History - School Log Extracts

South Cerney Old and New
School Log Extracts
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The School

The Master’s Log Books provide a daily record and show the character and development of the School. A sample is given here, taken from the first two and a half years of the log books.

1863
June	1	Low fever in village in May.
	8	Many of the bigger boys go to work (in fields) for a few days and come back.
	15	A and B punished for being late. C and D returned after 11 and 8 weeks absence. E brought by his father because unwilling.
July	6	Bigger boys applied through parents for leave during haymaking season.
	13	Ditto. 20 boys present.
	17	Ditto. 17 boys present.
	20	Several little boys away with whooping-cough.
August	3	Boys away for harvest. Only 13 present. Only 2 in first class. 16 in afternoon as rain prevented field work.
September	18	Six new desks arrived, in two rows. Boys show great desire for learning at them.
		Master away so Mistress took boys in concert with her girls. Scratched desks and upset ink pots.
October	5	Only 6 boys present and 4 in afternoon. MOP Day.
	29	30 boys present.
December	7	37 boys, the largest number ever.
	23	School ended for Christmas.
1864
February	1	New Master of the School, Mr Foster. 36 boys in the morning (numbers only refer to boys; no girls numbers given in log-book).
	8	Mr Eyres visited and heard singing.
	15	A admitted, making number on books 45.
	17	B brought to school by mother who found him out in village with two others in school hours.
	18	C and D punished for playing truant.
	25	E and F left for some time for work.
	26	School broke off at 4.10 for Master and singers to attend a funeral. Attendance very low owing to sickness in parish.
April	7	1^st class taught to make out bills.
	8	1^st class showed interest in this.
	20	1^st and 2^nd classes in Mental Arithmetic. Very dull.
	25	Increase of 7 children owing to closing of small school in village. Attendance 41 and 42.
	26	A little more shrewdness in Mental Arithmetic.
May	2	Half holiday for the May Day Treat. 2 more boys admitted.
	9	3 more boys admitted. Total on books 55. Thin attendance owing to the Review.
	13-22	Whitsun Holidyay. The work throughout school is on Arithmetic (long division, multiplications, mental arith., simpler arith.), singing of rounds, songs, hymns, psalm tunes, geography, scripture and Scriptural history, reading, writing.
June	14	Several asked to leave to attend fete in Cirencester.
	22	2 boys punished for playing truant. 1^st class had dictation, result pretty good.
	27	Mistress called away, the boys and girls were taken together this week. Girls have lessons in afternoon instead of needlework. Attendance – girls 48 and 45 boys 43 and 41.
	30	A punished for playing truant.
July	7	2^nd class reading is very bad.
	8	Attendance thin as so many applied for leave. Time for music given to reading of 3^rd class which is far from good.
	11	Annual Inspection. JR Byrne, HM Inspector.
	12	Half holiday given by Inspector.
	21	Short history lesson on William I in afternoon as heat oppressive and children tired.
	25	B progressing well in working Practice. 4 others show improvement in compound division.
	28	Attendance very thin owing to harvest. Whole afternoon on Arithmetic.
August	1	Harvest begun, attendance poor. 1^st class wrote out texts from memory while pence collected.
	9	Very wet. Attendance 15, 16.
	10	1^st and 2^nd classes put together.
	11	Attendance 15.
	12	School closed for harvest holidays.
September		INSPECTOR’S REPORT: Boys passed well in elementary subjects. The writing is in good character. They answer readily and intelligently in Scripture. Some should be taught to speak louder and more distinctly. General condition of school does teacher credit.
	20	B began compound interest. 1^st class arithmetic much forgotten after holidays.
	28	Slight sickness in village.
	30	C died from the sickness, only ill 2 days
October	4	Children wrote letters. B very good one. New song ‘The Whale’.
	5	Attendance thin owing to sickness and to elder boys working at clearing gardens of potatoes.
	7	B still working compound interest. Three others beginning long division. D died of prevailing fever. E has it.
	10	Most of boys away at MOP.
	13	B began vulgar fractions. New song ‘The Months’.
	14	The boys working long division begin to show aptness. Getting E to learn addition seems hopeless.
	17	Second MOP day.
