Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

A number of boys transferred between houses for various reasons. Usually this was either on disciplinary grounds, e.g. unsatisfactory conduct or because a particular house might not have
a suitable successor as house captain. Occasionally it might be done to boost a house's sporting
abilities. Were any voluntary transfers ever allowed I wonder? I recall the system being referred to as being transported. Was this anything to do with the movement of convicts to Australia. ! ?
Chris Bartlett.

It was not uncommon in my time for people to move to be house captains of a house which had no one of suitable seniority. On one occasion, following a 'scandal', one house imported no less than three monitors from elsewhere (John Hopgood may recall). I remember one boy who had 'problems' (actually it was everyone else who had the problems) being moved to ThB because John Page was thought to be a safe pair of hands (the boy lasted about one and a half terms and then left). Then there was the rather complicated arrangement in which I was involved. In ThB in 1962 were RC (house captain), MJP (2nd monitor), and me (3rd monitor). All 2nd partings, and all staying. I wanted a study for my final year, so I enquired about a transfer to a house which I knew would need a house captain. What in fact happened was that RC remained as house captain, MJP moved to ThA as senior grecian (!) and I got my study in ThB. (To add to the complication, the 4th monitor moved to be house captain of yet another house. As I was also made an honorary house captain, this meant that of our cohort of six, four of us became members of the house captains' meeting. Was this a record?)

Never -- ever -- in the 40s as I remember, but I might be wrong.

The Idea of transfer to boost another House's sporting ability, smacks of the Football League, was there a "Transfer Fee" ?

If that ever DID happen (Sporting Transfer) I would have thought that it was against all the "House Pride" which certainly existed in my time !

When I was having a particularly difficult time with my wardmistress at Hertford in the late 50s, I believe my mother actually asked if I could be transferred to another ward, and was told very firmly that it never happened, and DR was not about to make an exception in my case!

I can't recall any transfers when I was in Coleridge B.

Been plenty of transfers since my DS started 3 years ago - boys who have had problems for whatever reason have been re-housed as a last resort/fresh start.

YadaYada wrote:Been plenty of transfers since my DS started 3 years ago - boys who have had problems for whatever reason have been re-housed as a last resort/fresh start.

Three years already? Doesn't seem possible!

Do the parents have to re-label everything after transfers?

J.R. wrote:I can't recall any transfers when I was in Coleridge B.

nor me.
As Neil writes

If that ever DID happen (Sporting Transfer) I would have thought that it was against all the "House Pride" which certainly existed in my time !

house pride was strongly engendered so only the worst of the worst would have been eligible to leave and only the best of the best would have been eligible to arrive; it couldn't have worked.

anniexf wrote:
Do the parents have to re-label everything after transfers?

I have nightmares about that!

There were several boys and girls who moved houses for various reasons over the years in the 80s, often because of bad influences, bullying, or simply moving to be with their brothers. Seemed to happen quite a lot, and several ended up in Maine A!

It seems also that the policy of whether or not to keep sisters together varied over time at Hertford. In my time sisters usually went into the same ward/house. By the 80s when my two daughters were both there, the policy was to separate them. Perhaps this changed with the change of headmistresses. I can see advantages and disadvantges to each system, particularly with twins. When my younger daughter started (well after the days of admitting 9-year-olds) she had skipped her final year of primary school and was only 10 and 4 months, and by far the littlest in the school. At home the two girls were always fighting so it was interesting to watch as the older girl became fiercely protective if she thought that her little sister was in danger of being bullied, regardless of whether the bully was staff or student. They both seemed to survive the experience and today are far closer than they ever were as small children.

There have been a few transfers between houses this year, but it is as a last resort because of issues within the house.

And yes, all the clothes have to relabelled - possibly causing interesting conversations at home !!

Pinkhebe - I don't think you have anything to worry about

Three years already? Doesn't seem possible!

Tell me about it! Time goes so fast once they start secondary school.

And house pride is still going strong. Transfers aren't popular - usually people are quite glad to see the back of the leaver but aren't necessarily as keen to greet an interloper from another house.

Fjgrogan wrote:It seems also that the policy of whether or not to keep sisters together varied over time at Hertford. In my time sisters usually went into the same ward/house. By the 80s when my two daughters were both there, the policy was to separate them. Perhaps this changed with the change of headmistresses. I can see advantages and disadvantges to each system, particularly with twins. When my younger daughter started (well after the days of admitting 9-year-olds) she had skipped her final year of primary school and was only 10 and 4 months, and by far the littlest in the school. At home the two girls were always fighting so it was interesting to watch as the older girl became fiercely protective if she thought that her little sister was in danger of being bullied, regardless of whether the bully was staff or student. They both seemed to survive the experience and today are far closer than they ever were as small children.

I think I mentioned on another thread a while back that in late 60's and early 70's at Hertford, sisters were always, as far as I can remember, in different houses, the elder being able to choose the house for the younger one. There were twins in neighbouring houses.

J.R. wrote:I can't recall any transfers when I was in Coleridge B.

There were some, though, even if you don't recall them. Charlie Rowlands moved from Maine A to be house captain of ColB in 1962/63 (that was the position I enquired about). And about three years earlier, Chris Slade moved from ColB to be house captain of ThB.