FH from Education Records

On February 19th, over twenty visitors and members were in the Fromus Centre in Saxmundham, to be joined by another fifteen members on Zoom, to hear Dr Colin Chapman talk about Family History and Education Records.

Dr Chapman began with an overview of resources available to a family historian, then he took us back to the very early schools: St Paul’s School in London was founded in 1125 by the Bishop of London, Richard Beaumais.  Winchester College was founded by William Wykeham in 1382 and its statutes date from 1400.  The purpose of these schools was teaching children on spiritual matters.

Henry VIII established many educational institutions from the proceeds of the Dissolution of the Monasteries between 1536 and 1541.  However, these funds did not always get to the schools.  Edward VI followed his father’s example and founded King’s School in York, and Newland Grammar School.

Following that, merchants who had made their fortunes in London often made endowments to set up schools.  For example, Lawrence Sheriff set up Rugby public school.

Alde Valley Academy in Leiston is run by the Trust that administers Sir John Leman High School in Beccles.  John Leman was a wealthy merchant from Beccles who established this school in 1631.

Colin showed us pictures of early classrooms, typically several classes being taught at once in the same room.  Teachers would use a switch as punishment: both practices lasted until Victorian times.  He emphasised that girls as well as boys attended school. 

In 1698, the Charity School Movement began.  Known as hospitality schools, they provided board and lodging for poor pupils, who wore coats of distinctive colours to identify them (and also make it easy to trace them if they absconded).

In 1811, the first National Schools were founded for Church of England pupils.  Non-conformist parents generally sent their children to Lancastrian Schools, which used the Monitorial System of Joseph Lancaster, a Quaker.  There were often both types of schools in large towns and cities. 

Parish schools in the 19th century were free to attend for both boys and girls.  However, they were very often taken out of school at the age of five or six to start helping in the home or earning a wage, however small.  Thus, they couldn’t practice the reading and writing that they had learnt.

Colin closed by recommending more useful sources.

Angie Skelcher