Transcribed and input by Debbie Hawke-Wareham from photographs taken by Joan P Smith.

Edited by Joan P Smith and Anne-Marie Fawcett.

September 2022.

WY Archive Ref. WDP 189.

Extracts from the log book 1863 – 1865

Pupil Teachers are given lessons by the Headmaster 8 to 9am before classes began and take quarterly and annual examinations from the Education Board. 

The school year runs from about Dec 1^st to November 30^th when a new syllabus is set. Pupils join the school as they reach the current school age, not having to wait until the start of the school year as in modern times.

The first entry is that of Joseph Cox, Head Teacher, which refers to his pupil teachers Eli Morton, Sarah Poole, John Teal and Mary Blackburn, going to West Town School, Dewsbury to be examined.

A pupil teacher was just that: a pupil learning his lessons from 6:30am to 8:15am and from 4pm to 5pm or even 6pm; teaching his knowledge from those lessons from 9am to 4pm. Each child attending had to pay two pence weekly and if they could not pay they were sent home. Later some of the children of the very poor were paid for by the town’s guardians. Some children however were part-timers, working part of the day or week and going to school the other half. A situation [often] openly abused by the employer despite the law.

Joseph Cox wrote in a clear hand and was, according to his records, a “born” teacher. Strict in his control of staff, always diligent about their work, caring for his pupils, ensuring they were educated in spite of their background and circumstances and not tolerating any of his staff to physically punish pupils – if that was needed, he would do it. His wife Sarah supervised the needlework in the school, in addition to her housekeeping and bearing thirteen children, three of whom died in infancy.

Chicken Pox, Measles, Small Pox, Scarletina (Scarlet Fever?) were things to fear in 1864. Once a case appeared every family affected expected to lose at least one child, and for a family to rear all their children to teen age was exceptional. Another cause of school absence was wet and snowy days. The children (especially the small ones) had poor footwear, and if they got wet they had no others to change into. So they stayed at home. A sick child was a danger to the whole family.

Mr. Cox’s biggest problem was probably his pupil teachers not learning their lessons, certainly not retaining knowledge gained, arriving late, having time off through sickness, bad presentation to the children, leaving to go into industry, and coming back!

Mrs. Cox in the meantime was having her difficulties with the pupils learning needlework. “Even when the material is supplied to them. One parent persists in sending knitting, stating they must have socks to wear.” Mrs. Cox was required to show the needlework done to Government Inspectors, but the mothers said they could not spare the clothes!

The standard of pupils admitted from other schools was a grumble of Mr. Cox. e.g: “She does not know how many pounds in 1 cwt or how many yards in a furlong. I gave her the following 13 ton x 17 cwt x 47 but she could not work it. !!!!!! Religious knowledge is scanty” with children admitted from an independent school “not knowing the Lord’s Prayer or Ten Commandments”. (Mr. Cox’s parents were Dissenters).

Extracts from the Log Book 1863 – 1865