	25	Children photographed in recreation for Miss Sutton. Vicar heard 1^st class catechism and was dissatisfied.
	27	F died. G dangerously ill.
November	2	Lower classes making a little progress in addition. H works well.
	7	3^rd class reading. J & K getting on nicely, the rest very slowly. Punished 3 boys for idleness at church.
	8	B started writing sums in exercise book.
	9	Started anthem ‘Laudate nomen domini’.
	22	Began glee, ‘Hail smiling morn’.
	23	Lower part of 1^st class do sums very badly. Seems quite hopeless to think of getting them on. Still doing subtraction as for months past. 1^st class had spelling match, much interested.
	25	1^st class Mental Arithmetic. L very quick.
	29	M very dull at Mental Arith., L & B very sharp.
December	7	1^st class dictation, awful. N & O 18 mistakes, kept from play to correct them.
	15	1^st class making a little move in working arithmetic.
	19	Deep snow on ground, attendance thin.
	21	Half holiday for distributing charities to poor.
	23	End of School for Christmas. Extra week holiday for Master and Mistresses wedding.
1865
January	9	Miss Sutton visited. Boys read much worse than before holiday.
	10	Largest attendance, 45, many looking forward to a good tea.
	13	New song ‘Be kind to the loved ones at home’.
	17	Four other boys began putting sums in exercise books.
	20	Children had Tea and an evening’s amusement. 43.
	24	Very pleased with 3^rd class reading.
	26,27	Deep snow, thin attendance. Quite discouraging to think of getting M to work addition, he does not move at all.
	30	Vicar presented school with new reading books and a missionary box. 2^nd class miserably dull on Life of Christ. Punished 8 boys in 1^st class for staying away sliding.
February	6	Black Book started in which to enter absentees with view to getting more steady attendance. Very good history of Noah written.
	7	Very good answers to exam up to Exodus. P is very dull.
	9	Q away from school to go in the Union. Number on books 44.
	14	Several boys in class 1 punished for staying away sliding.
	15	Very dull in Arithmetic in both classes. Seems impossible to beat anything into their thick heads.
	17	Heavy snow.
	24	Heavy rain.
	28	Dictation, arithmetic, writing, all improved.
	29	Home lessons started, learning by heart.
March	9	R kept from play in morning and afternoon till home lessons done.
	17	Many stayed home to work in gardens.
	20	Q out of Union and back at school.
	31	Will 3^rd class ever read well?
April	5	Many leaving before time to plant gardens.
	14	Good Friday. Lessons on events of the day. Divine Service as on Sunday. Attendance 45.
	18	Holiday for Club Tea.
May	1	Morning spent on preparing May Pole. Afternoon in playground to May Day Treat.
	8	B made monitor.
	23	1^st and 2^nd class wrote and learnt tables most of day.
	24	Again. Good results.
	31	Sums most of the day, quite disheartening, wretched results, will they ever learn.
June	12	Thin attendance owing to haymaking. T punished for bad language in playground.
	29	Thin attendance owing to wet weather.
	5	Some of more backward ones put by themselves and worked up a little.
	13	Punished V & W again for playing truant. What is to be done with such wretches? Wet weather.
	17	Wet. Practiced songs in afternoon instead of play.
	18	Master very unwell. Transcription done in afternoon to have greater quietness.
	20	Many away in fields.
	24	X kept at home because sent home week before for his money.
August	4	School closed at 11. Children met at 4 and had Tea. School closed for a month.
September	7	Y had notice that he would not be allowed to come to school until his money is paid up, 2/- owing, and then to pay every week like the others.
October	6	INSPECTORS REPORT: Writing good; reading clumsy but accurate; arithmetic, too many failures in lower classes. The Master tries hard, fairly good success, listlessness should be forbidden during school hours.
	9	Attendance 15 and 10, owing to MOP.
	23	Y readmitted, money paid up.
	27	Rev Vicar visited with his father who looked at writing and was very pleased, and with 1^st class reading. 44.
November	9	Sums going better. Boys work individually and many getting on well.
	15	Z caned severely for outbreak of temper on being punished for coming late.
December	11	1^st class move a little in compound multiplication at last. L & B get on very well.
	12	School out early to get ready for concert.
	20	Decorating school.
	21	Half holiday for distributing charities.
	22	Decorating. End of school.

