Extract from Halesowen Who’s Who 1951
Two Gates Ragged School (Cradley)
The school began, like many of its contemporaries, in a house where prayer meetings were held. The occupier of the house then purchased a piece of land and decided to erect a school upon it. All the materials were given and bricks were carried a considerable distance to the site. All the labour was voluntary and when the school was opened in 1867, it had not cost a penny to build. As its name implies, it was the children of poor people who were catered for, as well as their parents. It had many struggles and a Mr Homfray, a local solicitor, was its stalwart. He was the father of Mrs Frank Somers, of the well known Halesowen family, and Mrs Somers can recall her father accompanying the singing with a flute.
Superintendent: Mr C Willetts