Monday 21st January 2019  

Extracts from the primary school log books (seniors) 1874-94

Extracts from St Bartholomew's Primary School (National School) senior log books 1874-1894

September 28th 1874
I, John Thomas Judges, late of St James's Boys' School, Curtain Road, London EC, took charge of this school. The school re-assembled after five weeks' holiday. 42 children present.

October 16th 1874
I wrote to Mr Underwood, hosiery manufacturer requesting him to make arrangements for allowing his factory children to attend school, one week in the morning, and the other in the afternoon, and so on alternately.

October 20th 1874
Mr Underwood replied to my letter of the 16th, stating that he would comply with my request.

March 18th 1875
Warned several of the lads of worrying a cow which is grazing on the green: the owner of the animal having complained to me.

June 16th 1875
Mrs Ainslie and Revd. R Stammers visited. (brother and sister). Mr Stammers impressed on the children the necessity of more regular attendance. Irregular children threatened with expulsion.
Thin attendance on account of the Wesleyan Methodist children's tea meeting and many children being engaged in pea-getting and hay-making.

July 5th 1875
Many children are now at work in the fields, hay-making and pea-getting.

July 21st and 22nd 1875
No scholars were able to approach the school on either of these days on account of a most disastrous flood which rendered all the low-lying roads impassable.

August 5th 1875
Sent home Mary Judd for her school money and her mother sent word that she "was not going to pay it". I have suspended her till payment is made.

August 13th 1875
Broke up for the Harvest vacation - one month. We re-assemble on the 13th of Sept.

Sept 13th 1875
No school this week on account of the "Wake" falling in the week.

Oct 7th 1875
Very meagre attendance both today and Thursday owing to some children being away from home spending holiday, and many others kept at home on the most frivolous pretences and in some cases without sufficient cause. It is high time some more stringent measures were adopted.

Oct 15th 1875
54 children present. There has not been so good a school for months past.

Oct 21st 1875
No school this morning on account of the roads being under water.

Nov 11th 1875
Roads flooded in some parts of the parish, many absent in consequence. The prevalence of floods during the last four months has considerable reduced the attendance; and on several occasions the school has been closed through them.

Nov 15th 1875
Scarletina and Measles has broken out in the parish. Thirteen children are absent today, either from an attack themselves or in some other member of their family. What with Measles, Scarletina, the flood and Loughboro' Statute Fair, I have a very thin attendance this afternoon.

June 13th 1876
Discovered that Isaac Tuckwood had stolen a Poetry Book and torn the covers off and then bartered it to J Preston for a catapult. Addressed the school on the evil of stealing, and sent for Mr Stammers who likewise addressed the children on that topic. The thief having confessed his fault and expressed his contrition, punishment is deferred. Mr Stammers in the meantime will call on his parents.

Dec 21st 1876
The numbers are distressingly low; may children, especially the girls, are kept at home assisting in cleaning up for Christmas. Some are ill and will therefore not attend till after the holidays. Rev. Robt. Stammers examined the school in geography and scripture.

Jan 21st 1877
Mrs Ainslie visited and inspected the girls' sewing. (This happens every few days).

April 20th 1877
Mr Thornhill of Leicester, the Inspector of Factories and Workshops called at the school and inquired after irregular factory half-timers. He informed me that all Factory children must attend school till they are 14 years of age unless they pass Standard IV of the Code 1876.

July 11th 1877
Holiday. Church Sunday School Annual Festival. Tea etc. given by Mrs Warner of Quorn Hall where the children joined in their sports.

July 16th 1877
Quorndon and neighbourhood Horticultural Exhibition this day. Holiday in afternoon.

October 15th 1877
Very boisterous morning - 52 children absent, many having gone getting sticks which have blown off trees.

Dec 17th 1878
Several scholars have left to attend an inefficient free R.C school lately opened in the village.

Dec 19th 1878
Mr Geo. Bryan, Attendance Officer, called and left forms for monthly return (December). He directed that all scholars attending the inefficient School mentioned above should be reported as attending no school.

May 30th 1879
I, John Thos. Judges, do this day resign charge of this school.

June 9th 1879
This is the fist day of my charge here as Master of the Quorndon National School (George R Goodison)…..the attendance is very thin owing to many of the children being at Barrow Wake… The school is entirely without a supply of slates and more reading books are required for the efficient working of the school. The discipline is very defective, and the children very rough and ill-behaved. The Vicar visited the school a.m. (Rev Stammers visits the school every 2/3 days).

June 25th 1879
I have only been here as Master of this school about 17 days, but owing to the unwillingness of the Managers to allow me to conduct the school in my own way, and supply me with the needful apparatus for the efficient working of the school, I have found it necessary to resign the appointment, much to my own personal loss as I had furnished the School house ready for taking up my residence here….

