THIS IS FINDON VILLAGE — www.findonvillage.com  created by Valerie Martin, contains scenes from her home village of Findon, West Sussex, U.K.

SCHOOLDAYS IN FINDON FROM THE 1850s UNTIL 1900

Copyright Valerie Martin 2003. 

By 1861 the school on School Hill was receiving an annual grant.  The average attendance being 30 boys and 40 girls at this time.

There were, of course, other seats of education in Findon.  Not all children attended the one on School Hill. 

In the early 1860s until the early 1900s there was a farmer named George Hampton who lived at North End Farmhouse and at one time owned Park and North Farms.  He was a notable breeder of Southdown sheep and his flocks grazed on the southern slopes of Chanctonbury Ring using the dewponds there.  His daughter, Sarah, was a teacher and ran a small private school for girls in Findon.  Four of her pupils are known to have been  – Hilda Arthur from Nepcote; May Curtis from The Bakery; Dorothy Bush of West View Terrace and Joyce Goatcher of The Little House in Nepcote Lane.

In 1866 Elizabeth D. Bull became the headmistress at the school on School Hill  and she stayed for forty-five years until 1911.  Elizabeth was not always popular with her pupils and children had a ditty concerning their school mistress —

            Miss Bull teaches the school reading, writing and arithmetic,
            And she doesn't forget to use the stick,
            When she does she makes us dance,
            Over from France into Spain,
            Over the hills and back again.

Ernest Henry Willett the brewer (born c.1823 at Bishopstone in Sussex) was a tenant of Findon Place 1868-71.   He lived at the Manor of Findon with his wife, Frances and their three daughters — Edith, Florence and Margaret — together with a bevy of servants.   Henry Willett did not live in the village for very long but did become very popular and upon his departure he was told of a proposed testimonial.   On being asked what form he would like it to take he promptly replied —

"I should like money, there is nothing like money”.  

When a presentation of the money was made to him, he added a good deal more and gave a school clock to the parish.

By 1871 there was accommodation for only 60 pupils at the school on School Hill but 93 attended on the day of the return!

A new school was built on School Hill 1872 on adjacent land given by Richard Spencer Hall of Findon Place, with contributions from the Marchioness of Bath of Muntham Court (£100), the National Society and others.  It was the Marchioness'  intention that the building might "be made pleasing".  T

he number of children catered for was 144. 

The Education Act of 1870 (which introduced compulsory education) back by a grant helped local people to complete a building of two classrooms with a clock tower.  Between sixty and senventy children whose ages ranged form 5 to 19 years met in these rooms under the direction of Elizabeth Bull.

Around 1877 the school only had two classrooms, known as "the Big Room" and the Infant room".   There was a gallery in the infants' room with wide seats like steps, on which the pupils sat.  

Children travelled great distances to attend school in those days and had to bring lunch with them and put it under the gallery.   

Once each year during this period there was a general school examination by two inspectors, Mr. Hoe and Mr. Crocker. 

A small sum had to be paid for schooling at this time.  Three-halfpence weekly and later 3d when a pupil started to write in ink.   At the end of the year, money was paid back according to the attendance made — also the much coveted prize of a book.

A blind man, Mr. R. Freeman resided in one of the cottages on School Hill.  He was a Professor of Music and an organist.  He spent two mornings a week giving singing lessons at the school.   

During this era, summer school treats were conducted on the vicarage lawn.   Elizabeth Bull summoned the children and they left School Hill and walked two by two to St. John the Baptist Church, singing hymns as they marched.

After the service they returned to the High Street for tea on The Rectory lawn (now the Findon Manor Hotel).   Afterwards they played organised games.   There was a swing on an old beech tree in the rectory grounds for them.   Also a line was strung across the lawn with paper bags suspended from it.  Some of the bags contained sweets, some had biscuits — and others just sawdust (no doubt from the Nepcote woodyard).   A well-known gentleman in Findon, George Churchill, would strike the bags and the children jostled for the contents with squeals of pleasure — or maybe groans of disappointment.  

At the end of the festivities the children lined up, two by two on the lawn.  The Reverend Robert Cholmeley and Mrs. Cholmeley stood at the front door of the rectory with a table groaning with toys.  These they handed out to the children and the vicar and his wife were rewarded with three cheers — and also for Elizabeth Bull, to round off the day.

Around 1880, Huntsman's House (built when the Richardsons were Lords of he Manor), housed a small private school run by a Miss Baker.

Extract from the Parish magazine of 1888....

The Parish magazine of 1889 stated:

In 1889 there were indeed examinations held at the school on School Hill on 19th November and the Diocesan Inspector gave the following report:

The Parish magazine reported —

Continue if you would like to read A Visit to Findon School in 1906.

THIS IS FINDON VILLAGE — www.findonvillage.com is a continually growing record created by Valerie Martin exclusively for documenting life in Findon.