Palmer, Gerald

The shop of Basil Palmer, Gerald's father, at 45 Newland Street, in the 1920s.
The shop of Basil Palmer, Gerald’s father, at 45 Newland Street, in the 1920s.

See also interviews 123, 131 and 132

Born: 1910 in Witham. Full name Gerald Basil Coote Palmer. Only child.

Parents: Edward Basil Palmer (known as Basil), Minnie Elizabeth Palmer (nee Perry). Married c 1907, Brentwood. At first lived at shop in Newland Street, then when retired, to Dei Gratia, Collingwood Road.
Father born in Kelvedon, one of seven children, his father having a grocer’s shop, then moved to Braintree as a child, and apprenticed to Crickmore and became a saddler and harnessmaker in Braintree at first. Then moved around including Chelmsford and Hertford, and then eventually in about 1907 at Crickmore’s shop at what became 45 Newland Street. Took over the business there himself in 1924. Retired 1947. Died 1961
Mother was born in Chelmsford, one of four, and was a dressmaker and had been apprenticed at Bolingbroke and Wenley and helped in the shop also. Died 1963.

School
Maldon Road School then Braintree High School (where got Intermediate degree entitling him to miss the first year at University), then to London when 18 to do External General Degree at Goldsmith’s College, London University. Obtained External Honours Degree by part time study when began teaching.

Jobs
Teacher. First in Dagenham for nearly six years. Then in 1937, head of Brightlingsea New Secondary School for six years. Then in 1943, head of Mid Essex Technical School in Chelmsford till 1954. Then head of Mark Hall comprehensive school in Harlow for twenty-one years (?Essex’s first comprehensive). Retired 1975.

Extracts from Documents

Directories
1926, 1929, 1933, 1937
E Basil Palmer, 45 High Street.

1920 electoral register
Newland Street: Edward Basil Palmer, Minnie Elizabeth Palmer.

1930 electoral register
45 Newland Street: Edward Basil Palmer, Minnie Palmer.

Marriage register from Ancestry
Name:     Gerald B C Palmer
Spouse Surname:     Howes
Date of Registration:     Apr-May-Jun 1935
Registration district:     Cambridge
Inferred County:     Cambridgeshire
Volume Number:     9b
Page Number:     1497
Find Spouse:     Find Spouse

Marriage register from Ancestry
Name:     Basil G Palmer
Spouse Surname:     Stevens
Date of Registration:     Jul-Aug-Sep 1955
Registration district:     East Ham
Inferred County:     Essex
Volume Number:     5a
Page Number:     97
Find Spouse:     Find Spouse

Death register from Ancestry:
Name:     Gerald Basil C Palmer
[Gerald Basil Coote Palmer]
Birth Date:     14 Jun 1910
Date of Registration:     Mar 2004
Age at Death:     93
Registration district:     Uttlesford
Inferred County:     Essex
Register Number:     39
District and Subdistrict:     478/1
Entry Number:     254

Honour
https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/44600/supplement/6308/data.pdf
Gazette, includes “Gerald Basil Coote Palmer, Headmaster, Mark Hall Comprehensive School, Harlow” in honours list before OBEs, but not clear what his list was as heading is on previous page.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Public-Interest-secondary-schools-illustrations
In the Public Interest. A book of civics for secondary schools. With illustrations Unknown Binding – 1956
by Gerald Basil Coote Palmer (Author), Herbert William Armstrong (Author)
Not available


Re. Andrew Clennel Palmer, Gerald’s son

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=SK-81iI6NJQC&pg=PA1278&lpg=PA1278&dq=gerald+basil+coote+palmer&source=bl&ots=2Ru5yxllkl&sig=mU5rXJjqkfZ7CEjasQI_mOpJOOo&hl=en&sa=X&ei=GnrBVJqDKuGN7Ab9z4HQAQ&ved=0CDIQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=gerald%20basil%20coote%20palmer&f=true
International Who’s Who 2004:

Debretts People of Today, n.d.
Career lectr in mechanical engrg Univ of Liverpool 1965-67, lectr in engrg Univ of Cambridge 1967-75, chief engr R J Brown and Associates 1975-79, prof of civil engrg UMIST 1979-82, vice-pres engrg R J Brown and Associates 1982-85, md Andrew Palmer and Associates 1985-93, tech dir SAIC Ltd 1993-96; Jafar research prof of petroleum engrg Univ of Cambridge 1996-2005, Keppel prof Nat Univ of Singapore 2006-12; visiting prof Harvard Univ 2002-03; pres Pipeline Industries Guild 1998-2000; CEng, memb Soc of Petroleum Engrs, FICE 1986, FREng 1990, FRS 1994

http://directors.findthecompany.co.uk/l/962965/Prof-Andrew-Clennel-Palmer
Prof. Andrew Clennel Palmer
Bold Island Engineering Limited, Singapore
Position: Company Secretary
Date of Appointment: January 06, 2009

https://sg.linkedin.com/in/shouravagrawal
Singapore – Shourav Agrawal,Sealine Engineer, SURF Department
October 2013. Design and Construction of Subsea Pipeline, Inhouse Training by Dr. Prof. Andrew Clennel Palmer organised in Saipem Singapore.

One thought on “Palmer, Gerald”

  1. Hello, Janet,

    I found your article on Gerald Palmer most interesting. I was at Mark Hall Comprehensive from 1969 to 1975, and was perhaps not the most assiduous of pupils. However, I had a good general education, and some good friendships while there.

    I believe that Mark Hall started life in 1954 as a secondary modern/technical school and officially became a comprehensive some time later, either in 1957 (unoficially) or 1964 when its name was changed. My memory is poor, and there is scant detail on the www.

    Some information here: https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/essex/vol8/pp149-158

    Regards,

    Nick

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