Chapter 15
1859, the last week of November Sunday I had news for the wife this morning. It was all the talk in the Stars last night. No longer any need for the kids to pay to go to school. Last night we learnt what a lot of folk were hoping for. The end of the children’s pence. William Parrott was telling everyone about it. I still think of him as Young William. It must be five years now since his father died. Young William must be getting close to forty. Catching me up. He is really taking to being a farmer. Likes to be seen on an equal footing to the other farmers and maybe better than some. All these meetings up at the Vicarage. According to William, the young Curate has been saying that it isn’t right that some children are too poor to go to school. They reckon they can meet the costs without the pence. He said that William Gilbert has talked most of the farmers round to putting their hands into their pockets. When most agreed, the rest didn’t want to be seen as skinflints, especially in front of the Curate’s young wife. William reckoned that she charmed a few of them round. William told us that at the last meeting this week they got news of donations from outside the village. William told us that Thomas Brown has got agreement from his relations, the Stone family and friends. Mind you, he did say that there might have to be a bit more fund raising to be done. Old Henry said, “We should have another one of them tea parties and see if we can get the Curate’s wife to come round and charm some money out of our publican’s pockets!” Mary Ann shouted up “Jim gets very jumpy when anyone interferes with his pockets!” William Parrott told us that the Curate had come up with a plan for the Easington money to be used for the school. It should make a big difference. Most knew nothing about Easington money. William took great delight in telling us about this. He said “Two hundred years ago someone called John Hart from Cottisford had left some money. This money was to be used for an honest, poor, godly boy to learn a trade, an apprentice”. Old Henry couldn’t stop himself jumping in: “We have got loads of poor boys in Piddington, but it will take a lot more than two hundred years to find one that’s honest and godly!” When folk quietened down William was able to carry on. “The money he left was used to buy some land in Easington. That’s why it is called Easington money.” Nearly everyone said that the Curate was doing a good job. Richard Sulston thought that him coming to the village was the best thing that has happened to Piddington. William told us that he had promised some money as well. Old Grocer Horwood and his son Richard were saying good things about the Gilberts. Richard said that what he liked about William Gilbert was that you always see him about the village, visiting folk and taking an interest in their gardens. Monday Frost this morning. Perhaps the start of a drier spell. Big red sky last night. A new moon. The robin ruddock is getting hungry. The same one has been in the garden the whole year. Very brave, getting close, even before he had a red breast. Likes to be where you turn the soil over. He and the wife have a bit of a chat most days. Petal came home from school with news that they will be doing some singing soon. She told us the Curate visited the school today, like he does most Mondays. He told the children that they are bringing the piano down from the vicarage next week. Mrs Gilbert is going to play for us. Petal likes to tell us all about her day at school. She likes story time best. At the end of the day they have a reading from the bible and a poem perhaps. She says that the stories aren’t as good as the ones Tom Gibbons used to tell. She told us that the Schoolmistress didn’t know the story about the dragon of Worminghall, breathing fire and eating the Vicar of Oakley or the one about the little people with six fingers on each hand who hide in the middle of Otter Moor. The thing that Petal does not like about school is learning the times table. She cannot see why they must chant them out while the teacher points at the numbers on the board. She can’t see what good they do. She had me stumped. I couldn’t think of a reason why anyone needed to know that eight sevens are fifty-six, if that really is the case. That evening we were talking about the Gibbons family. It is a while since Tom gave up with the Oxford carrying. Me and the wife decided that he no longer brings any stories back from Oxford and that is why he is no longer telling his tales to the kids. We could remember his dad, Jim being a carrier before he took over the farm. Old Jim Gibbons died last week. Tom’s younger brother, John took over the farm a while ago and now Tom is labouring for him. Tuesday Frost and fog this morning. I spent the morning walking round the Lower End and Cowleys Farms. No work to be had. The wife has been chatting with Sarah Sulstan at the shop. Sarah told her that her son John, as one of the oldest boys in the school, was asked if he would be coal monitor. As coal monitor he would have the job of keeping the fire going in the classroom. She said that Francis Green spent a long time showing him how to carefully riddle the coals and add a few lumps of new coal. He asked John if he thought he would be able to look after the coal fire. John told him that it would be easy. He had been helping George Parrott with the wheelwright’s forge for years! Sarah told her that the Schoolmaster seemed to be a bit stricter with the boys. He doesn’t like the farmers sons coming into the classroom straight from mucking out the cows first thing in the morning. He sends them back home to wash their hands. John told her about Mr Green walking quietly round the back of the classroom. He told her that you can’t hear him coming. The first thing you know that you might be in trouble is when you feel his long stick gently resting on your head. Big day tomorrow. Old Henry is coming round to supervise the butchering of the weaners. After Old John died last February, we agreed on sharing the fattening of this year’s piglets with Jacob Reynolds and his family. Jacob or his wife Hannah bring their two boys around with scraps most days. Petal gets on well with young William and Samuel. The three of them reckon on becoming farmers when they are old enough. They were out together most fine autumn evenings gathering acorns for the pigs. Sources & Inspirations William Parrott: He played a significant part in school and church affairs in the 1860’s. One recorded event later in the 1860’s demonstrated that he was confident to stand up to Thomas Brown. More of this later. Children’s Pence: the 1859/60 accounts for the National School show receipt of “Childrens Pence for 3 months”. There is no record for Children’s Pence in any of the accounts for subsequent years. Based on this I have made the assumption that this 3-month period was from when the school first opened. Paying for the school: Source: Transcript of National School Accounts from 5th Sept 1859 to 5 Sept 1860 |
Meeting with the farmers No evidence of specific meetings in 1859. Two things have led me to believe that there must have been agreement amongst Piddington farmers to contribute towards the running of the school. Firstly, almost all contributed over several years for which we have records of the accounts. Secondly, each year the accounts for the school were agreed by William Gilbert, Curate and what appears to be a rotation of different farmers.
Easington Money: “Piddington’s first charity dates from 1664, when John Hart of Cottisford left an annuity of £3 to bind ‘one honest, poor, godly boy to some good trade’. It was called ‘Easington Money’, as the legacy was invested in land there. In 1823 the money was allowed to accumulate until there was sufficient for the purpose.” Source: Bullingdon Hundred. Note: John Hart made an identical bequest to the parish of Oakley. He was once “of Chilton” and for a time leased the manor of Cottisford. Tom Gibbons: The last record of Tom operating as carrier to Oxford: Billings Directory 1854. The 1861 census records Tom as a labourer and his brother, John as farmer with 115 acres employing 3 men and 3 boys. James Gibbons, Farmer, died November 1859. A challenge facing a new Headmaster: This diary extract does not relate to Piddington, but to a different school at a similar date. I would not be surprised if Francis Green faced similar challenges For 15 days excepting Sundays I have put up my stick, hoping to do without corporal punishment in my school, but today I was obliged to bring it out again, but very reluctantly. I fear that I shall not be able entirely to dispense with the rod as long as the parents are so indifferent about good moral training at home. They furnish us with very unruly subjects. Author’s Notes I have spared you all the full details of butchering the pigs! Looking into the Gibbons family history, I learnt that Tom Gibbons was married to Elizabeth Dumbleton, daughter of (Old) William Dumbleton. William was lodging with Tom, his daughter and family in 1851. He married Elizabeth Barrett later that year. Some of you may have seen the recent television programme covering the exploits of William Dumbleton, son of William and Elizabeth. Old William died in March 1858, a few days before the birth of his son William Henry Dumbleton. The events featured in the programme relate to 1880 when William was 21. I am resisting the temptation to jump ahead. |