Blanche Elizabeth Young was the daughter of Alfred and Selina Young. She was born on December 28th 1856 at Contantia Terrace, Marine Town, Minster, Sheerness, Kent. Her father was a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and presumably based in Sheerness, which had a Royal Naval Dockyard.
1861 census she is recorded as a visitor at 17 Otterbourne Village, Hampshire (the home of her uncle Benjamin Leigh, Superannuated Excise Officer)
1868 entered the The Naval School, Isleworth
1871 census she is recorded as a scholar at *The Naval School, Isleworth
(1875 left The Naval School, Isleworth? – need to check)
1880 married William St Clair Cole in the Parish Church at Fareham
1881 census living at 5 Peninsular Terrace, Southampton St Mary
1883 son Robert Mansel S Cole born
1887 daughter Gertrude Cole born
1891 died South Stoneham, Southampton (of what?)
*The Royal Naval School had been founded in 1840 to educate the daughters of naval officers and moved to St. Margaret’s, Isleworth, in 1856. It is now known as The Royal School, having merged with The Grove School in 1995.
I have one report from the school, dated 1868 (from the University of Dundee Archives), which lists new candidates to the school. My great-grandfather’s sister is listed as follows:
- Name of candidate – Young, Blanche E.
- Age 11
- Father’s Name, Rank, etc – Commander Alfred Young, R.N., deceased
- Remarks of the Committee – Has claims
In 1868 there were 87 girls enrolled at the school where they seemed to stay until the age of 18.
