AN historic link between The Royal School, in Haslemere, and the “father of firefighting” was celebrated last Friday.

James Braidwood (1800-1861) founded the world’s first municipal fire service and was the first director of what is now the London Fire Brigade,

He was the great-great-great grandfather of former pupil Diana Hamilton-Jones, and she travelled from the Netherlands to attend a special assembly in his honour.

Mrs Hamilton-Jones went to The Grove School, which joined with the Royal Naval School in 1995, to become The Royal School, based in Hindhead.

Year seven students celebrated the life and work of her illustrious ancestor in a mini-drama for the assembly, which also included special guests Brian Wenham, author of a biography of Mr Braidwood, ‘True Hero’, and Haslemere Fire Station crew commander Gary Traviss.

After the assembly at the senior school, year seven pupils went to the Junior School to share the story of the modern fire service and Mr Braidwood’s life and achievements with younger pupils.

Mrs Hamilton-Jones said: “I found the assembly both moving and inspiring. Mr Taylor-Gooby, head of drama, had cleverly dramatised the story and both those taking part and those watching the assembly were enthusiastic and interested. It is always nice to visit the school and it was a lovely walk down memory lane.”

School principal Anne Lynch added: “It is a privilege for The Royal School to be part of this commemoration and, 350 years after the Great Fire of London of 1666, to celebrate the work of the 21st century Fire Service.”

Mr Braidwood was appointed as the first Superintendent of Fire Engines in Edinburgh in 1824, following a series of deadly fires that culminated in the Great Fire of Edinburgh and saw the launch of an ‘effective Establishment for the speedy extinguishing of Fires’.

In 1832, he became the first Superintendent of the London Fire Engine Establishment and helped establish a sea change in the attitude and approach to firefighting in London.

But not all the sound advice he gave was taken on board in time to save him from a premature death on June 22, 1861, when he perished during a fire in the Tooley Street warehouses.