The History of Wellesley

The Wellesley Nautical School was founded in 1868 by a group of philanthropic buisnessmen on Tyneside under the leadership of James Hall, 'to provide shelter for Tyneside waifs and train young men for service in both Royal and Merchant Navies.'
The first accommodation was on board the ex-frigate "H.M.S. CORNWALL" moored on the tyne in 1868. She was soon replaced by the last of the wooden walled battleships, "H.M.S. BOSCAWEN", renamed "T.S. WELLESLEY" to maintain the tradition started some six years earlier, and by the early 1900's Wellesley was accepting boys from London, Manchester and Liverpool as well as from Tyneside and Yorkshire.

A drastic change occured in 1914 when the training ship was destroyed by fire, although all boys were brought ashore safely to reside until 1918 in the Tynemouth Plaza, on a temporary basis. An appeal was launched and raised £22,000 which allowed the school to take over the World War One submarine base at Blyth where it has been based since - apart from a period from the Second World War when the school evacuated to Hamsterly Forest in County Durham.

Wellesley became an 'approved school' in 1933 but continued to train boys (some of whom were still there as abandoned children or voluntarily) for sea-going trades in a variety of vessels sailing out of Blyth. In 1973, following substantial changes in the treatment of young boys incorporated in the '69 Act, Wellesley became part of The City of Sunderland's Council's Social Services Department and although the Nautical element continued into the 1970's the last thirty years have seen a distinct movement away from the sea-going training into a more general based education and training scheme as "Wellesley Community Home."

What has not gone however is the "Wellesley" spirit which infects the majority of boys and staff who live or have lived there. There is something about Wellesley which is indefinable, but which brings a warmth to the heart, a lump in the throat and a tear to the eye when one remembers their time spent there...

After being refused planning permission by Blyth Valley Council to make improvements to the site, an appeal was made and won by Sunderland Council. However, after much consideration it was decided by Sunderland that the home would be closed, thus ending an era, that will warm the hearts of many when recollecting their time spent there. Wellesley Officially closed it's doors on November 6th 2006.

The school has now gone, however, The spirit of Wellesley will live on in the hearts of residents and staff forever...

God bless the good ship 'Wellesley' and all who sailed in her