Earby Of Long Ago LEADERS OF VILLAGE EDUCATION

[Stanley]

Earby Of Long Ago
LEADERS OF VILLAGE EDUCATION
The Old Grammar School and its Headmasters
From the Craven Herald 26/07/1935
In the front rank of those influences which have tended towards the well being and development of our village community must be placed our educational institutions.

It is impossible adequately to trace the origin of educational processes, but these seem to have had their rise in the parental instinct to train the young in self-preservation, and from this primitive instinct man's experience and powers have been transmitted and developed through succeeding generations.
In the first stages of the history of Mankind manners and customs were acquired by imitation, and with the gradual development of intelligence and ordered speech parents would endeavour to explain the reason and purport to their actions. With the accumulation of knowledge and the invention of letters special training was required for the mastery of the symbols, and thus schools as institutions of learning came into existence.

The educational system in our own country is the result of growth and adaptation, and not the outcome of a complete and well-conceived system.
It is not generally recognised how well provided with educational institutions our country was two hundred years ago, considering the size of the population, which was principally contained in the agricultural districts. The Grammar Schools erected during the reign of Edward VI and in the Elizabethan period, with the parochial schools, which followed, made a fairly effective provision for those who were able to take advantage of it. The rise of industrialism, with the enormous increase of population, made these schools hopelessly inadequate, especially in the more populous districts.

Earby was fortunate in the possession of a Grammar School, which was provided by a local resident named Robert Windle, about 1594. In the parish records it is expressly stated that the school was founded for the teaching of Latin, and for the instruction of the youth within the parish of Thornton. Provision was made by the original benefactor for the maintenance of the master, and an endowment of £20 per annum was secured for rent charges on land at Harewood, near Leeds, on Lord Harewood's estate. The reason why the teaching of Latin was definitely provided for was because that language was accepted at that time as the principal medium of learning, and it was in harmony with the culture of the day.

Two Storeyed Building
The Earby Grammar School was a substantial stone building of two stories, with a master's house adjoining, and forming part of the structure. It was situated on a plot of rising ground on the outskirts of the village in the direction of Thornton, and overlooking the waters of the Eure, the stream from which the village derives its name. There was a large garden in front of the school, sloping down to the boundary wall, and a convenient playground adjacent to it. The main entrance to the school and the house was from a central porch, and there was an additional entrance to the school at the western end. The front of the building had a southern aspect, and the view of the village and the countryside from the school was a very pleasing one.
How long the school was carried on according to the design of its founder it is impossible to state, as no records appear to have been kept after its inauguration, but it seems to have suffered the fate of many similar institutions owing to the lack of educational organisation in the country, and fallen into disuse. The earlier decades of the nineteenth century were attended by acute and distressing poverty in the parish, but with the introduction of power loom weaving in 1840 an era of prosperity dawned
.
The newly appointed rector of Thornton, Rev. L.S. Morris, M.A., was instrumental in securing the renovation and re-opening of the Grammar School. The upper room was dispensed with, and the large room was provided with modern school furniture and accessories. Mr. John Bentley was appointed as schoolmaster, and in the course of time he was assisted by his son, John Thomas, and his daughter, Ann. Mr. Bentley's wife was named Ann, and there were other two daughters in the family, Margaret and Mary, the full name of the latter being Mary Martha Clara Matilda. Mr. Bentley was a thorough, very conscientious type of a school dominie, and he impressed his habits of mind and conduct upon the young people committed to his charge.
The school was conducted purely as an elementary school, but the fundamental subjects were very carefully taught, and the moral influence of the school was very noticeable upon those who were brought within its pale.

Bank Actuary
Mr. Bentley was a devoted churchman, and he and his family were regular worshippers at the Thornton Parish Church. He was one of the first actuaries appointed by the Yorkshire Penny Bank, and he served the bank with conspicuous fidelity, not only in the Earby area, but as far afield as Slaidburn-in-Bowland. For his monthly journey to the outlying parts of Craven he used to be conveyed in George Andrews' trap, in charge of his coachman, Joe Moore. There are many former depositors still living who will remember their
visits to the old Grammar School to pay their small contributions, and who
can forget the sight of Mr. Bentley, his daughter Ann, and William Hartley
(" Too-a-tal "), who sat at the receipt of custom, and made the entries in the
books? Sitting at a school desk, with a candle for each person, they performed
their duties with perfect courtesy and painstaking accuracy.

In Mr. Bentley's early career, before the days of compulsory education, he had an evening school for the benefit of those who had not received any daytime instruction, and he was assisted in this work by Mr. John Singleton, one of the most respected men in the village. Mr. Singleton was very friendly with Mr. Tunnicliffe, who had an educational academy at Hague House, above the old road leading from Kelbrook to Foulridge, and this friendship was a decided advantage to Mr. Singleton. He followed his occupation during the daytime as a warper at Bracewell's Victoria Mill, but his evenings and weekends were entirely devoted to helping others by imparting knowledge he had received.
Mr. Singleton was associated with the Baptist Church, and his son, Rev. Hugh Singleton, has had a distinguished career as a Baptist minister at Accrington, and later at Birmingham, where he is now living in well earned retirement.
Mr. Bentley had a brother named Joseph, who was the schoolmaster at the National School, Kelbrook, at the time he came to reside at Earby. Mr. Bentley lived to an advanced age, and passed away in his 77th year on May 7th, 1891, and his wife died the following year. They are both interred at Thornton Church.

