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Down into the Village by Harry Poole

 

 

.......The .......DOWN INTO THE VILLAGE

page 5

POWERSTOCK SCHOOL LOG BOOK

 

Starts April 6th 1871
Ap. 6. Average attendance during week, 87.
May 4. “....House (Jas.) cannot get him to remember but very little. Job Dawbney’s boys are frequently absent without a good excuse.
May 18. Many of the Milton Children have been late at school during the week - fault as usual laid on the clocks.
July 7. This being what the Parishioners call their “Feast Week” the attendance of the children was very poor.
Aug. 4. A great many absent on the 1st - at Bridport -also several away haymaking.
  Master E. Willett. (Certificate, New Code, 2nd Class.)
  Pupil Teacher. W.B. Gill. First Year.
  Inspector found that considerable work needed to be done on Writing and Arithmetic to bring it up to standard, and said that the large school room was becoming too small for the pupils. 84 must be the maximum.
 

Signed......... Thomas Sanctuary.
 
  New Term
Sept.29. Several absent this week, principally Braiders’ children. The Milton children are very irregular in the approach of their Village Feast.
   
1872  
Jan.26. (School opened Jan. 8 - Average 87.)
  Sent J. Stone home for being so irregular in his attendance - came on Friday morning after continual absence. Excuse offered had been picking sticks. Has to bring a note from Manager before re-admitted.
Feb.2. C. Vincent guilty of a filthy act. Sent home for a week.
Mar.15. Average attendance during the week 97. The Ways of Poorton Bottom Dairy admitted on Monday. The 1st standard in charge of P.T. writes badly. The P.T. is very careless over the books and slates. His lessons have been very negligently got over.
Apl.5. Several boys absent bird starving and potato planting.
Apl.12. The Attendance this week has been very bad. Generally during Bridport Fair the attendance is bad.
Apl.19. Many of the older children are still away planting potatoes or bird starving. Job Dawbneys children are frequently away during the week and have been absent without any rational excuse.
Apl.26. Elvira Greening and Elizabeth Biles re-admitted.
Jun.28.

Some of the older boys away haymaking.

H.M.I.’s report.

The School is in a fair state of Efficiency.

Oct.11. A very bad attendance during the week (Bridport Fair). Several children at home with the mumps.
Oct.14.

Night School re-opened, No. entered on books - 27.

(Milton children continue to be absent. Pupil teacher continues careless and always losing things.)

July 4. Feast Week attendance only fair - several of the older children haymaking. (The Pupil Teacher got the sack.)
Oct. 3. Measles in the parish.
   
1874  
Jan. 23. Pupil Teacher still careless, Dawbneys & Nettlecombe, Milton, children still irregular in attendance.
   
1875  
Jan.23

Attendance very good for this time of year although there are not as many children from Milton as there should be. At least 30 ought to be attending, whereas there are only 8 from this Hamlet on the books. From Poorton also there are only 5 boys on the books, whereas there ought to be at least 15 boys and girls together. From Whetley there are none - ought to be at least 8. From Nettlecombe 26 attend.

 
   
1876  
Jan.10. M. Walbridge re-admitted. West Milton children’s attendance improving.
Sept.11. During the week the attendance has been only fair - the harvest not quite finished.
Sept.29. Many away, apple and potato picking (potato picking until November).
   
1877  
Jan. (Weather affected attendance)
May 18. Two Milton children at home with Fever.
   
1877

Powerstock National School, Dorset.
Aug. H.M.I.’s report.
  The improvement in the school during the last year, if any, is I fear infinitesimal. The Reading is poor and the Arithmetic decidedly bad. I am to state that one tenth is deducted from the grant for faults of instruction.
   
1878  
April Potato planting causes absenteeism. Dawbney still absent also Poorton and Milton children. Mumps, wet weather.
July Haymaking and Village Feast.
Nov.22. Attendance during the week has been very good, punished G. Northover on Thursday for meddling with Milton girls on their way home.
   
