Early Schools, Marston Maisey

The earliest recorded school in the parish was established as a result of a bequest from John Kircheval (d. 1725), the rector of Meysey Hampton. Kircheval left £60 to either apprentice poor children or to enable them to go to school. As the parish does not appear to have possessed a school at this point, a portion of this money was used to endow a school, the master or mistress of which was paid 1s 6d per week by the vestry to teach 6 poor children for free. The 13-20 pupils attending the school at this time were taught in the large kitchen of a local cottage. In 1871 the school was recorded as having room for 17 students, too little space for the number of pupils who were eligible to attend. There is little record of the names of the staff for this early school, however Kelly’s Directory for 1867 lists the school master as a John Smith, and the mistress as Ann Smith.