South London Press - Saturday 29 October 1870
The Halbrake School Magazine (No. 1.) - This unpretending little magazine, which emanates from the Halbrake School, New Wandsworth, is well printed on toned ?? and contains short, well-written articles, contributed by the pupils of the school and their friends. It is edited by the principal, Mr. [Conder], and it is purposed that it should be published on the first of each alternate mouth.
The present number, amongst other papers. contains the following, which, being of local interest, we are induced to quote:
"IN MEMORIAM"
"On Wednesday, June 29, George Paris Sandeman, son of the late J. J. Sandeman, Esq., formerly of Lake-terrace Wandsworth, was lost at sea when nearing Australia. He spent four years as pupil at Halbrake School, and was a general favourite among his schoolfellows.
"On leaving school in 1868, he entered as a midshipman on board the Murray, of London, and he made three voyages to Australia. On each occasion of his return to England he paid a visit to the school, and spent an afternoon there in March last. On joining the Murray for his last voyage, he was promoted to third mate.
"The deceased was reefing the maintop-sail, when he lost his footing and fell, striking the mainsail in his descent, and bounding thence into the sea. The helm was at once put down and the ship brought to the wind; but the impossibility of lowering a boat in the heavy sea, prevented a rescue.
"Many who read these lines will recall to mind their old school-fellow, full of life and vigour, and will grieve over his early death.
"George Mitchison, a contemporary of George Paris Sandeman, was washed overboard in a gale in the Atlantic, in his first voyage as a midshipman on board the Dollerah, July 17, 1868." .
It is proposed, in a letter to the editor, signed "Two Old Boys," that a memorial stained-glass window should be placed in St. Paul's Church, New Wandsworth, in memory of their old school-fellow, George Sandeman, and of their old captain at cricket, George Mitchison.
[BNA: Link]
PB: Notice the colonial connections. Did they inspire Conder to travel? We know he loved to recite exciting books by Venn (and by Henty?).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Murray_%28clipper_ship%29
http://www.aberdeenships.com/single.asp?index=100143
https://collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/resource/B+1779
https://www.19thcenturyshipportraitsinprints.com/lptgd-oc.html
https://www.gutenberg.org/files/52897/52897-h/52897-h.htm#Page_153
Also, the only ref. I have found to the magazine was in a South Africa newspaper of 1871 - Fort Beaufort is in the Eastern Cape. I quickly found a "Miss Sutherland" at a gathering at Halbrake in 1870[?] but it might need more looking to ding Master Sutherland et al.
:"A VERY GRAPHIC DESCRIPTION OF THE TOWN OF FORT BEAUFORT, appears in No. 1. of the "Halbrake School Magazine". It is by Master P. SUTHERLAND, formerly of this town, who forwarded a copy of the Magazine containing his description, to Mr. BIRKETT, whose pupil he formerly was. The account is very creditable to Master SUTHERLAND, and we have no doubt Mr. BIRKETT will allow a perusal to those who may feel interested.
[Transcribers' note - I tried finding this article on Google, but no luck. If anybody happens upon it, please could you kindly share it with me?]
[I wonder if that window was ever installed? And if so, what has became of it? Geograph: St Paul's Church - now flats]
[Clapham Junction Action Group: St Paul's Church ]
[BNA: Link]
[George Mitchison's ship, the Dollerah? "Dollerah. Iron barque, 1017 tons. Built Glasgow 1864. Lbd 207.6 x 33.5 x 20.6 ft. Burnt at sea, en route from London to Adelaide. [AS6] " http://oceans1.customer.netspace.net.au/austrun-wrecks.html ]