Desert Island Doc: A new school for Cary Grant

Our staff and invited guests introduce their favourite documents from the Bristol Archives collections. For this edition, Max Parkin, Archives Assistant has chosen an admission register for North Street Wesleyan School, 1910.

The life of one of Bristol’s most loved sons, Cary Grant, is well documented and it is well known that he attended Bishop Road School and Fairfield Secondary School.

We didn’t know that Grant was also educated elsewhere until a researcher in our searchroom chanced upon an Archibald Leach in a primary school admission register.

This record shows that Grant (listed under his childhood name) spent some time at North Street Wesleyan School in Stokes Croft in 1910.

The document records his address (Cheltenham Road), his father’s name (Elias) and his date of birth (18 January 1904). Most significantly, it gives his dates of admission and departure, so we can see that he only attended the school for a few months before heading back to Bishop Road.

Admission registers can be a valuable resource tool for the family historian, often providing insight into their ancestor’s childhood and family background. Some registers will also provide the father’s occupation.

Although these records can be extremely helpful, in cases like this they can create more questions than they answer. Why did Cary Grant change schools for such a short time?

The reference number for this document is: 21131/SC/NOR/A/3/4