the Institute, Mr Herbert, the head master proposed the toast to the Director of the Institute, Dr J Delapace O.I. and expressed the gratitude of the visitors for the good feeling manifested towards them, and at the same time reciprocating it on behalf of those located in the Institute.

Later Godwin's choir sang a number of hymns and Crossing the bar, an elaborate composition by Mr FE Wilson FRCO, of Ilford, a former teacher of Godwin, who was also one of the party.

Monday was a great day for sight-seeing, so far as Godwin was concerned, for Mr Herbert had arranged for a drive for the boys around Paris.

At ten o'clock three brakes (ed: buses) drove up, and soon they were all aboard. The first place visited was the famous Pere-le-Chaise cemetery, and here under the guidance of Mr Robert Kyle of Messrs Cook's Tours (ed: Thomas Cook), the chief great monuments were pointed out. Proceeding the party next visited Notre Dame, and the items of interest were pointed out.

After this the Parthenon, with its beautiful pictures were inspected under Mr Kyle's lucid explanation.  By this time Mr Kyle was a Godwinian, and the boys seemed like his own children; nothing was too much for him to do. Driving on, we passed the greatest shop in Paris on our way to the Champs de Mars, with that always fascinating object for boys, the Eiffel Tower.

The recently erected and "always
 fascinating object for the boys"
Eiffel Tower

Here the conveyances left us for a rest and the party proceeded to the Trocadero. Getting just a glance into this building, for a concert was about to take place, the party ascended the tower by lift, a concession Mr Kyle secured at a greatly reduced rate. Arrived at the top, all Paris was before us. The air was beautifully clear, and Mr Kyle pointed out and explained from this point of vantage all the chief buildings of Paris.

By request, the boys sang that charming part song composed by Mr HH Donald, Summer Longings. They will never forget it, surrounded as they were by the beautiful city of Paris, the glamorous Bois de Boulogne and the Avenue des Acacias, the fashionable drive of fashionable Paris.

The next objects of interest visited were the Arc de Triomphe, the Champs Elysees, the Alexander III Bridge and the tomb of Napoleon. Here the crowd was very thick, and it was with difficulty the boys were kept together. On the steps the party were photographed for the papers.

The next move was to the Place de la Concorde. The crowd was very great, and from this site our way through the Tuilleries and along the Rue de Rivoli, through lines of soldiers keeping back the people assembled to see the President. It was a wonderful sight and one the boys will ever recall.

By six o'clock all were safely back at Vincennes and so ended a unique day in Paris. Visit one of great pleasure and educational value.

Tuesday was Mr Earle's day, for the choir was due to sing at the Sarah Bernhardt Theatre at 8.30. Godwin was the first choir to sing, and made an excellent start. Many choirs, English and French sang during the morning. While this was going on, the choir crossed to the Theatre Chatelet, to sing the sight test.

Location of the boys' great triumph
 - a near contemporary post card
 of the Sarah Bernhardt Theatre

Shortly after noon the awards were announced and imagine the joy of Godwin when the judges declared that Godwin Road, West Ham was awarded one of the first prizes. We learned on the boat coming back that a first prize for sight singing also fell to Mr Earle's choir.

In the afternoon the choir went to an invitation show of pictures at the Hippodrome, and returned well pleased with the day's performances.

At dinner in the evening a very pleasing episode took place. In consideration of the kindness of Madame Delaplace and Mademoiselle Delaplace. Mr Herbert, on behalf of Godwin, presented Madame with a beautiful bouquet and Mademoiselle with a large box of chocolates. In acknowledging these the doctor made a delightful speech.

He said:

Never in my life before have I regretted so much that I cannot speak to you in English. This gift has touched us profoundly, as it happens to be the 20th anniversary of our wedding day. In embracing my wife I embrace you all. The boys have sung with French children the Marseillaise. This is not a song of war, but a hope the time is not distant when the children of the nations will only unite their voices in the songs of peace and goodwill. I ask you to raise your glasses in the cause of the Entente Cordiale.