July 11th 1879
The numbers are still very low, 69 present, at both meetings today. A great many children attend school very irregularly indeed….. no sewing taught this week; the girls have received their instruction with the boys.

Sept 29th 1879
Henry King becomes Master

May 31st 1880
I have this day resigned the Mastership of this school, having had no assistance with an attendance generally of above 80 children and an insufficient supply of materials, I have found great difficulties in working the school to my own satisfaction. The Revd. R Stammers examined 1st and 2nd classes during the morning and in the afternoon brought me the supply of paper (nearly a quire) for the working of he Upper Standards.

October 10th 1880
Mr Wm Shannon, late Master of Doddington Endowed School, new Master.

Oct 11th 1880
Mr Jas Lucas ex P.T assumed duty as Asst. Master of the school. Visited by Revd. R Stammers.

Oct 13th 1880
Emily Disney having misconducted herself at prayers was "kept in". The Mother came to the school; used the most obscene language, threatened to break the windows and finally directed her daughter to unlock a side door and leave.

Oct 14th 1880
Gave E. Disney her copy book and excluded her from the school for the present. School interrupted at 10 am by Mrs Disney who again used strong and obscene language. John Kemp punished by detention after morning session. His Mother withdrew him from school treating me to the abusive language which appears characteristic of the women of Quorn.

Oct 18th 1880
While closing morning school Mesdames Armston and Daft, accompanied by another woman (who had no other business than to enjoy the scene) came into the room and without the slightest reference to me, withdrew their children. In the afternoon the boys presented themselves but of course I declined to receive them.

Oct 19th 1880
Visited in the afternoon by Revd. R Stammers and at his request re-admitted A Daft. It appears that the boys are required to carry their fathers' dinners to the Quarries at Mountsorrel. The Mothers assert that it has been customary to allow these boys to leave 5 or 10 mins before 12 o.c. There is no record of such arrangement in the Log, nor are any attendances cancelled in last year's Registers (as would be absolutely necessary according to the timetable) The parents would not consent to the children losing the credit of the morning attendance. I have therefore no alternative but to adhere strictly to time-table.

Nov 12th 1880
Very thin attendance today. Wrote Mr Wright calling his attention to the very irrgular attendance of "half-timers" working in his factory. Av. 73.7

May 16th 1881
Trouble between Master and Rev R Stammers.

May 27th 1881
I this day resign charge of this school. Wm Shannon.

Mr Edwyn Wardle from Low Brafield Endowed School appointed Master but unable to take up appt. immediately.

May 30th 1881
Jas. Cope commenced as temporary Master.
The children are backward in their subjects and rather loose in their manners.

July 4th 1881
Edwyn Wardle commenced as Master. 70 children present.

July 22nd 1881
After teaching for the past three weeks, I find the order much improved, the children coming much cleaner and attending to lessons. I have found it necessary to punish several children for misbehaviour in going to and from school. I have detained the older children and spoke to them of the evil of copying. Also I have endeavoured to impress upon the children the importance of cheerful obedience to duty and to be truthful in work and act; the half-timers are especially wanting in this respect.

Nov 9th 1881
Many children away am and pm. Find they are watching the erection of Archways in honour of the marriage of W E B Farnham Esq to Miss Scott, sister of Sir A Scott Bart.

Dec 18th 1881
Mr Stammers commenced examining each standard. Two prizes are offered for each class. The eight prizes, each costing half-a-crown have been given by E Warner Esq., and Mrs Philip Wright. A scripture prize is given by the Vicar to the value of ten shillings.

Dec 22nd 1881
Broke up for the Christmas holiday. The Vicar giving away the prizes and to each child a Christmas card.

August 6th 1883
Owing to the low state of the school funds, J D Cradock Esq., explained that it was necessary to drop all the salaries after Nov 30th next. Mine will be less by £20 and the Asst. Master's £5.

August 9th 1883
I have sent written notice to three of the Managers intending to leave on Nov 30th next. The Asst. Master has sent one month's notice.

Trouble between Mr Wardle and Miss Corlett - June 25th-Nov 19th, long entry by Rev Stammers after Nov 30th

Dec 3rd 1883
John Dryden new Master

June 9th 1884
Songs - Raindrops patter
Jack Frost
Morn amid the mountains
The old grey goose
The old house by the linden
Flowers wildwood flowers
Come soft and lovely evening
Murmur gentle lyre

June 10th 1884
Mrs Ainsley, the Vicar's sister and a great friend to the schools died today. Much regretted.
June 27th 1884
Fifteen minutes out of the 2 hours are allowed for play in the morning school and ten minutes in the afternoon. Code 1884. 10.30-10.45am 3-3.10pm

July 12th 1884
Excursion to Hangingstone Rocks etc. kindly permitted by Mrs P Herrick

Inspector's report.

