Reference
SDSandyL1/1
Title
Log book
Date free text
1905-1934
Production date
From: 1905 To: 1934
Scope and Content
The first entry reads:
'This school was opened on Monday morning Sept 11th 1905. 115 scholars were admitted. The Head Master is Thomas Walter Huckle and Mrs Agnes Liddell Huckle is a certificated assistant. Miss Lilian Beatrice Daniels is acting as temporary assistant during the first week.' A third teacher, Mr C V Milton, started on the Friday but his services were terminated on the 6th October. Mrs Constance Graham (Hine), born 28 September 1880, began work as a supplementary teacher on the 9th October. Mrs Graham terminated her employment on 19th February 1907 and was succeeded by Miss Lucy Ellen Kings. [Miss Kings married in the summer of 1918 becoming Mrs Davison, whe resigned in June 1919.]
The school was at first held in the Baptist Sunday Schoolrooms hired 'during the erection of the permanent school'. The new school buildings opened on 8th April 1907. George Jude was taken on as caretaker and his duties are set out in the log book (p19).
Contents otherwise typical for a school log book including: inspectors' reports, closure of school for illness, Sunday school treats etc., the syllabus, the weather, maintenance of the school (particularly problems with the heating), attendance awards and scholarships (usually the only time individual children are named), teacher absences, staff terminations and appointments (these appear to be quite frequent; the date of birth and qualifications are given for each new appointment.) A few less usual entries are as follows:
page 51. 9 May 1910 'the master addressed the scholars on the nation's loss by the death of King Edward VII...previous to the conclusion of the same session the children were again massed for the singing of the national anthem to mark the accession of King George V.'
page 65. 30 June 1911 'the afternoon school assembled at 1.30 and closed at 3.40 in order that the children might attend a cinematograph entertainment given by the Coronation Committee.'
page 97 21 Sept 1914 'There is a continuance of the bad attendance. Employment in the onion peeling sheds is the chief cause.'
page 106. 27 Sept 1915 'The absence of thirteen boys at agricultural work while under 13 years of age and the leaving of all boys immediately they attain the age of 13 has so thinned the actual attendance of the older children that a reorganisation of the school took place today.'
pages115-117. March 1916 heavy snow followed by flooding kept Beeston children away and flooding of the furnace chamber closed the school.
page 128. 6 Feb 1917 'The Head Master on the 2nd inst and today gave lessons on the War Office Circular entitled 'The Inadvertent Disclosure of Military Information. Frequent lessons on the need for economy and saving have been given in recent months.'
page 132. 18 Sept 1917 'A half holiday was given for blackberrying to provide jam for the soldiers'
page 136. 18 March 1918 'The Head Master and four boys were engaged the greater part of the morning in planning out the school garden.'
page 158. 11 Nov 1919 List of scholars who died in the war.
page 166. 23 Sept 1920 'On July 27 all the children heard an address by an American Negro on 'Slave Songs' instead of the Brushwork lesson from 2.10 to 2.45.'
page 178. 3 Oct 1921 'Commenced duties as head master of this school W H Cutland, Mrs M B Cutland also commenced duties as certificated assistant today. I found the school in very good order and the work going on smoothly.' [Mr Cutland moved from Ampthill]
page 191. 4 Dec 1922 'School piano arrived this afternoon.' [partly funded from whist drive and dance held at Conservative Hall on 12 October]
page 194. 26 Apr 1923 'Holiday all day on account of the Duke of York's wedding.'
page 195. 28 May 1923 'All the scholars were assembled in the Central Hall to hear the Royal gramophone record reporduce the Empire Day speeches of King George V and Queen Mary.'
page 202. 1 Feb 1924 'a Singer's sewing machine has been obtained for the use of the upper girls. It is Singer's best make of Hand machine and has all the latest improvements.'
page 207. 3 July 1924 'holiday all day on account of the visit to Wembley. 25 children and 5 teachers went. A party from Beeston SS also made the visit.'
page 224. 11 Dec 1925 'Today this school became a centre of the Carnegie County Library'
page 247. 18 Oct 1928 'Today the boys of the gardening class commenced digging the potatoes on the extra land set with potatoes for the school Dinner Centres...altogether 40 bags of potatoes approximating 1.5 tons were dug.'
page 257. 2 Aug 1929 'owing to the building operations and to the fact that new heating apparatus and the electric light are to be installed throughout the school during the holidays, an extra week's holiday has been granted.'
page 269. 9 Feb 1931 'we have commenced a method of supplying pure milk to pupils who desire it each morning during the recreation period. The scheme is under the auspices of the National Milk Publicity Association, and its purity and conditions as to sterilizing the bottles, cleanliness of dairy and milking operations is guaranteed by a certificate from the Medical Officer of Health. The cost is 5d per week and 60 children have availed themselves of the opportunity so far.'
page 273 May- July 1931 mention of classes being taken out of school in connection with the land utilization survey.
Access to material may be permitted under supervision
Microfilm 38/22
Reference
Level of description
item
Closed until
2034