The speech was ably translated by Mr Lawler.

following the gift to Madame Delaplace, Mr Earle, on behalf of the Godwin boys, who had made a collection of their own, presented Mr Tooth, an English student from Surbiton with a fountain pen. Mr Tooth had fairly captured the affection of the boys, and had rendered excellent service as a guide and interpreter during the visit. He had sold them chocolate, helped them to change their money, and in every way had been at the boys' beck and call.

Thoughts now began to turn homeward. On Wednesday morning, the boys went to buy presents and get ready for the return. During the morning, his Worship the Mayor and Mayoress of West Ham visited the Institute and concluded the final arrangements.

All through the visit his Worship has been most assiduous in his efforts for the comfort of the West Ham choirs, and merits the warmest gratitude from  all. His task has been most difficult, and the thanks of Godwin to his Worship are most heartily given.

Immediately before starting the house party with Dr Delaplace, Madame and Mademoiselle and the Mayor and Mayoress were photographed. The return was but a repetition of the outward journey, enthusiasm everywhere; but perhaps the warmest of all was at Forest Gate.

The Broadway was full of well-wishers, anxious to congratulate Mr Earle, Mr Herbert, Mr May and all who had seen the project through. The choir assembled around the fountain from the steps of which Mr Herbert addressed the crowd.

He thanked all who had been helpers in sending the choir to Paris. He said that all had returned safely. No accident had occurred, the first two prizes had been won.

The boys then sang two verses of a hymn and cheers were given. Thus ended this memorable episode in the history of Godwin Road school, satisfactory alike to the teachers, the boys, the parents and well-wishers of the school in Forest Gate.

Aftermath

Following the visit, J Trant of 6 Knighton Road, Forest Gate, wrote to the Stratford Express (see extract, below), expressing his appreciation for the efforts of the staff accompanying the trip. He wrote:

May I through the medium of your paper thank Mr and Mrs Herbert, Mr and Mrs Earle and Mr May for their kindness and attention to the boys of Godwin Road's School, during their recent visit to Paris to compete in the great musical festival. No accident, no boy left lost, no boy tired out, plenty of riding accommodation, everything for their comfort, which speaks well for the organisation of Mr Herbert and Mr Earle. I write as a parent of one of the boys.

Six weeks after the event, the local MP, Baron de Forest, hosted an event at Stratford Town Hall for the winners in the competition.  The Stratford Express covered the event in some detail (see extracts, below).

Stratford Express headline to the
presentation evening report

Edited extracts from the report, include:

Wednesday evening at the Town Hall was an occasion long to be remembered in the annals of West Ham school life, for on that evening the prizes and certificates gained by the West Ham choirs in Paris at the International Musical Competitions, were presented.

Each of the choirs received two beautifully framed certificates. The awards were: Godwin Road Boys. gained first prize for glee singing and first prize for sight singing. ... The prizes consisted of gold crown of oak and laurel leaves in the case of  Godwin Boys ... for glee singing. For sight singing Godwin Road ... received silver plaques.

The children (from all West Ham schools), numbering 150, each received a certificate, at the hands of the Mayoress, the framed certificates and prizes being presented to the conductors of the choirs by Baron de Forest MP. ...

The Mayor said that it was appropriate that the Baron should be there, because he assisted some of the choirs financially to make it possible for them to take the trip to Paris, a trip which most certainly had tended to improve the cordial relations between England and France.

No child or teacher would ever forget the experience. ... Best of all was the magnificent singing they all heard and the splendid success of the West Ham choirs. When one thought and knew they competed against all comers one felt proud of the singing abilities of the children of West Ham. ...

Baron de Forest - the area's last
 Liberal MP. He helped fund the
 Godwin trip and showed why in his
 speech - a dedicated internationalist
 who sought to prevent war via
 international friendship exchanges

Baron de Forest said ... 

'When he was first approached to assist, he did so with great pleasure, first of all because he knew many of them (the parents) were anxious the children should go to Paris, and secondly because he saw in the whole enterprise a step forward in improvement of their relations with foreign countries (Applause).

Although relations with France were very good at present, they need fear no war with the country, still he hoped that these events might encourage a series of similar festivals with other European countries, and he was hoping for an occasion when their children should be called to Berlin to participate in similar activities (Applause).

