Page 791 - Reading Mercury

Fri 2nd April
NEW HOME FOR PREP SCHOOL
When then 60-odd pupils of Wokingham Preparatory School reassemble next
Wednesday after their Easter holidays, they will find themselves in new, much more
commodious, and definitely more interesting surroundings. Miss B.E. Caudwell, the
Principal, has purchased the White House, Finchampstead Road, Wokingham.
Formerly occupied by Mr. C. S. Schofield. It has some 20 rooms. Several of which
are spacious and ideal for adaptation as class rooms.
The largest is a ball room with a fine sprung floor, which will be used for
kindergarten and assemblies. At one end is a lovely Adam fireplace in a white Italian
marble which came from the Palace, Whitehall. It was a present from Charles II to
Lady Castlemaine.
There are two other Adam fireplaces in the house and an Adam staircase leading
from the entrance hall, in addition to three finely appointed and decorated bathrooms.
The White House is situated in beautiful grounds. At the front is a huge tulip tree—
there is only one other to compare with it in the country—which already gives
promise to healthy bloom.
While extending window space in one of the ground floor rooms at the front of the
house this week, workmen came across a brick marked with the initials “R.G.” and
the date 1747.

th
Sat 10 April
TOWN COUNCIL’S PRESENTATION TO MR. A. E PRIEST
The presentation of an illuminated address to Mr. A. E. Priest preceded the April
meeting of Wokingham Town council on Thursday The address, which expressed the
appreciation and thanks of the Mayor, alderman and councillors to Mr. Priest for his
loyal and valuable service to the town, recorded the stages of his career on the council
which began in November 1911. Elected an alderman in 1927 he was Mayor for four
years, from 1929-33. For 26 years he held the chairmanship of the Lighting
Committee.
“We all remember the untiring work he did for the council,” said the Mayor (Cllr.
the Hon, Mrs. Corfield) handing Mr. Priest the address. Replying Mr. Priest spoke of
the sadness with which he had decided that he no longer felt able to continue on the
council.

th
Sat 29 May
OBITUARY
Canon B. Long
Canon Bertram Long, Rector of Wokingham for 29 years, and an honorary canon of
Christ Church, Oxford, from 1933 to 1945, died at Batworthy, Chagford, Devon, on
th
Thursday last week, the 54 anniversary of his ordination. He was 78. A Naden
Divinity student of St. John’s College, Cambridge, he went to Wells Theological
College in 1893. Ordained a deacon in 1894 and a priest in 1895, he served his first
curacy from 1894-96 at Caversham. From 1896-7, he was domestic chaplain to the
Bishop of Truro, then accepting the curacy of Burnham, Bucks, he remained there
until he left for Beaconsfield in 1901.
It was from Beaconsfield that Canon Long went to Wokingham in 1904 to become
rector of the Parish Church of All Saints’, where he was to spend more than half of his
ministry. A surrogate from 1907-1945, and Rural Dean of Sonning from 1928-1933,
he was chaplain of Wokingham Public Assistance Institution from 1912 until 1933.

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