Red Cloaks for Girls at Glynde School

Viscountess Louisa Wolseley, neé Erskine, married Colonel, later Field Marshall, Garnett Wolseley on 4 June 1867. In early 1898 the Wolseleys rented Glynde Place and then moved to Old Farm House, now Trevor House.

As her contribution to life in Glynde, Louisa Wolseley presented a number of red cloaks to girls at Glynde School, to keep them warm in winter.

Excerpts from the Glynde School Log books:

5 March 1900: Lady Wolseley kindly gave twelve cloaks for some girls.

19 October 1900: Lady Wolseley again gave twelve girls a cloak each. They went to the Farm House to thank her after school in the morning.

23 October 1902: Received twelve cloaks from Lady Wolseley for the school children.

20 October 1904: Lady Wolseley presented twelve girls with red cloaks again this year.

One of these cloaks was given to Nellie Simmons and still survives.

Nellie's red cloak, lovingly preserved, still in existence (c2015).

Another view of Nellie's red cloak (c2015).

Nellie Simmons (1896-1983), aged 23.

Linda Constable aged 7, dressed as Little Red Riding Hood, in her granmother's (Nellie Simmons) red cloak. (c1957)

Glynde schoolchildren outside Glynde School, c1905. A number of the girls are wearing their cloaks. One of them may be Nellie who would have been 9 years old.

The Dowager Viscountess Wolsley

We're very grateful to Linda Constable for getting in touch about her Grandmother's cloak and allowing us to use her photos.