1879 H. M. I. reported “considerable improvement during the year”. Milton & Poorton children continue to be absent without good excuse.
Sept.26 A better attendance in the beginning of the week, but bad on Thursday and Friday owing to gleaning. (Measles epidemic round Christmas)
   
1880 Leggs and Waibridges absent frequently. October potato picking
Nov. Whooping cough and bad weather keep children at home.
   
1881 Severe weather.
May 27. 109 children in school.
July Haymaking.
Aug - Sept Harvesting.
Oct. Village Feast. Leggs, Greenings, Waibridges, Pitchers.
   
1882

April Potato planting.

H.M.I.’s report bad. “The results of the examination do not compare favourably with those of other schools in the neighbourhood and a stronger teaching staff is evidently needed.”
   
1883  
Sept.15. Mr. E. Willett, the headmaster died suddenly but the school was kept open.
   
1884 Roll of children 79. New teacher found standards bad.
Jan.11.

Administered corporal punishment to Fred Hansford for fighting and tyranny towards a younger boy. This boy Hansford is the worst in the school. His language filthy, his behaviour indecent. He corrupts all the other boys and is the terror of the girls.
(A much more energetic teacher, full of briskness and punishments.) She gave the following lessons.

Wooden boxes
Books and their contents.
The Alphabet.
Lesson on Colour.
(Chalk)
   
Half holiday on Shrove Tuesday.
Mar. 4. Floods at Milton, no school.
Mar. 21. Punished Walt Hansford very severely for cruelty to girls on their way home at night. (Legg admitted from Egerton also Kate Crabb, Thomas Pitcher, Milton).
June Daubeney spelt differently from this date. Scarlet Fever in Village.
Aug. 8.

Harvest Holiday for one month.

H.M.I. gives a better report.
Sept. 9. Half holiday for Harvest Festival. Richard Whittle is the worst boy in the school. Charles Riglar is the laziest boy in the school. He is very fond of sitting still and doing nothing if not attended to.
   
1885  
Jan.

Average no. of pupils 100.

The Leggs and Crabbs at Eggardon Hill do not go out milking now at 3.30, they stay till school is closed.
June 1. The Tuckers, Crabbs and Leggs have left school this week for milking.
Naughty girls received two strokes of the cane or worse for laziness.
June 15. Re-admitted Susan Leaf.
July 6. Feast Week begins.
July 17.

Some of the Standard 4 girls attend very bad and stay away upon any excuse, Babies to be nursed, Mother’s away, Got no Boots etc.

H.M.I.’s report good.
   
1886  
Jan.12. The Crabbs have left school and gone to Loders owing to the burning of their Dairy House on Christmas Eve.
June 3. Ascension Day. Church at 1 1am. Then Drill in the playground for ¼I of an hour.
July 2 half holidays for feast.
Aug. Mr. Score leaves the school. A Mr. Pearson from Yorkshire is appointed.
The children Church on the Feast Days of St. Jude, St. Andrew, All Saints.
Oct. Bridport Fair in October takes some Children from school. There is trouble with the stove and some children are away with ringworm.
   
1887  
Feb.15. Half holiday this afternoon owing to a political dinner attended by Lord Sandwich in the evening.
Feb.16. No school all day. The decorations remained up for an entertainment given by the Primrose League.
March 31.

New school floor needed.
Charles Pester punished slightly for disobedience and kicking his teacher. He received one stroke of the cane on his hand and went home and told his Mother with a great deal of exaggeration. His Mother came down to the school and behaved disgracefully before the children.

Children spend a great deal of time in Church. 9 - 9.45am.
July 15. Mr. Pine, the Relieving Officer called and took the names of irregular (Non-Paupers) living at Wytherstone.
Aug. 1. Bank Holiday. School closed all day.
   