Afterthought

We were left wondering, at the end of writing this piece, just how many of the Godwin party, who had such a joyous time,  would have returned to France over the next six years - and not come back?

Godwin School ( boys ) log 2 - Godwin and Forest Gate pre WW1 (1900 - 1914)

This is the second of a series of posts based on the school log of Godwin School, from 1883 - 1984, providing a fascinating, worms' eye view of the development of the local area.

Godwin school in 1973

See here for details of the first post and a background to this series of articles.

This article, in particular, highlights:

• Great successes achieved by the school in both Music (nationally and internationally) and football (London, and Essex-wide);

• how Godwin pupils and Forest Gate people, more generally, responded to national and international events;

• significant achievements made by some former Godwin pupils;

• continued praise for the school and its record, by HMIs.

2 Mar 1900 The school was closed today, to celebrate the relief of Ladysmith (ed: significant development in the Boer War).

Contemporary painting of the Relief of Ladysmith

26 Mar 1900 The school choir competed at the Stratford Musical Festival this evening. The choir was successful in gaining 1st prize.

16 May 1900 The attendance was greatly suffered today in consequence of a Patriotic Procession taking place in Forest Gate.(ed: This procession was to whip up jingoistic fervour for the Boer War. The Stratford Express covered it at length, the extract below was published in advance of the procession, forewarning its readers of it.  The extract below mentions that the procession was to go through the streets of Forest Gate on the evening of the publication and Stratford the following evening. It would feature 157 cars - some displaying arms, other tableau with such names as "Home at Mafeking", "Britannia and South Africa", "Men in khaki " and "Camp Life". Three days afterwards  the paper devoted two thirds of a broadsheet page to coverage of the procession.  This is worthy of an article in its own right, and we will return to it in a later article). 

Stratford Express
16 May 1900

21 May 1900 The school was closed today, to celebrate the Relief of Mafeking. (ed: significant development in the Boer War).

1 Feb 1901 In accordance with Board instructions, the master gave a lesson to each section today on the life of the late Queen Victoria. School closed this afternoon, by order of the Board, in consequence of the funeral.

1 Oct 1901 18 years today, this school begun in a temporary building.

5 Jun 1902 The Board has given a holiday to celebrate the peace between this country and the Transvaal. (ed: end of the Boer War).

31 Oct 1902 The master left at 2.30 to attend the stone laying of school for defective children at Grange Road. (ed: now Grange Road Special school, opened for "disabled children" as a project by the Canning Town Women's Settlement).

27 Nov 1902 School closed at noon, by order of the Board, on account of the Shakespearean Bazaar at the Town hall Stratford, in aid of the West Ham hospital.

8 Feb 1905 HMI report This school is well organised and under very good influence. The teaching is careful and thorough, producing much accurate and intelligent work.

24 Feb 1905 Boys cautioned re getting on or near the tram cars.

27 Feb 1905 The boys were very jubilant today. The school football team won their match against Eltringham Street, the champions of South London in the Dewar Shield competition on Saturday. (ed: This was the London Schools championship shield, for football. It is still competed for today, as a trophy for year 10 pupils).

15 May 1905 The district football shield returned to this school today, for last season's success. This is the 7th time out of 9 that Godwin Road has had the honour of holding this shield.

23 Nov 1905 School closed this afternoon by order of the Education Committee in honour of the Duchess of Connaught's (ed: daughter-in-law of Queen Victoria)visit to the borough to open the American Bazaar, under the patronage and active support of the Duchess of Marlborough, for the Extension scheme for the West Ham hospital. (ed: this Bazaar took place in the pre-NHS era, and was a fund raiser for the local hospital - as were held in many places in the country - at a time when most working people effectively relied on charity for their health care.  The event was significant enough to not only result in local schools being closed, but in attracting two thirds of a broadsheet page coverage in the Stratford Express - the headline of which is shown below).

Stratford Express 25 November 1905

12 Feb 1906 Mr Walker, art connoisseur and dealer of Newquay, Cornwall called and informed the master that Frank Watson, an old Godwin boy had just left him to take up a scholar's life at the Donald Fraser Institute, Glasgow for 4 years. Mr Walker showed some of Watson's pictures and says in his opinion that he would make his mark in the art world.

