Denham Camburn
Headteacher
Denham Camburn was the third of eight children born to Thomas and Mary Camburn, in Whitstable Kent in 1874. His father was a Trinity (House) Pilot guiding ships into port or through narrow coastal shipping lanes.
He was baptised on 9 July 1883 at Charlton near Dover
By the age of 17 Denham was already a trainee teacher, known as a “Pupil School teacher” in a local elementary school and lived with his parents in Park Street Dover, where his father worked in the port.
During the 1890’s he moved to Kettering where he taught at the Kettering Boys National School (later the Parish Church School on Horsemarket), and it was whilst there he met Susan Florence Coles. They married on 6th April 1898 at SS Peter and Paul Church in Kettering; the groom being a resident of Tennyson Road and his bride residing in Station Road where her father was a tobacconist.
It was on 8 May 1898 (start of School year) that he took on the role of Headteacher at Woodford National School in church Street at the age of 24 years, residing in the headteacher cottage adjacent to the school.
The school had a total of three teachers responsible for the 146 pupils, although a government report in October of that year states that “The headmaster has charge of a class of 60 children with an average attendance of 56. Miss Gray an assistant under article 68 of the code has charge of a third standard of 44 pupils with an average attendance of 42 and Miss Beeby also an assistant under article 68 has a second standard of 43 children with an average attendance of 38. Miss Beeby does not commence until 10 am and for one hour daily the head master is teaching a class of over 90 children”
On 16 February 1900 only the headteacher was able to get to school due to heavy snow so he taught the whole school by himself.
School-life continued through the next dozen or so years until 7 July 1913 when an entry in the school log book reveals that “Master was seized with illness in school today” The local press reported later in the month that on 13 July he had died of pleurisy (lung infection). The funeral took place on 16 July when most of the village attended with standing room only in the church and many listening outside. He had been headteacher for fifteen years and died at the age of 39 years. He was Woodford School’s youngest headteacher
The newspaper “The Dover & County Chronicle and Kent & Sussex Advertiser” on 26 July 1913 reported “In the midst of the annual feast festivities, Woodford (near Thrapston) sustained a severe blow by the death of a highly respected inhabitant, Mr Denham Camburn on Sunday. He suffered from an internal malady, for which an operation was performed by a London surgeon. Deceased was thirty-nine years old and had been the schoolmaster at the church school for 15 years. He was an ardent conservative worker and secretary for four years. He was also a strong churchman. He leaves a widow (formerly Miss Coles, Of Kettering) and one daughter.
In the presence of nearly all the inhabitants of Woodford the funeral took place on Wednesday amid many signs of the deepest sorrow and sympathy. Around the graveside were the school children with their teachers most of them carrying wreaths, members of the St John Ambulance Brigade (Woodford Div) and the surpliced choir. Members of the local troop of scouts lined the path as the cortege passed, and formed a cordon around the greave. The vicar, The Rev Gerad Davidson with the surpliced choir met the cortege at the entrance to the churchyard members of the choir acting as bearers. The members of the St John Ambulance guard of honour all carrying beautiful floral tributes. Next came the mourners, Mrs Camburn and Miss Camburn, widow and daughter; Mr T Camburn brother; Mr and Mrs Pascall brother-in-law and sister (Dover); Mrs Sinclair and Mrs Coles (Sisters in law (Kettering) Mr and Mrs Neale (Woodford friends), then about twenty scholars carrying wreaths while the rest of the scholars followed under teachers…… Colonel SG Stopford Sackville JP and Mr C Neale Twywell represented the school managers. Amongst others noticed present were Mr E Plevins Woodford House; Misses M and C De Capell Brooke Woodford.
As the cortege entered the churchyard Miss Lightfoot played a funeral march on the organ and as they left “I know that my Redeemer liveth” The church was crowded to its utmost capacity, large numbers being unable to gain admission and some in the procession had to stand. The service was conducted by the Rev Gerard Davidson both in the church and at the graveside. The coffin bore the inscription Denham Camburn died July 13th 1913 aged 39 years…
Denham Camburn was survived by his wife Susan, who returned to live at Kettering (2 St Peter’s Avenue) until her death in February 1928. She was buried at Woodford. Their daughter Kathleen. B Woodford 1900 died (a spinster) in Torquay in 1998
Denham Camburn was succeeded in the role of headteacher by Mr Frederick Reed