Holywell School during the 1860s

For many years the village children had been given a basic education in the church with money for teachers and books being raised from local donations then in 1811 National Schools were founded by the National Society for Promoting Religious Education. These were established in villages and towns across England and Wales in the following years to provide the first universal system of elementary education. 

Holywell School, which opened on March 16th 1847 as a National (Church of England) School, was designed to educate the poor in the basic principles of the Established Church. It offered an education which consisted of reading, writing and arithmetic, scripture and an emphasis on moral and religious training. Singing and needlework were also taught with a small amount of time spent on other subjects. Teaching was conducted by rote learning with an exam at the end of the year.

Little evidence exists about life at Holywell School during the 1840s and 1850s but from 1862 schools were obliged to keep a daily log book. The surviving Holywell log book which is held at the Kentish Studies Archives in Maidstone begins in 1865 and gives a clear account about what was happening at the school. An entry in the log book for 23^rd November 1865 by school mistress Mary Holland shows a typical day at the school:

“Gave the whole school in the morning a lesson on the creation. To the first class one also, on the boundaries, size and climate of England. Visited by clergyman. Explained the collect for Sunday to the whole school. Examined 2^nd class in reading and found the reading of the boys improved. Cautioned D. Whitnall for fighting.” 

Attendance at school during the 1860s was not compulsory and children were periodically absent, particularly during the fruit picking and hop picking seasons or to work in the brickfields. Parents were obliged by their employers to make their children work when required. Entries in the log book complain about how this interfered with learning and caused bad behaviour. Maximum daily attendance during the 1860s was about 55. This became a less serious problem from 1882 when school attendance became compulsory.

Memories of Upchurch.

In 1861 Rebecca Hills worked as the school mistress but was later succeeded by Mary Holland who lived in the schoolhouse with her sister Isabella. They had rent free accommodation, common for teachers at the time. They were also assisted by volunteers. These included Mrs. Woodruff, the vicar’s wife who assisted with singing and needlework and a Mrs. Sibley who helped with other subjects. Revd Woodruff also visited the school every week to give religious and moral guidance. He usually visited the school during the afternoons and conducted prayers.

Pupils were generally well ordered but sometimes troublesome and according to the school log book were particularly difficult to control after returning to school from work. Mary Holland wrote on October 7^th, 1866:

“Many children came in who had been working in the brickfield all summer; find them rather rough and wild.”

 Other entries in the log book outline common problems.

Dec 1^st, 1865 “warned Gilbert Hepton not to interfere with girls going home, also against cruelty to animals”. Dec 13th, 1866 “…spoke to the children about pulling turnips as they go home from school.” Aug 14^th, 1866 “punished J. Hubbard and J. Manser for disturbing a wasp’s nest.” Jan 21^st 1868 “turned Daniel Whitnall out of the school.”

Holywell School offered a very basic education for its pupils at a time when the majority of boys left school and worked on local farms or in the brickfields while many girls entered domestic service.

About David:
David Wood was born and raised in Upchurch and is able to write from personal experience about many people and aspects of the village and of changes that have taken place over the years making ‘Memories of Upchurch’ a very readable book and a detailed historical study of the village. David's book ‘Memories of Upchurch’ is available direct from David on:  david3702001@yahoo.co.uk  price £12 + p+p £2.

David Wood

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