26 Mar 1906 This has been a Red Letter Day ... in the elementary school choir competition at Stratford Music Festival ... 7 schools entered ... and our boys gained first prize ... the test piece was 'Shout! Throw your banner out!" and the choir's own selection "Sleep sweet birdie".

25 Mar 1907 On Saturday our boys gained the distinction of winning the championship for London in the football field. Our team beat Page Green 3 - 0, and so became the holders of the Dewar Shield for the year.

22 Mar 1909 It was painful to hear that Ambrose Rotiusno, Standard 7 was found hanging in a cupboard in his mother's room, yesterday about 2 o'clock (ed: newspaper article calls him Robinson - see below. The jury's verdict was that he met his death by "hanging while swinging about". They did not think he committed suicide).

Stratford Express 24 March 1909

29 Mar 1909 The master, with Mr Rawlings and some of the boys in his class, attended the funeral of Ambrose Rotiuso on Saturday afternoon.

23 Dec 1909 Mr Barker, one of our former pupil teachers came to see us this morning. He has just succeeded in obtaining his BSc degree at London. He was with us from Sep 1899.

15 Apr 1910 The boys were allowed an extra quarter hour's recreation this morning, to celebrate the completion of the 25th year of the opening of the school.

21 Apr 1910 School began work at 1.45 and was dismissed at 3.55. This was to enable the boys to go to Ilford to play the semi-final in the Cook Cup competition.  All staff and about 200 boys went. The school team won the match against Central Park school 3 - 0 (ed: the competition was instituted by the county Football Association, in memory of its late secretary, Robert Cook. It was open to all elementary schools in Essex. It is still competed for, under the aegis of Essex FA, for under 15s).

2 May 1910 The boys played the final of the Cook Cup competition. They met Albert Road school, Romford, at the Boleyn Castle grounds. Our boys won the match 10 - 1 and so became holders of the cup.

9 May 1910 The atmosphere at the school today has been somewhat disturbed. This is not to be wondered at, seeing that His Majesty King Edward V11 passed away just before midnight on Friday.

14 Oct 1910 The attendance this week has not been good. The Jewish holidays affected it.

21 Dec 1910 The secretary of Robert Cook Cup arrived, having made arrangements for the cup to be presented to the school. The ceremony took place this afternoon.

21 Jun 1911 School closed for the Coronation holiday, resuming on June 29.

29 Jun 1911 School reassembled this morning. The Coronation celebration was held yesterday. The boys went to the Electric Theatre ( ed: see photo. This was located near where the Co-op is today, on Woodgrange Road.  It was later known as the Imperial and also The Royal.  See here for details of the cinemas). in the morning, played games on the Flats in the afternoon and returned to school for refreshments. A very enjoyable day was spent.

Outside of Electric theatre

... and inside

7 Dec 1911 It was with satisfaction that one records that Mr Higginson, a former pupil, and Mr Bundell have each obtained the BSc degree at London University.

25 Mar 1912 The choir was successful in gaining the Challenge Shield on Friday, with 77 marks out of 80 and a certificate for singing, with 37 marks out of 40.

2 May 1912 The football team played South Church school at Southend yesterday in the Cook Cup final and won the match 4 - 1, and thus became holders for the year.

6 May 1912 The boys of the choir going to Paris attended today at the Town Hall for a lesson in French from 1pm to 2.15pm, and then returned to school (ed: An extract from Fifty Years a borough:  1886 - 1963 - the Story of West Ham wrote of "Mr Harry Earle and the splendid choir he trained at St Matthew's church, Stratford. Many of his old Godwin Road boys too, remembered with advantage the great days when (he) trained them to compete at the International Competition  held at Paris: how he found the money, took them there, and, on their return as victors they stood at the fountain at Forest Gate station and sang prize songs to a great crowd of friends and admirers. One of the songs was composed by a West Ham musician.").

