Welcome to Hazelwood School War Memorial
The School, its establishment and the Great War
Edward Peter Baily was born on the 18th of January 1852 at St John's Wood in London. He was educated at Harrow School where he played in the Cricket XI from 1869 to 1871 finishing as Captain. He then went on to Cambridge University where he played cricket for the University from 1872 to 1874 as wicketkeeper and as a useful right handed batsman. He later appeared once for Middlesex County in 1872 and for Somerset in 1882. In 1883 he became engaged to Ruth Bourne and in August 1884 they married and went on honeymoon in Belgium, Germany and Switzerland. They had three sons, Robert Edward Hartwell born in 1885, George Valentine Bourne in 1888 and Richard Horace in 1890 all of who went to Hazelwood and all would see service in the Great War.
Baily established a school at the ccess rate in attaining Scholarships". By the time Baily left the school, there were around forty boys at the school. They had thriving cricket and football teams although due to the limited number of boys they were often unsuccessful against larger schools. He was succeeded as headmaster by Dr Lifton Wynn. The Bailys left Hazelwood in July 1906 due to a breakdown in Ruth's health and moved to 13 Castle Street in Hereford where they passed the time quietly as by this time Edward was suffering from a heart condition. There was a period of long deliberation over what the family should do with the lease of Hazelwood and after much family debate it was decided that they would return to Limpsfield. When Dr and Mrs Wynne left the school in July 1927 the Bailys once again packed up house and moved back to Hazelwood arriving there on the 16th of September 1927. They stayed until 1939 when they moved back to Tupsley in Herefordshire. Edward Baily died at Tupsley on the 21st of January 1941 at the age of 89. In 1945 following Edward's death and with the Second World War at an end, Ruth let the house and moved to Hindwick House. Later she moved permanently to "Little Widshaw" on Limpsfield Common and she died in 1953.
From 1892 the school first produced a school magazine called the "Hazelnut". This publication reported on the doings at the school including match results, school prizes and the comings and goings of both pupils and staff. For continuity's sake the magazine, from which much of the information for this research has been drawn, treated boys as old boys whether they had gone to Hazelwood or to one of Mr Bailey's earlier establishments. It was this publication which formed the basis for the information gathered for this website.
In common with every school in the nation the vast majority of Old Hazelwood Boys served in some capacity during the Great War of 1914 to 1919. Also in common with other schools Hazelwood's sacrifice was a heavy one. At the end of the war it was decided that the schoar site will be extended to include those others who fell but are not listed.