When Mr. Bentley retired from the post at the Grammar School the new rector, Rev. L. B. Morris, had an extension scheme carried out, the master's house being attached to the school for educational purposes. A good commodious house was built for the master on the eastern side of the school grounds, and the whole premises were modernised as far as possible.

A Gifted Musician
Mr. Joseph B. Hodgkins received the appointment to the school, and with the assistance of his wife and pupil teachers the school entered upon another successful period. Mr. Hodgkins was an enthusiastic master, and he became very popular with the school children and among the inhabitants generally. He was a gifted musician, and a capable bass soloist, and he used his gifts unstintedly for the welfare of the children. He organised annual school concerts in the Albion Hall, and they always attracted crowded audiences.
In addition to his school duties, Mr. Hodgkins had a number of private pupils, and gave special attention to promising youths. Among these may be mentioned Mr. Percy Ellis, assistant master at the New Road School, and Mr. Demaine Smith, assistant manager of the Morecambe branch of Martin’s Bank.

On removing from Earby, Mr. Hodgkins received the appointment as headmaster of the village school at Newchurch-in-Pendle, and after nearly a quarter of a century's service at this school he has recently retired. Mr. and Mrs. Hodgkins have been very happy in their service for the children in this Pendle Forest village, and they now occupy a villa in the neighbourhood where they are so highly esteemed. Retirement does not mean rest for Mr. Hodgkins, as he is the leading public man in the district, being chairman of the Parish Council, a very valuable member of the Burnley Rural District Council, and the representative of the Wheatley Lane district on the Lancashire County Council.

A Private Club
Following the erection of Alder Hill School the Grammar School ceased to be utilised as an educational institution. For a short time the building was used as a private club, but a few years ago; the Earby Urban District Council initiated a scheme by which the premises were made the home of the Council Public Library. This has been a great boon to the community, and there is ample room for storage and other necessary facilities. Since this development was carried out there has been a notable increase in the number of readers, and the library is one of the best village institutions in the West Riding area.
The building has also been made the centre for the Children's Clinic, and is very suitable for the purpose. It is impossible to conceive a more suitable use for the time-honoured building, and it will probably long remain one of our most distinguished landmarks.

The income, which is derived from the endowment, along with the use of the building, is vested in a body of local trustees, of which Mr. Stanley Watson is the secretary. The institution is recognised as a parish charity, and the annual income is utilised for the provision of scholarships, tenable at Skipton Grammar School and Girls' Endowed School, and Colne Grammar School.
An old dame school was conducted by Mrs. Austerberry and her daughter, Nellie, in their cottage in Water Street, before the introduction of compulsory education. There were two cottages in the block, which are now absorbed in a block of lock-up shops, near the East End corner of the Victoria Mill. Mrs. Austerberry's school was mainly used, for young children, who were taught how to read and write before passing on to the Grammar School, and it was regarded as the infant school of the village. Mrs. Austerberry and her daughters were highly esteemed, and regarded as being " gentle folks," and above the average in station.

Mr. William Wilkinson, the first Baptist minister in Earby, and a member of a respected old Earby family, started a school in a garret in his house in Gravelpit Road, and also held night classes. The entrance to this room in the minister's house was through the gallery of the adjoining chapel. The room was computed to hold fifty persons. Mr. Wilkinson was the pastor of the church from 1819 to 1849, and his salary at the commencement was £10 per annum. In addition to his small school fees, he increased his scanty income by handloom weaving. His influence over the rough, uncultured youths of that day was very effective. His name is treasured with pride by all the descendants of those whom he served so devotedly. When the new Baptist Chapel was built the old building was brought into use as a day school between 1861 and 1872. The school was mainly under the control of the master, who " farmed " the school, and in consequence, the career of the school was rather spasmodic. If there was no master there was no school.

One of the masters of that period who is well remembered was Joseph Longworth, who previously had charge of the National School at Salterforth, Some of his old pupils speak of him with appreciation and esteem.
The old Methodist School in Stoneybank Road was used for night classes about 1870, and the teachers were Alfred Varley and Edmund Lund. Mr, Varley was articled to Carrs', of Colne, became a solicitor, then qualified as a barrister. He was Town Clerk of Colne from 1895 to 1928, when he retired. He died in 1932. Mr. Varley was the first correspondent for the committee of the Wesleyan Day School, which was opened in 1872, and he had a lengthy correspondence with the Board of Education relative to a grant for the new school. The Board, however, did not give any financial assistance, and the cost of the school was raised by the denomination, with willing assistance from other sections of the community.
J.H.
[To be continued]. [Posted on oneguy 23/08/2004]