Slightly grainy photo from Stratford Express
 of 150 West Ham children (including 50
 from Godwin school) on the steps of Vincennes
 Town Hall, during their visit to Paris

Stratford Express coverage of the French trip

3 Jun 1912 The choir was very successful at the Paris music festival, gaining 1st prize in the choral competition and in the singing at sight contest.  All the boys returned on Wednesday last, safe and sound, after a very enjoyable, but strenuous experience. (ed: this is quite an extraordinary story, which the Stratford Express, not surprisingly, covered in considerable detail. Part of that detail is a diary kept by the school of its time on the trip.  Although quite lengthy, this is worth an article on its own, and will feature in a future blog).

17 Jul 1912 The prizes won by the choir in Paris were publicly presented this evening by Baron de Forest MP for North West Ham (ed: see here for more details of the MP).

Stratford Express 20 July 1912

Maurice, Baron de Forest, the local
MP presented  prizes won in Paris
, to boys in the  choir, following
 their successes

26 Sep 1912 The school choir has been asked to sing at a Garden party given in West Ham Park in connection with the Municipal Tramways Conference. Mr Earle and the master are accompanying them to the park.

30 Sep 1912 Arthur Wright (Standard 1) brought a tin 'squeaker' to school. He was sucking it, when it was swallowed. The master sent the boy home to inform his mother.

3 Apr 1913 We had a very interesting visitor this afternoon, Mr John Rassuessen, who left the school in 1901. He has been in India in the Rifles Brigade. Unlike many soldiers, he has made a careful study of the life, religion and matters connected with the people.  Mr Rassuessen has been into Tibet, and so ingratiated himself into the good graces of the Lamas, that he has been shown many sacred places, played chess with them and been treated as a friend. We shall try and get him to speak to the boys on India.

25 Aug 1913 HMI report There is a good deal that is very praiseworthy at this school.

19 Nov 1913 George Cornwall called to inform us he had gained a Draper's scholarship and is going to Cambridge in October. He gained a scholarship at the secondary school from this school in 1908.

24 Nov 1913 A choir of boys from this school went to the Crystal Palace on Saturday to take part in a musical competition, under the aegis of the palace authorities. There were 15 schools who sang, this school was the winner of the first prize, gaining 96 marks out of 100. 

The impressive Crystal Palace, in south
 London, where it was located after the
 1851 Great Exhibition in Hyde Park
 and its destruction by fire in 1936

Forest Gate's 12 MPs

As an precursor to the forthcoming general election, this blog offers a pen portrait of the 12 MP's who have represented the Forest Gate area over the last 130 years.

Following a significant extension of the franchise in 1884, and the rapid growth of the West Ham area over the previous 30 years, the district became a Parliamentary borough for the first time, in 1885, with two seats: North and South. Forest Gate was firmly within the northern seat.

Edward Cook - MP, 1885 - 1886 (Liberal)

The victor in North West Ham in the 1885 election, and thus Forest Gate's first real MP, was the Liberal, Edward Rider Cook (1836 - 1898). He lost the seat in another election, a year later.

He was a soap manufacturer, who was a senior partner in his father's Bow based soap and chemical manufacturers, Edward Cook and Co.

Prior to becoming the area's MP he had been a member of the Metropolitan Board of Works (a predecessor of the GLC/GLA), was a JP and was described as a radical/progressive Liberal.

J Forrest Fulton - MP, 1886 - 1892 (Conservative)

Fulton had been the unsuccessful Conservative candidate in 1885, but took the seat in the following year's snap election.  He was a senior barrister, prior to entering Parliament.

He has been described as having "made no particular mark" in his six years in Parliament (not the only one of the area's MP's to have failed to impress), and was defeated after only one term.

Forrest Fulton (Cons) -
local MP 1886 - 1892

He returned to the legal profession, as a judge and was knighted after his narrow defeat in the 1892 election.

TN Archibald Grove - MP 1892 - 1895 (Liberal)

Although Grove won the election in North West Ham, the more historically important result, locally, that year,  was in West Ham South, which was won by James Kier Hardie. He became Britain's first Labour MP and leader (although the party had yet to be formed at this time).