Oct 10th 1884
Lesson on the importance of truth.

Dec 16th 1884
A. Armston and A Cross refuse to comply with the rule of the school respecting the fees. "That if the fee be not paid by Tuesday the child is to be sent back for it." Consequently they had to be sent home. Otherwise the rule seems to work well.

Jan 5th 1885
Children who paid 3d the week before Christmas pay 2d this week, those who paid 2d the week before Christmas pay 3d.

Aug 14th 1886
I, John Dryden resign charges of this school and gave up possession of the house and premises.

Sept 20th 1886
Henry Poyner new Master………In taking charge I note the by no means encouraging fact that I am the 6th Master appointed since June '79 mainly from one cause….

Oct 11th 1886
Received 3 dozen slates: 1 gross copy books and 3 doz "Deserted Village" from Midd. Edc. Compy. Carriage being charged 1/-.

Nov 26th 1886
Began to give marks this week for lessons done in school as well as at home and find it lends additional life and interest to them and does not involve either much extra trouble or loss of time. 117 present on the 22nd, the highest since I took charge.

Jan 20th 1887
The atmospheric temperature is much higher than for several week's past, and the parents of many children who have been in enforced idleness will be able to resume work and thus able to pay the school fees. I have been compelled to send home and refuse to receive Alice and Wm Ball because I can extract no fees from them, they only having paid one week's fees during the past month.

Feb 14th 1887
Less than 20 children assembled for school this morning, the measles epidemic being so general that acting on the Vicar's advice these were sent home again and the school was closed.

March 29th 1887
Rev R Stammers called, tested Registers and exhorted children to make up for so many weeks of lost time by increased diligence and regularity. Also cautioned them against making a playground of the churchyard.

June 15th 1887
Holiday the whole day. Opening of new organ at 3pm. Presented by the High Sheriff E C Farnham. Esq.

June 20th 1887
Mrs Farnham came at 12.30 and most kindly and patiently placed jubilee medals on the necks of each child, an operation occupying some two hours.

The school being required as a Depot for the provisions on which the whole parish was fed in commemoration of the "Queen's Jubilee", there was no school today.

July 15th 1887
The attendance all through the week has been dreadfully irregular, reaching its climax this Friday afternoon so that I resolved not to mark the Register. I am tired to wasting the time of pupils in sending after absentees and receiving the same ridiculously absurd excuses so trivial that one is compelled to conclude that many children only attend school when they are wanted out of the way and when there is positively no counter attraction.

Sept 12th 1887
Myself and Assistant were present to re-open school after a month's holiday but only 3 children put in an appearance - Quorndon Feast having far greater attractions. Consequently I resolved not to re-open school till next Monday Sept 19th as to attempt to do so in the middle of the week would only have resulted in another failure.

Jan 18th 1888
Eight boys played truant this afternoon being led astray by the presence of Mr Farnham's Harriers in school neighbourhood just previous to commencement of school.

Jan 26th 1888
Consider the desks placed in form of a square with the open side towards my house a great improvement affording much more space enabling me to see more easily what transpires, to get at their books, to move easily, besides being a great bar against copying.

April 12th 1888
Gave some oranges to those children who had done during the week the neatest and largest amount of Arithmetic work on paper.

May 10th 1888
Being Ascension Day, Registers not marked. Children assembled for church tho' many were absent. Half holiday. Funeral of the Vicar Revd. R. Stammers, doubtless the best and most interested friend belonging to the school, who will not easily be replaced.

Feb 6th 1889
Explained exhaustively and a second time how to multiply and divide by 5 and a half and 30 and a quarter respectively, a very knotty point with children of this class and age for they seem the most obtuse and unintellectual lot of children I have come in contact with during my extended experience a a teacher. Drew on BB capital chalk map of Ireland going through it with S IV. Horspool began to remove gateway opposite my front door.

March 22nd 1889
Meeting of Managers at 6.30 to reduce the school fees of those receiving parish relief and also of those who had a considerable number of children in attendance at both schools, half a dozen Mothers attended. It was also resolved to summon a Manger's Meeting the 2nd Monday in each month and have before them for explanation the parents of children attending irregularly.

June 8th 1888
Mr Hollingsworth brought his boy to school. I kept him the whole day but did not beat him. Rec'd form IX in which Mistress' salary was stated as £156 19. 8. which did not tend to make me more contented with mine of £90 14.8.

April 2nd 1889
Six boys rushed breathless into school at 9.20am. They had been on the track of a performing bear. Upon my turning my back for the cane, they being near the door, deliberately rushed out again and were absent all morning showing up in afternoon as if nothing unusual had transpired. On punishing them at end of afternoon. school and keeping them in, one father and one mother, Lovett and Bramley, came and made a slight scene.