South Cerney School

There was a Dame School before 1820 run by Mrs Ann Edwards, teaching the children reading and writing.

The site was provided by Thomas Jones. The money was provided by Mrs Ann Edwards, niece of Thomas Jones and wife of the curate in the village in 1800. The architect is not known. The school opened in 1820. It was a Church of England foundation. The first Master is not known. The teachers were probably paid from the endowment and were appointed by the trustees, which meant, virtually, the Vicar.

The school as first built comprised the east wing only. The Infants sat in a gallery, and boys and girls were taught separately by a master and a mistress. The window in the Infants gallery is still inexistence. At a later date Mrs Ann Edwards gave £1000 to build a School House for a master and a mistress (See memorial plaque in the Parish Church).

The earliest log book entry is dated 18 May 1863. Pages were removed before this date. Name of master is not known. Mr Blanchard taught from ? Jan 1863 to Jan 1864.

1 Feb 1864 Master Mr Foster; H M Inspector Mr J R Byrne

6 June 1867 Mr Foster left

4 July 1867 Mr Edward Parrish became master and remained for thirty years. The boys and girls were taught together from this date. Roll: Boys 19, Girls 10.

In 1868 the west wing was added. It was officially opened on 4 August 1869. ‘Children met at school at 1.45, in number nearly 200 with 44 from Wick, and paraded the village with a number of flags and banners. They went to Church at 2.45 and the building was crowded. Rev Powell of Cirencester preached a very nice sermon. Thence they went to school where a short service was gone through … and nearly 400 (children, parents and visitors) partook of a splendid tea provided by the Rev W W Liddell, Vicar, and spent the rest of the day in sports, racing, jumping in sacks, etc… We have now two very handsome rooms and all seem very pleased with them.’ (School log).

14^th Oct 1897	Mr Parish was forced to give up through ill health.
10 Jan 1898	Mr Baxter from Down Ampney became temporary master.
4^th July 1898	Mr H Wager appointed master.
30 July 1901	He resigned.
9 Sept. 1901	Miss J Wager appointed, to 30 April 1903.
2 Nov 1903	Mr B C Prior appointed master.
12 Nov 1907	92 children taught in one room by Mr Prior.
1909	Infants room added, as North Wing.
25 July 1912	Mr Prior resigned.
2 Sept 1912	Mr H Slack appointed master.
26 July 1923	He resigned.
30 Sept 1923	Mr E S Riggall appointed master.
August 1939	East Wing (original school) divided by a partition.
30 Sept 1941	Mr Riggall resigned.
1 October 1941	Mr J Peyman appointed …..
March 1943	School meals served in the Village Hall by Women’s Voluntary Service, later by Women’s Institute, with one paid helper.
Sept 1950	13+ children transferred to Cirencester Council School, Lewis Lane.
Sept 1952	11+ children transferred to Deer Park School.
6 March 1962	Terrapin classrooms put up in the playground.
August 1965	School House demolished to provide space for 2 terrapin classrooms. Number on school roll 220.
August 1966	Terrapin classrooms added. Roll number 264.
August 1967	Instructional swimming pool installed behind the school, cost including heating, £1,250. Cost met by Parent-Teachers Association with grant of £250 from the Local Education Authority.
1969	Further Terrapins added to make 10 classes. Roll number 310.
1970	Exhibition in the Village Hall to commemorate the centenary of the passing of the Education Act and 150 years since the school was opened.
Sept 1970	The start of the removal to the new site. Juniors moved to Berkeley Close site, into new buildings.

(Mr J Peyman)

Mrs Painter attended the village school, and in 1883 Mr Parrish, the head master, took Standard 5 of the school to see the first train to arrive at Cerney station. They walked two by two.

Mrs Parrish, the head master’s wife, wrote poems printed under the title ‘Souvenir’ and a copy was given to Mrs Painter when she was 15. In 1968 Mrs Painter kindly gave her copy to the South Cerney collection.

(Mrs Jack Painter)

Mr Parrish had a white beard and was fond of singing and poetry. He was an excellent schoolmaster, and never used the cane but once, while Mr Stait was there. He used long talk instead, which was worse.

(Mr R Stait)