Hertford had an important role from the very earliest days of Christ’s Hospital, as children who were too young to be educated in London were “sent out to nurse” in various towns in Hertfordshire, including Hertford. After the Great Fire of London in 1666, which largely destroyed the London school, Christ’s Hospital founded schools in Ware, Hoddesdon and, in 1682, in Hertford. The younger boys were taught there before they came to the London school and, from 1707, there were girls in both the London and Hertford schools. In 1778, all the girls moved to a school built on the Hertford site.
One remarkable set of books was maintained at Hertford, which covered the years 1897 to 1985, to which the term “scrapbook” does not do justice. These contain a handwritten account of every year by the Head Girl, and include copious amounts of relevant ephemera stuck in the books. They are labelled “CH Hertford Archives” with Roman numerals I to IX, and when the Hertford school closed, these books were brought to the museum at Horsham.
Illustrated on the left is one of these archive volumes.
Another item which came to Horsham from Hertford is a carved wood statuette of King Edward V1, which was presented to the Girl's school by Miss Norah Craig when she retired as Head Mistress in 1942, after 21 years service. It was placed in the lobby at the entrance to the Reference Library in Hertford and at Horsham it has occupied a place in the Court Room.
When the Hertford school was closed, much of its contents was sold at auction, but some of its archives and collections were brought to Horsham and were combined with those already held there.