April 10th 1889
Engaged "omnibus" to convey "Night Scholars" dwindled down to four in number to an exam at Shakespeare Board School Loughborough. Found Mr Dennis most kind and courteous.

April 19th 1889
Good Friday. Not a single child showed up for church so I went alone. The Infant Mistress had a very small number of very small children.

June 14th 1889
These two days' holiday have, as I expected been a perfect failure, skeleton classes, difficulty in getting even half fees. Evidently a majority of the lower classes consider education fees a cruel tax in any form, while they most slightly appreciate the value of the education imparted. Shocking meagre attendance this (Friday) afternoon and most unsatisfactory all week. Better give a week's holiday.

August 12th 1889
Re-opened after holidays. Mr Poyner ill and only able to visit the school for short periods. Miss E Wain commenced duties as Asst. Mistress.

Sept 30th 1889
Mr Poyner died on Saturday the 28th inst. Miss Corlett came in and asked the children to bring small sums towards a wreath for the late Master's funeral.

Dec 2nd 1889
Took charge of this school today. C Adams.

Feb 3rd 1890
Finding that the Needlework arrangement is in disorder, I have arranged each Standard in a group. The children seem to have been sitting just where they choose to place themselves. There is too, a great deal too much coming out of places during this lesson. It must be altered.

March 6th 1890
The grammar of the upper division is still lamentably weak. Some however are making good progress. It is a strange think but the children in this division seem to be incapable of distinguishing adjectives and adverbs when in a sentence . They must have constant and graduated practice in this subject.

May 23rd 1890
The Vicar took the First Class in Catechism and I then invited him to question in Mental Arithmetic. The class answered the majority of his questions very well indeed, in fact I am glad to chronicle a vast improvement in what appears to have been a greatly neglected. Subject.

August 18th 1890
Admitted a girl named Amelia Howes who left the school in July 1889. As she has gone to the factory to work it is necessary that she attends school again. She has passed Standard Four but is it impossible to place her in the Fifth as she has forgotten all the work of the Fourth. What to do with cases of this description is a knotty point.

July 8th 1891
A very heavy storm broke over the district this dinner time. The rain simply came down in torrents and the children taking dinner to the quarries must have been drenched as they are nearly all absent this afternoon, dropping our attendance to 127, the lowest for a long time.

Sept 7th 1891
The attendance this morning was 111, owing to the Village Wake. To reward these children I allowed them a half holiday this afternoon. This is the fist year school has been attempted on the Wake Monday and the result is gratifying as showing the improved taste of the parents, for the language of some of these van people is not fit for children to hear.

Sept 21st 1891
Wm Wisehall Standard VI has won a scholarship at Barrow Grammar School. He commences at that school this morning.

Oct 30th 1891
A very poor school this afternoon especially in the upper class. Sanger's circus is responsible for a few.

Nov 30th 1891
Miss Wain absent. Received a telegram later saying that she was ill.

Dec 1st 1891
Miss Wain at school but of very little use. These walks from Loughborough all weathers cannot but have an effect upon her constitution as if she gets wet it is impossible for her to change.

June 13th 1892
Miss Wain absent from duty this morning. These repeated absentisms (sic) are very annoying and hindering to progress. I really shall have to make a formal complaint to the Managers about it.

Sept 19th 1892
Miss Wain still absent. At the Manager's meeting held last Friday I strongly represented the facts in Miss Wain's case. This long walk to and from Lobro' in all weathers is very unsatisfactory both to the health of Miss Wain and to the work of the school. The Managers have instructed the Secretary to write and ask her to reside in the place.

Oct 18th 1892
As I anticipated we have a poor school this afternoon as there is "A Wild Beast show" in the neighbourhood, and the Standard IV children imagine that their education is completed. It is quite time that the Examption Standard was raised a step.

Nov 3rd 1892
Miss Wain resigned.

Nov 17th 1892
A very large school today 182.

April 8th 1893
A couple of casuals have arrived owing to work being opened on the new Reservoir.

Oct 21st 1893
Mr Sutton resigns his situation as he has a good opportunity of obtaining more lucrative employment and in consideration of his long services the Managers have allowed him to accept the post and leave at once on my acquiescing to the arrangement. I must therefore advertise at once and in the interval Georgiana Mary Adams, III St. will take charge of II Standard as a Monitor.

Nov 2nd 1893
Mr Geo. Auty Ex PT commenced his duties this morning.

Feb 23rd 1894
Gave the children who had not been absent above three times for a fortnight a "Magic Lantern Entertainment". Shall try it again next month.

June 4th 1894
Admitted a girl. We shall have a fair number of "stars" this year owing to so many labourers coming to work on the new reservoir.

Submitted on: 2010-12-20 Submitted by: Kathryn Paterson Artefact ID: 1073