British Seaman’s Boys' Home on:
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The British Seaman's Orphan Boys' Home was founded in
/ref>306947 - GRENVILLE HOUSE - OUTDOOR EDUCATION CENTRE
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The British Seaman's Orphan Boys' Home was founded in Brixham
Brixham is a coastal town and civil parish, the smallest and southernmost of the three main population centres (the others being Paignton and Torquay) on the coast of Torbay in the county of Devon, in the south-west of England. Commercial fish ...
on the Berry Head Road in 1863 by William Gibbs of Tyntesfield
Tyntesfield is a Victorian Gothic Revival house and estate near Wraxall, North Somerset, England. The house is a Grade I listed building named after the Tynte baronets, who had owned estates in the area since about 1500. The location was form ...
for the orphan sons of deceased British seamen. He died in 1875 and his widow conveyed the Home upon trust to the Bishop of Exeter
The Bishop of Exeter is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Exeter in the Province of Canterbury. Since 30 April 2014 the ordinary has been Robert Atwell.
, with the object of providing for the orphan sons of British seamen. It was closed in 1988 after 125 years.
It was famous for its bugle and drum marching band which could be seen marching from the home to All Saints' Church most Sundays.
Many hundreds of boys have passed through the Home and have been given a good start in life which they otherwise would have not had – most went on to join the Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against Fr ...
. Some boys, in later life, spoke about the brutality of aspects of the orphanage, including physical violence and lack of affection or warmth . Life was very regimented for already traumatised children in the early part of the twentieth century.
Post Closure
In 1990 it became a Nautical Venture Centre then in 1995 became the Grenville House Outdoor Education Centre About Grenville House/ref>
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