Supporting Local Research Through The School Archives
As a school, we are fortunate that a good deal of our 147-year history can be traced through the archives we hold in school. Including previous copies of the school magazine, uniforms and photographs, the archive allows us glimpses into the lives of the Kendrick Girls’ from the past. We have recently been able to support local research by providing archival materials. Research being conducted into Reading Old Cemetery by Professor Yota Dimitriadi of the University of Reading led to the realisation that a former Kendrick Head Girl is buried there.
Jessie Durbidge, B.A. (1905-1927) went on to become a teacher at Alfred Sutton Primary School after her time at Kendrick. Professor Brian Richards of the University of Reading went on to conduct some research into Jessie’s life, and reached out to Kendrick School for any records of Jessie’s time at school that may be in our school archive.
Mrs Williamson and Dr Duncan were able to find several references to Jessie’s time here at Kendrick and share this with Professor Richards. Records of Jessie’s short life are sparse, and yet through the multiple items held in our archives, the story of a bright young woman who was passionately involved in her school was able to be told.
Professor Richards' article on Jessie can be found here: https://blogs.reading.ac.uk/tales-from-the-archives/2024/04/24/in-memory-of-jessie-durbidge-b-a-1905-1927/
An interesting piece of information that emerged from the research is that Jessie had a sister, Winifred, who lived until 1996. In her will she donated 1/9th of her remaining estate to each of the two organisations:
1. Trustees of the Kendrick Scholarship Fund;
2. "University of Reading Faculty of Arts for the general purpose of the Faculty and in memory of my sister Jessie Mary Durbidge BA (1923 - 1926)"
A copy of Kendrick Girls' Magazine, Summer Term 1922. The school archives hold many copies of this magazine, covering a number of years.