Bernard Garside
Historian and schoolmaster
1898 - 1963
Local historian and schoolmaster
Bernard Garside was born in Skipton-in-Craven, Yorkshire on 22 Oct 1898. He attended Ermysted’s, a well-known grammar school in Skipton and throughout his life remained devoted to his West Riding roots. He graduated in History from Leeds University, after his studies had been interrupted by war service.
He came to Hampton Grammar School (now Hampton School) as Senior History Master in 1924 at the age of 26. Shortly after his arrival, Garside began his researches into Hampton-on-Thames in the Tudor and Stuart period. After six years work, he submitted a rigorous 800 page typed thesis for his M A: reputed to be the longest in the examining history of the University of London. This research provided the basis for the twelve books he subsequently published over nearly 30 years.
Pioneer of academic local history
He was one of the pioneers of “academic local history” and in 1937 was elected a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society. In 1948 he became a part-time lecturer on local history with the Hampton branch of the Workers Educational Association, subsequently lecturing on International Relations as well.
He completed the last of his series of 10 booklets on Hampton in the 16th & 17th centuries in 1958. Starting in 1937, the series had been interrupted by the Second World War between 1939 and 1945. He had also written a major work on the history of Hampton School in 1931 and another for the 400th anniversary celebrations for the School in 1957. He suffered heart illness in 1957, and this probably led to his early retirement in 1959.
Founded Hampton branch of Twickenham Local History Society
In 1962 he founded the Hampton research branch of the then newly-formed Borough of Twickenham Local History Society, undertaking a detailed survey of Hampton and its inhabitants in the 1890’s. He died suddenly at one of the Hampton research meetings in 1963 at the age of 64. The following year a new road, off Broad Lane, Hampton was named Garside Close in his memory by the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames.
Books by Bernard Garside:
The history of Hampton School from 1556-1700, with a brief account of the years from 1700 to the present day, 1931 (second edition, 1950).
A brief history of Hampton School 1557-1957, 1957.
*Incidents in the history of Hampton-on-Thames during the 16th and 17th centuries, 1937.
*The Parish Church, Rectory and Vicarage of Hampton-on-Thames during the 16th and 17th centuries, 1937.
*Their Exits and their Entrances, an account of the Parish Registers of Baptisms, Marriages and Burials at Hampton-on-Thames for the 16th and 17th centuries, 1947.
*The ancient Manor Courts of Hampton-on-Thames during the 17th century Part 1,1948.
*The ancient Manor Courts of Hampton-on-Thames during the 17th century Part 2,1949.
**The Manor, Lordships and great parks of Hampton Court during the 16th and 17th centuries, 1951.
**The lanes and fields of Hampton Town during the 16th and 17th centuries, 1953
**Parish affairs in Hampton Town during the 17th century, 1954.
**People and homes on Hampton-on-Thames in the 16th and 17th centuries, 1956.
**The Free School of Robert Hammond in Hampton-on-Thames and other charities during the 16th and 17th centuries, 1958
*These five works were also published together in an extremely limited set (20 copies) as Hampton-on-Thames Tudor and Stuart studies.
**These five works were also published together in an extremely limited set (20 copies) as Hampton-on-Thames Further Tudor and Stuart studies
Other relevant reading:
John Sheaf, Notes on the books of Bernard Garside (a series of books on Hampton in the 16th & 17th centuries), 1995, typescript in LBRUT Local Studies Library
Garside’s Wars, Memoirs of Bernard Garside F.R.Hist.S. (1898-1963), Editor K A Rice, 1993.
