COWLING SCHOOLS OF
THE OLD DAYS
30th May, 1925
from a news cutting.
Typed out by Joan M. Tindale (nee Binns)
The scholars and their lively pranks
Cowling people residing in the village and scattered in
various parts of the country are keenly anticipating
13th June, when a reunion of old scholars will mark the
jubilee of the opening of the Cowling Board School. The
thoughts of many local inhabitants are naturally being
cast back to the days before the opening of the Board
School. Between 1850 and 1870 education was doled out to
children whose parents would consent to pay 3d. per week
for each child. Several schools were run by individuals
with foresight, but in some cases little culture.
Earning one's living without recourse to hard physical
labour was a difficult matter in those days, and the
prospect of the new "school-money" opened up a new
avenue of comparative prosperity for the self-installed
school teachers. One of the first of these was "Old
Lever", a venerable gentleman whose Christian name and
scholastic ability are alike beyond recollection. He is,
however, remembered for a cheery disposition and a ready
wit. Old Nancy Hewitt, at Lane Ends, and Betty French in
Ickornshaw, conducted girls schools, at which the
scholars received instruction in knitting and sewing.
Old Nancy was quaint in manner and costume for she wore
multi-coloured shawls, hoped skirts, and French sabots.
Her school was held in her cottage, and she never moved
very far from her desk at one end of the little room,
always having a long cane handy with which she
administered justice in generous doses. One mode of
punishment for disobedience was to place the offenders
in the cellar, but this had its drawbacks, as
considerable quantities of pastries disappeared in an
incredibly short time. The old lady was very deaf, and
was content to appoint one of the elder scholars to
conduct the reading lesson. Whilst in class she would
sit at the desk making quilts. Schools of a simple
nature were also conducted by Mrs. William Stephenson,
the blacksmith's wife, and by a Miss Wallace, who
journeyed from Cross Hills and held classes in
Winkholme. Cowling's first school conducted by "Old
Lever" was held in the Parish Church schoolroom.
The establishments which are most vividly recollected,
however, are William Gott's school, and Ogden Davy's
school, and these were attended by many people living
today (1925). From about 1855 to 1871 William Gott's
school, called the Bar Chapel Venture School, was held
in a room over the top of a cottage adjoining the old
Bar Chapel, and both master and scholars had to climb to
their daily task a flight of 36 steps. Each morning the
Schoolmaster would summon the scholars to their desks by
appearing at the school door and blowing into the key of
his desk. The faint whistle was scarcely audible more
than a few yards distant, and the scholars would troop
into the schoolroom in large numbers, fully two hours
late, for no register was kept and no roll-call taken.
The subjects were mainly reading, writing, and
arithmetic, together with lessons in drawing and in
biblical history. The total lack of discipline, however,
made the well-meaning efforts of the schoolmaster almost
fruitless. The girls were quiet, but the boys for the
most part were of that rowdy and uncultured type
characteristic of the times, and had little respect
either for the schoolmaster or his teaching. The tutor
did not spare the rod, but this had little effect on the
undisciplined youngsters who were as perverse in spirit
as they were hard in the flesh. Even their games were of
a most violent description. One consisted of a mass of
youthful humanity hurling itself at an
open space defended by five or six other boys. The rules
allowed both attackers and defenders full use of both
hands and feet, and those who got through and won the
game were generally badly bruised.
A bearded scholar
It was difficult for those who wished to learn to apply
themselves to close study, but the few who showed
diligence and application received every encouragement.
It was customary for adults to attend the school,
especially those anxious to prepare themselves for some
advanced career. The story is told of a man with a long
beard who attended the school for many months. It
transpired that he was going into business as a
manufacturer, and had presented himself to be "polished
off' in order to increase his marketing capabilities.
His age, however, was no more than 21, the wearing of a
beard being fashionable in those days.
Ogden Davy's School, from about 1860-1871 was governed
by trustees and was held in the Parish Church School as
mentioned after old lever It was carried on in much the
same way as the Bar Chapel School. Mr Davy's delicate
health greatly handicapped his efforts to maintain
discipline, and the same unruly element maintained the
upper hand. Royal Oak Day 29th May was celebrated in
unique fashion. On that day, whenever it could be
managed, the schoolmaster, who lived in an adjoining
house, was locked out of his school and the scholars
took a holiday for the day. The two Misses Wainman,
daughters of Mr, William Bradley Wainman of Carr Head
took a considerable interest in the school, and would
often visit and examine the scholars in their work, and
distribute gifts of fruit and sweets. On half-holidays
the whale school was invariably invited to Carr Head.
Both Mr. Gott and Mr. Davy were highly respected
locally, and may be considered the pioneers of education
in the parish. The methods cannot be compared with the
highly systematized schemes of a later period, but their
labours were sincere, and they sowed the first seeds of
a desire for education, the development of which has
borne much fruit in the signal success in public life of
many scholars during the 50 years
which have followed. |
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