| Cambridge Colony - 1 |
 |
 |
| menu: |
 |
| Home Page |
|
Back to Colonies in Britain Back to Basque Children |
| Cambridge Colony |
|
| This photograph shows a few of the children of the Cambridge colony being given a lesson in what became their classroom; the attic of Pampisford Rectory. In 1938 they moved to space in Jesus College. |
|
| Esperanza Margalet and Amparo Moreno from the Cambridge colony. |
 |
| 1. Amelia Montero, 2. Antonio Montero, 3. Jose Gallego, 4. Antonio Gallego, 5. Jose Luis Cisneros, 6. Josephina Montero, 7. La Senorita Esperanza ? , 8. La Senorita Maria Secunda, 9. Carmen Margalet, 10. Carmen Belon, 11. Maria Luisa Martinez, 12. Maria Luisa Gallego, 13. Genoveva Gallego, 14. Ascencion Belon, 15. Carmen Moreno, 16. Begonia Margalet, 17. Enrique Merguia, 18. Maria Teresa Cisneros, 19. Amparo Moreno, 20. Txomin (Domingo) Arana, 21. Victorina Gallego, 22. Esperanza Margalet, 23. Jose Maria ? , 24. Rufino Tome, 25. Benito Tome, 26. Gerarda Tome, 27. Alvaro Martinez, 28. Emilio Tome, 29. Jose (Pepe) Montero, 30. Primitiva Rojas, 31. Salome Moreno. We wish to thank Carmen Villegas (nee Moreno) and Ascencion Rammira (nee Belon) for providing us with the names of the children in the above picture. |
| The children selected for Cambridge were a special charge to Mrs. Leah Manning from the Basque Government. They were a homogeneous group from a Hostel in Bilbao, the "Ayuda Social" organised and financed by the Socialist Party. All their fathers were Militiamen who had been killed early in the war. The children had been brought up as "children of heroes" in a very political atmosphere, and inherited their prejudices as a sacred trust. They came to us on condition that they should be under no political or religious influence. The deep cleavage between the Basque Nationalists and the Socialists was scarcely realised here, and it was a dangerous pitfall to well-meaning friends with a little knowledge of politics. When, for instance, a cake inscribed "Gora Euzkadi" was placed on the tea-table of the Y.M.C.A. Club Room, to welcome them, it was a strain on their good manners: "They thought we were Nationalists!" Mrs. Ryle has told the story of the portrait of the young Basque President which had to be removed and returned to the donor with a polite note explaining that they owned no allegiance except to the President of the Spanish Republic. It was felt by the Socialists that the Nationalists, who had only come in on the Government side at the eleventh hour... Article taken from "RECUERDOS" a magazine edited by Jessie Stewart. |
| Eight older boys and girls stood out clearly as more experienced than the rest, and they became the top class. Some eight or ten of the others... grouped themselves as 'infants', leaving a middle class of varying attainments, but workable as a class... The infants were soon shepherded away, by our matron, Senorita Carmen, and they set about building words with blocks and enquiring into numbers... Text taken from Eric Hawkins book; 'Listening to Lorca' |
| Education at Pampisford |
|
|
 |
| Arriving at Cambridge Station |
| This photograph shows a section of the Cambridge group having just arrived at Cambridge Station before leaving by coach to Pampisford. |
| A delightful photograph showing play-time at Cambridge. You will notice a large group of children in pairs skipping together, each pair behind each other. |
| The vicarage at Pampisford was roomy and soundly built, but with 30 children eating and sleeping, working and playing in it, the school-master had to look elsewhere for a class-room. He found one to dream of, in the loft over the stables, reached by an outside wooden stairway, whose top landing offered a splendid view over the churchyard and the fields beyond. Under the low rafters two rows of desks ran from end to end of the loft, parting in the middle to skirt an old-fashioned iron stove... |
| Mrs Stewart recalls... |
| Three happy smiling sisters all at Cambridge. From left to right; Salome, Carmen and Amparo Moreno. |
PAMPISFORD VICARAGE For some weeks before we had been very busy in this old Vicarage. Most of the rooms had not been lived in for some time, and the house looked derelict and sad. It was decided to ask for volunteers to clean, paint and repair what we could. The student societies interested in the children found most of the helpers, but there were many others. One man, doing a full day's work, came out each evening and did all the rather considerable carpentaring needed. This included the removal and replacing of floor-boards and joists that had dry rot, the building of a hand-rail to the loft-ladder, and many repairs to doors, windows, and stairs. There were usually from ten to fifteen helpers working all day, and one proud day we had a complete boat-crew... Text by Mrs Ryle describing the preparations of the Vicarage in Pampisford, which was to become home to 29 Basque children and 2 Senoritas. Printed in the booklet "Recuerdos" which was edited by Jessica Stewart. It was sold for 1/- helping to raise much needed funds. |
|
| A rather sweet photograph depicting a scene in what appears to be children relaxing in a conservatory, but just where, we don't know, do you? |
| The organisation of maintenance, catering...financing an establishment of 35 people, fell most heavily on the Secretaries, Miss Macdonald and Miss Phyllis Cook, and lastly, but with heaviest responsibilities, on Mr. H. C. L. Heywood. |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| A lovely photograph of the Gallego family from the Cambridge colony. Left to right is:Antonio, Jose, Victorina, Genoveva and Maria Luisa Gallego. |
 |
| Pampisford Vicarage |
| Pampisford Vicarage, in the village of Pampisford a few miles south of Cambridge. It housed 29 Basque children from 7 to 14 years old. You will notice a new extension which has been added, but quite when, we don't know. In fact, when one of our researchers Natalia, recently visited the house to obtain the above photograph she saddly reported, that whilst the lady of the house was amiable, the same, however, cannot be said of her husband. The man of the house was a positive beast, who practically set his two large dogs upon her. Happily, we can report that our researcher managed to take the excellent photo above, and, survive the ordeal (a brave girl - editor). |
|
|
 |
| Pampisford Church close by the vicarage. The Vicarage was loaned by the vicar to the Basque Children's Committe to use as the Cambridge Basque Children's Colony. |
|
|
|
|
|
 |