Before entering Parliament, Thomas Newcomen Archibald Grove (1855 - 1920) launched and became the magazine editor of a low price "literary" publication (The New Review). He was defeated at the election three years after he was first returned to Parliament.

Archibald Grove (Lib) -
local MP 1892 - 1895

He tried to re-enter Parliament elsewhere and was successful in Northamptonshire in 1906, but stood down, and retired from politics four years later, due to ill health.

Ernest Gray - MP, 1895 - 1906 (Conservative)

Sir Ernest Gray (1856 –1932) was an educational reformer, one-time president of the National Union of Teachers and author of a number of education handbooks.

After an assortment of almost zero impact, one-term, local MPs, Grey became the first local MP to hold his seat for more than one election, serving 11 years, in total.

Ernest Gray (Cons) -
local MP 1895 - 1906

He lost the Parliamentary seat in 1906, tried and was unsuccessful once more in the first election of 1910. He eventually re-entered Parliament in 1918, for Accrington.  In the meantime he was elected to the newly formed London County Council and was for a while a councillor in Brixton (two positions he shared with a successor, a century later - Tony Banks).

He lost his Accrington parliamentary seat to Labour in 1922, and retired from politics soon after, being knighted in 1925.

CFG Masterman - MP, 1906 - 1910 (Liberal)

Charles Frederick Gurney Masterman PC ( 1873 –  1927) was  distantly related to the Gurney family, who were significant local land owners in the Forest Gate area in the nineteenth century.

He was a social reformer, and like his Liberal predecessor in the seat, Archibald Grove, a journalist (The English Review). In 1909 he published The Condition of England, a survey of contemporary society with particular focus on the state of the working class.

Charles Masterman (Lib) -
local MP 1906 - 1910

Masterman worked closely with Winston Churchill and Lloyd George on The People's Budget of 1909 and was responsible for the passage through parliament of the National Insurance Act of 1911, which introduced Old Age Pensions to Britain.

He was re-elected to the seat in both the general elections of 1910, but the second election was declared null and void, and he was returned to Parliament in Bethnal Green, in a by-election, the following year. He lost that seat in 1914, and dropped out of Parliamentary politics for almost a decade, as a result.

During World War 1 he was head of the British War propaganda Bureau (WPB), in the course of which he recruited authors such as Arthur Conan Doyle, John Buchan and Rudyard Kipling to add their literary talents to the propaganda war on the home front, and in an effort to get the USA to join the war on the British side.

He re-entered Parliament, briefly, in 1923, as a Manchester MP, but lost his seat in the election the following year. His health declined rapidly, hastened by drug and alcohol abuse. He died in 1927, possibly having committed suicide.

Baron De Forest - MP, 1911 - 1918 (Liberal)

Maurice Arnold de Forest (1879 –  1968) was the son of a one-time circus performer. He was an early motor racing driver and aviator. His title was Austro-Hungarian, and so it did not disqualify him from membership of the British House of Commons.

He was immensely rich, and Winston Churchill spent much time on his yacht (including his honeymoon). He was, however, politically progressive and favoured Irish Home Rule, land nationalisation female suffrage and equality of religion, in education.

Maurice Arnold de Forest (Lib)
- local MP 1911 - 1918

Following the conclusion of World War 1, Parliamentary boundaries were redrawn and the two former West Ham seats became four (Stratford and Upton in North, Plaistow and Silvertown in south). Forest Gate was in the Stratford constituency.

CE Leonard Lyle - MP, 1918 - 1922 (Conservative and Unionist)

(Charles Ernest) Leonard Lyle, later 1st Baron Lyle of Westbourne ( 1882 –1954), was an industrialist whose family were major ship-owners who had diversified into sugar refining, and Leonard joined the firm in 1903, and became a director when his father retired in 1909.

When Abram Lyle & Sons merged with Henry Tate and Sons in 1921 to form Tate and Lyle, he became a director of the new company, then its chairman in 1928, and president in 1937.

His tenure as Stratford MP was short. Following his defeat in Stratford in 1922, he was elected MP for Epping the following year, only to stand down a year later to make the seat available for Winston Churchill. He was elected to parliament again in a bye-election, for Bournemouth, in 1940, where he remained MP until 1945.

