Image Ref : STO 0001.tif

F.S. Stoyle, 1905

Frederick Stanley Stoyle was born on 30 March 1889 and died, aged 69, in 1958. In 1901 the family was living at 67 Fore Street, Totnes. His father, William Henry Stoyle, was a rural postman. On 21 October 1909, his name is recorded in The Western Times under the headline "Successful students at the Exeter University College". The article listed students, at various points in their course, training to be teachers. On 26 December 1910, he married Fanny Ellicombe (born 1 October 1890) at the parish church of Wolborough, Newton Abbot, at which point his residence is given in the record as St James the Less, Gloucester, and his profession as 'School teacher'. On 19 April 1915, he became the headmaster when Walkhampton Foggintor school opened with about 55 children; his wife taught the Infants. Mary Stanbrook, in her book "Old Dartmoor Schools Remembered", writes: 'Mr Stoyle, who had taught in two schools after training at Exeter, was the youngest headteacher appointed in the county, and he and his wife ran the school in exemplary fashion for over 21 years, earning the respect of all in the district.' The school later became known as Four Winds, after the eponymous private residence there when the school had closed. The date of this photograph and of the medal shown in STO 0002 and 0003 suggests this might well have been a grammar school photograph of its head boy. Lent for scanning by Ian Stoyle.