1888  
Jan. Average for week 80.
Feb. Heavy snow closes school.
Mar. Three children from Milton who have been away three weeks with Scarlatina returned today.
Mar.23. The Visiting Officer called today about Fred Legg who has gone to work, and who has not reached the required age or standard. (Average for week 59.6)
May 24. Half holiday for Queen Victoria’s Birthday. (Attendance 106)
July 9. Fair attendance this morning, a number of children being employed in the hayfields.
July 13. Mr. Pine called. Several children have been away all week Haymaking.
Oct. Mr. Pine called and paid parish fees for Pauper and Non-Pauper children.
Trouble with School Building. Windows broken, floor bad, stove no good, and walls damp. Trouble
began in 1886.
   
1889  
March Measles Epidemic.
Mr. Pine took details of children whose parents
had been summonsed for non payment.
April Miss Hansford, sewing mistress, away with bronchitis.
May 27. Sudden death of the Ven. Archdeacon Sanctuary. Illness - Bronchitis, inflammation of the brain.
July Rev. C. LI. Sanctuary becomes Vicar.
Oct.

The arm of the school bell broke this afternoon while being rung.

(Children have sore faces and sore eyes)
Dec. Several away bringing wood from Powerstock Common.
   
1890  
Jan.27. School fees were today altered to an equal sum of 2d. per scholar, the parishioners having agreed to a voluntary school rate.
Feb.19. Head teacher away with “Influenza”. (Note inverts)
March Several children away with “Influenza”.
April 14. Rt. Hon. Earl of Sandwich visited the school.
Mr. Pine came to pay Parish fees.
July School Treat. First mention.
Aug. Fanny Hansford commenced duties.
Dec. 1. Fanny Hansford, Candidate on Probation, sent home for Disobedience and Impertinence.
Dec. 8. F. Hansford, after being censured by the Vicar, promised to conduct herself better for the future. Heavy snow.

 
POWERSTOCK SCHOOL LOG BOOK............ Additional Entries
POSSIBLE OPENING of the New School, Sept. 1875 as there is a line drawn under H.M.I.’s report and a heading for the first time:-
  POWERSTOCK NATIONAL SCHOOL, DORSET.
1875  
Sept.24. Attendance better this week - still some away leasing.
   
1878  
Mar. 8. Alice Knight admitted ……..Charles Biles buried on 8th.
   
1880  
May Mention of School Fees first appears in summary of H.M.I.’s report.
Discipline is fairly maintained in this school, but it might be well on a future occasion for the Master to show a little common civility of manner to the Inspector.
……..The school fees for H. Cousins have been allowed.
   
1883 Willett dies after 34 years at the school. The log book is kept by the Vicar (Rev. Sanctuary).
   
1884  
Jan. 7. School opened by myself and Rev. Macdowal. The staff I have found to be very inefficient.
Feb.12.

Many children absent owing to ringworm.
Aug. 8 Harvest holidays commence for one month. H.M.I.’s report . . . . The school is improving under the new master.
   
1886  
Jan.15. In the morning Mr. Pine paid the fees of the pauper children amounting to 12/8d.
Jan.22. During the week Sarah Gale received a severe punishment for continued sulkine3s. This girl was turned out of Hooke school for the same fault. Arthur Brown comes late every day to school. His excuse is Mother never gets me ready.
Feb.19. On Thursday William Painter received a severe corporal punishment for disobedience and sulkiness. This boy is the terror of the others and is very fond of fighting and making noises.
The Dentons at Nettlecombe are very backward in paying their School pence. They are full of promises but no performances. It is a difficult matter to get money from them.
July 12. The Sims (Tommy & Robert) brought their money for four weeks, namely 1/4d.
July 30. The Sims owe a fortnights school money. Pence - 8d.
   
1886 Score the principal teacher left.
Dec. Ringworm epidemic.
   
1887  
Jan. 20. Quarterly bills for school fees sent out.
April. 1. School bills for quarter ending March 31 sent out.
June.21. Jubilee Day. School closed all day.
Sept. 9. Mr. Pine relieving officer called and gave a fortnights’ notice to Chas. Gale, Lucy Way and Eliz. Miller before stopping their school fees.
Oct.21. The children today had their photographs taken by Mr. Hill of Bridport.