Protestant Free School, Mildenhall
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The rector, Charles Francis, gave land in 1818, and in 1821, he left £4,000 for a school in his will. Half of it was invested, and half was used to build a school and teacher’s house; this building was completed in 1824, being designed by Robert Abraham. The building was - and is - a substantial one, of freestone, and had large underground offices; it was built in the shape of a cross - ‘cruciform’ - with a large circular centre; one arm of the cross contained the master’s sitting-room, another his kitchen, and the remaining two school-rooms of fair dimensions and well lighted, according to the 1859 Warburton Census of Wiltshire Schools, they were ‘each too small to contain the whole school’, and both had flagged floors. Although the school was originally built to accommodate few pupils, the central area was divided into extra rooms by 1873, and in 1898, one of the original schoolrooms had been extended and enlarged, enabling the school to accommodate up to 130 pupils.
The income from the investments made around £100 in 1858, £52 of which was used to pay for a master and mistress, who lived in the living areas of the building.
The income from the investments made around £100 in 1858, £52 of which was used to pay for a master and mistress, who lived in the living areas of the building.
In 1833, there were 28 pupils; this had risen to around 60 in 1859, and had risen even higher to 70 in 1906. The following year, 1908, saw 80 pupils - this would be the largest number of registered pupils in the school’s history, as numbers then fell to between 50 and 75 in the first part of the 20th century, until dropping to 40 in 1938. In 1955, this number fell even lower, to 31, and the numbers remained around the same for the rest of the time the school was open; the school closed in 1969.
Early in the school’s history, the Rector, G. P. Buxton, set out rules for those attending, and these are included below.
Protestant Free School, Mildenhall
Rules and Regulations.
1. Children shall be admitted at four years of age, on application to the Rector.
2. The school will begin on week-days at 9 o’clock in the morning, throughout the year, and in the afternoon at half-past 1 during November, December, January and February; and at 2 o’clock during the other months. On Sundays it will open at 9 o’clock in the `morning and at 2 o’clock in the afternoon.
3. The School will open with prayer, previous to which, the doors will be closed and no child be afterwards permitted to enter.
4. The children must always appear with their hands and faces clean, their hair cut short and combed, and their clothes neatly mended.
Early in the school’s history, the Rector, G. P. Buxton, set out rules for those attending, and these are included below.
Protestant Free School, Mildenhall
Rules and Regulations.
1. Children shall be admitted at four years of age, on application to the Rector.
2. The school will begin on week-days at 9 o’clock in the morning, throughout the year, and in the afternoon at half-past 1 during November, December, January and February; and at 2 o’clock during the other months. On Sundays it will open at 9 o’clock in the `morning and at 2 o’clock in the afternoon.
3. The School will open with prayer, previous to which, the doors will be closed and no child be afterwards permitted to enter.
4. The children must always appear with their hands and faces clean, their hair cut short and combed, and their clothes neatly mended.
5. No child is permitted to be absent from school without the consent of the Master or Mistress.
6. Any transgression of these Rules will be noted and reproved, and if repeated after such reproof, the offender, with the sanction of the Rector, will be removed from the School.
7. The following are the promises made by parents or guardians, when children are admitted to this School:-
8.
“We, the undersigned parents, or guardians, of children admitted into the Protestant Free School, at MILDENHALL, do promise that we will conform, and to the best of our power, cause the children to conform to the discipline of the School; that we will assist the Master and Mistress in their labours by watching over the morals of those whom we have placed under their charge, setting before them a good example, preserving them from bad company, preventing them from running about after dark, occasionally hearing them read lessons and repeat the Church Catechism whenever they shall be able to do so, taking care that they regularly and devoutly say their prayers, and training them up un principles of attachment to the Established
Church”
(Signed)
G.P.BUXTON,
Rector
6. Any transgression of these Rules will be noted and reproved, and if repeated after such reproof, the offender, with the sanction of the Rector, will be removed from the School.
7. The following are the promises made by parents or guardians, when children are admitted to this School:-
8.
“We, the undersigned parents, or guardians, of children admitted into the Protestant Free School, at MILDENHALL, do promise that we will conform, and to the best of our power, cause the children to conform to the discipline of the School; that we will assist the Master and Mistress in their labours by watching over the morals of those whom we have placed under their charge, setting before them a good example, preserving them from bad company, preventing them from running about after dark, occasionally hearing them read lessons and repeat the Church Catechism whenever they shall be able to do so, taking care that they regularly and devoutly say their prayers, and training them up un principles of attachment to the Established
Church”
(Signed)
G.P.BUXTON,
Rector
Unfortunately there are no Victorian school log books for Mildenhall in Wiltshire & Swindon Archives, but the following general information would be relevant to the school for the latter part of the 19th century. Fees were paid for each child until 1891, normally at the rate of one penny (0.4p) or twopence a week and the ‘school pence’ were collected by the schoolteacher. There would have been a schoolmaster, or schoolmistress, with assistant teachers, pupil teachers and monitors. The pupil teachers were taught by the head before lessons started, took exams, sometimes went to the Diocesan Training College and eventually became teachers themselves. They mainly taught the younger children. Monitors were also paid but tended to be younger and helped to look after the younger children or teach the infants.
School holidays were at similar times to those of today but often there was only 2 days at Easter but a week at Whitsun. The summer holidays were of five or six weeks and were called the Harvest Holidays as the children either helped with the harvest or carried food and drink to their parents, who were working in the fields. There were more half-day and whole day holidays for special events. Half a day would be given after the annual H.M.I. or Diocesan inspections and there were holidays for school treats, choir outings, chapel teas, Christmas parties and at times when the school was needed for other purposes.
School holidays were at similar times to those of today but often there was only 2 days at Easter but a week at Whitsun. The summer holidays were of five or six weeks and were called the Harvest Holidays as the children either helped with the harvest or carried food and drink to their parents, who were working in the fields. There were more half-day and whole day holidays for special events. Half a day would be given after the annual H.M.I. or Diocesan inspections and there were holidays for school treats, choir outings, chapel teas, Christmas parties and at times when the school was needed for other purposes.
There were also many unauthorised absences. These would be for seasonal work, such as haymaking (June) and early or late harvest (July or September), being kept at home to help their parents, and working when they should have been at school. Bad weather such as heavy rain, cold weather, or snow kept children away from school, often because their parents couldn’t afford to buy them suitable clothes. Apart from the usual colds and coughs there were more serious illnesses than today and these included, mumps, measles, whooping cough, scarletina and diphtheria.
The elementary subjects were the ‘3 Rs’ – reading writing and arithmetic. Scripture was often taught by the vicar and children would have attended church for services on some days. Older children were taught history and geography and there may have been some study of natural history. Singing was taught to all ages and all the girls and some of the boys would have done needlework. Drawing had been introduced by the 1890s.
The elementary subjects were the ‘3 Rs’ – reading writing and arithmetic. Scripture was often taught by the vicar and children would have attended church for services on some days. Older children were taught history and geography and there may have been some study of natural history. Singing was taught to all ages and all the girls and some of the boys would have done needlework. Drawing had been introduced by the 1890s.