In addition to his parliamentary career he was a significant British golfer and tennis player, but was perhaps best known for running the anti-sugar nationalisation campaign, following the election of the 1945 Labour government.

Tom Groves - MP, 1922 - 1945 (Labour)

Thomas Edward Groves (1884 – 1958) was the constituency's first Labour, and one of its longest serving, MPs. But he made little impact, and in a fate to be experienced by another long-serving successor (see below). was unceremoniously de-selected by the Labour Party, for his inactivity.

He successfully contested the division in the elections of: 1923, 1924, 1929, 1931, 1935 and 1939.

He wanted to stand again in the post-war election of 1945, but was deselected by the Labour Party as its candidate. Groves stood as an independent, and was both electorally humiliated and expelled from the Labour party for his troubles.

Henry Nicholls - MP, 1945 - 1950 (Labour)

Henry Richard Nicholls (1893 – 1962) was selected in place of Groves, but he was a one term MP, as the constituency was abolished, following  population decline during and post World War 11, and a subsequent boundary review.

West Ham reverted to having two MPs -one for the North (including Forest Gate) and the other for the south. Nicholls lost out in the selection to the other, former MP for the north of the then borough, Arthur Lewis, who had represented Upton since 1945.

Arthur Lewis - MP, 1950 - 1983 (Labour)

Arthur William John Lewis (1917 - 1998) was an official of the National Union of General and Municipal Workers when he was elected as MP for Upton, in 1945. He beat Nicholls for selection as Labour candidate for the now united North West Ham seat, which he represented until a further boundary review, and the formation of the Newham North West seat, in 1974, which he represented until 1983.

He was won the local seat at the elections of 1950, 1951, 1955, 1959, 1964, 1966, 1970, 1974 (x2) and 1979.

Arthur Lewis (Lab)
- local MP 1950 - 1979
(photo taken 1947)

In 1983, after 38 years as an MP, Lewis was deselected as Labour candidate by his local constituency Labour Party, which he said had become "100 per cent Trotskyist, Militancy Tendency, Communist and IRA supporters". By this time he was refusing to attend local party meetings or hold "advice surgeries" for his constituents.

He was replaced as Labour candidate by Tony Banks. Lewis stood as an Independent Labour candidate at the 1983 election and was humiliated, coming fourth with 11% of the vote behind the winner, Banks.

Tony Banks - MP, 1983 - 2005 (Labour)

We have already given Tony Bank's parliamentary career a cheerful nod (here), but a little more formally, we'll recognise his time as MP here. Anthony Louis Banks, Baron Stratford ( 1942 – 2006) was an MP from 1983 to 2005, before being created a member of the House of Lords.

He was elected as the local MP at the general elections of 1983, 1987, 1992, 1997 and 2001.

Tony Banks (Lab)-
local MP 1983 - 2005

He was a trade union official and local councillor on both Lambeth and the Greater London Councils before being selected as Labour candidate, to replace the out-of-touch Arthur Lewis. Following a 1995 boundary review, Newham North West was expanded and renamed West Ham for the 1997 election and Banks represented that seat until 2005.

He was Minister for Sport from 1997-9, and then Tony Blair's unsuccessful "envoy" for England to host the 2006 World Cup for another couple of years. He gradually became disillusioned with life as an MP and retired in 2005.

Having been enobled after the general election of that year, he suffered a massive heart attack a few months later, and died in January 2006.

Lyn Brown - MP, 2005 - to date (Labour)

Lyn Carol Brown was born in Newham in 1960, and following university became a social worker. She was elected to Newham Council in 1988 and stood, unsuccessfully as the Labour candidate for the Wanstead and Woodford parliamentary seat in 1992.

She was elected as MP for West Ham in 2005, which she retained with an increased majority at the 2010 election.

Lyn Brown (Lab) -
local MP 2005 - to date

Following her election, as MP for West Ham, in 2005, Lyn Brown held a number of minor government positions, until Labour's defeat at the 2010 general election. She has had a number of "shadow" posts while Labour has been in opposition and at the time of the dissolution for the 2024 general election was "shadow" minister for Africa.