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Ernest Albert Sharp

Headmaster of the Frenchay National School

and

Scout Leader of the 1st Frenchay Troop

1923 - 1927

 

He was born 26 April 1894 and was the only son of Albert Sharp & Clara, nee Lawton.

Ernest moved to Frenchay from Birmingham so that his wife, Peggy, who was suffering from tuberculosis, could benefit from the country air.

He took charge of the Frenchay National School on 1 October 1923. Very soon, his brother-in-law, Charles W Blake, re-started the 1st Frenchay Scout Troop, and when he left the following year, Ernest became the Scout Leader.

Ernest & Margaret Mercy, nee Large, had one daughter, Sylvia, born 19 February 1921.

They all lived in the schoolhouse, and when Sylvia was three, she became a pupil in her father's school.

Sylvia's favourite friend was Sidney Lines, whose grandmother used to clean the house for them.

In August 1925, Ernest took the Scout to camp at Minehead. Sylvia accompanied the scouts on all their camps.

It was in November of that year that Peggy died of her illness, and was buried in the Frenchay St John Baptist graveyard.

In the spring of 1926, the Cornwall Aviation Co Ltd advertised flights over the Bristol Downs, so Ernest had a little break from his hard working life and took Sylvia for a flight in one of those magnificent flying machines.

And in the August of 1926, the scouts were to be found camping at Uphill, near Weston-super-Mare.

While they were there, a hay rick caught fire and the boys' help was enlisted to form a water-bucket chain for the farmers to put out the fire.

Sylvia is adamant that the fire had nothing to do with them.

Sylvia gained a new mum to care of her when Ernest married Daisy Stock in January 1927.

She and Ernest were accomplished musicians, and she is seen here in August 1927 at Somerset's first music festival..!

Ernest resigned his post and left Frenchay School in October 1927. He went on teaching for many years, but, as Sylvia herself once said, that is another story.

 

Information and photographs (taken by Ernest himself) all kindly supplied by

Sylvia Barnes, nee Sharp.

A new book containing many more photographs and stories about Ernest Albert Sharp is now in print and can be obtained from the Frenchay Village Museum - see WebSite.