Uttlesford Local History Recorders
Education in North West Essex Survey 1839
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(edited extract)
In 1839 a survey of education was organised in Essex. The 1839 returns are held at Essex Record Office, but some of the parishes seem to be missing. The following information relates to schools history in the Uttlesford district.
Research by Jacqueline Cooper
1839 DIOCESAN RETURNS OF EDUCATION: D/P 28/30/18-19
(many pages torn out of Essex Record Office copy)
16 parish returns from Uttlesford and Clavering hundreds, as below.
Those missing: Great and Little Chishall, Berden, Wimbish, Arkesden, Wicken Bonhunt, Debden, Stansted, Strethall, Langley, Henham, Takeley, Elsenham, Chrishall.
32 QUESTIONS
1. What is the population of the parish?
2. What schools exist for the poor in connection with the Established Church?
3. Are they all in the National Society?
4. Do you have any objection to union with the Diocesan Board of Education?
5. How many children can be accommodated?
6. How many children are there actually on the books?
7. What is the average attendance?
8. How many go to Sunday school only?
9. What is the greatest distance travelled?
10. Have there been any additions to the buildings or increases in the number of pupils in the last 5 years?
11. Ditto re last two 2 years?
12. Are there any new schools being built in connection with the Established Church?
13. Who runs the schools for the poor?
14. How long have they been established?
15. Have they had any funds, grants, etc.?
16. How are they now supported?
17. Is there any problem in supporting them?
18. Are there different forms of funding for the different schools or is there a common fund?
19. What is the amount of annual receipts?
20. What is the annual income from subscriptions?
21. What amount comes in from Charity Sermons?
22. What is the amount from funded property?
23. Are there any other sources of funds?
24. What do the scholars pay?
25. What is the total annual expenditure?
26. How many children are clothed & boarded?
27. Are there any other schools not in connection with the Established Church?
28. How many are without education?
29. How many are in Dames schools, middle classes schools etc.?
30. Are there any obstacles to more education?
31. Is there any supplementary education e.g. libraries, evening schools, etc.?
32. Is there any link with the scholars after they leave school?
ANSWERS to questions above from parishes:
BIRCHANGER
1. 400
2. 1 day school, 1 Sunday school
3. Neither
4. Would need support of a parish
5. Room used can take 6-, day school is on private property outside parish boundary
6. 26 at day school, 36 Sunday school
7. 24 day school, 34 Sunday school
8. 10 boys, 6 girls
9. 1½ miles private school
10. No additions, extra 62 children
11. (blank)
12. Not any
13. Lady superintendent in day school, Curate
14. (blank)
15. No funds
16. Private contributions
17. General unwillingness of the resident farmers to subscribe
18. Private and voluntary
19. (blank)
20. (blank)
21. (blank)
22. (blank)
23. (blank)
24. 1d per week
25. (blank)
26. 26 girls in day school have dress for Sunday
27. None
28. 3-4 boys under 8, after that generally employed by farmers and assisting parents
29. Dames school 26 - chiefly supported by lady superintendent
30. Want of funds - need to build school room
31. Not any - I lend books to all who can read
32. Girls are in general procured situations
Signed: R. Battiscombe, Curate
ELMDON
1. 700 in Elmdon & Wendon Lofts (50 in Lofts)
2. 1 Sunday school
3. No
4. (blank)
5. 35 boys, 35 girls
6. 38 girls, 35 boys
7. 30
8. 30 boys, 34 girls
9. 2½ miles within parish
10. (blank)
11. (blank)
12. (blank)
13. Clergyman does Sunday school
14. 25 years
15. Rent £14 per year on farm in Lofts and £3 per year on cottage
16.£17 per annum as above
17. Sufficient if Sunday school
18. No subscriptions
19. £17 per annum
20.Nothing
21.Nothing
22.Nothing
23.Nothing
24.Nothing
25. £17
26. None
27. 2 dames schools kept by Dissenters
28. Don’t know
29. 50 in dames school
30. Not enough education for the needs of the population
31. None
32. None
FARNHAM
1. 563
2. 1 day school, 1 Sunday school
3. No
4. No
5. Large room for 100, small room for 24
6. 75 in large room, 15 in small room
7. 67 in large, 12 in small
8. 2 boys
9. 1¼ miles within parish
10. 23 male children, no addition of buildings
11. 5 extra
12. No
13. Minister appoints master and 2 mistresses
14. 13 years and 11 years
15. Bequest + voluntary subscriptions
16. As above
17. No
18. One common fund
19. £12.10s.
20. None
21. £45
22. None
23. None
24. None
25. £57.10s.
26. None
27. None
28. None
29. 98
30. Commensurate
31. None
32. None
Signed: WJ Clayton, Curate
GREAT CHESTERFORD
1. 900 in 1831
2. 1 National School for boys and girls lately established, no Infants
3. None
4. None
5. 2 school rooms, 1 boys and 1 girls 45 girls, 60-70 boys
6. 95 boys, 45 girl in day school, 30 girls and 20 boys in Sunday school
7. 45 boys, 50 girls
8. 20 boys, 30 girls
9. 1½ miles within parish
10 None
11. (blank)
12. None
13. Master of Magdalen College, Clergyman
14. Day school since 1592 - as National School 2 (3?) years
15. Benefaction of 1592
16. Benefaction + 1d per week and interest of the property
17. Sufficient at present
18.1 school and 2 rooms for Sunday school, boys in the church
19. £66.17s
20. 12.15s.
21. None
22. £3.10s
23. Land rented at £32, yard £1 and cottage £2.12s. rent
24. Boys 1d per week, girls 6d entrance and 1d per week
25. £25 and £26 salaries of master and mistress, etc.
26. None
27. All other is in private houses
28. 60
29. 59 in Dame schools in private houses
30. Smallness of school room limits number of scholars
31. None
32. No
(Note: Little Chesterford largely deferred to Great Chesterford except for 1.280 population; 20 - £1; 29. 1 dame school with 10 scholars)
CLAVERING
1. 1100
2. 1 day school, 1 Sunday school, no Infants
3. No
4. None
5. 30 girls, boys crowded into 2 small rooms in masters house
6. 40 boys, 35 girls
7. 40 boys, 30 girls
8. (blank)
9. 1½ miles within parish
10. None
11. None
12. Want of suitable site
13. Vicar
14. 1810
15. Voluntary subscriptions
16. Voluntary subs
17. Yes
18. One common fund
19. £17.4d.
20. All
21. None
22. None
23. None
24. None
25. £10 salaries, no account kept of books, slates, rewards, etc.
26. None boarded Girls pay 1d per week to which ½d added by Vicar and amount laid out in Sunday clothing at Easter
27. 1 British & Foreign Society - not on Sunday
28. (blank)
29. Master of the Sunday school educated 18-20 sons of smaller tradesmen and others
30. Want of competent teacher (in capitals, underlined), want of union among the parishioners one half of whom at least among the upper classes are dissenters
31. None
32. None
Signed: GJ Brookes, Vicar
HEYDON (which was in Essex at that time, now in Cambs)
1. 258 in 1831
2. Daily and dames school (no others).
3. No
4. None
5. 50 in Dames school, and all children in parish go to Sunday school in church.
6. Daily dame school has 40 but fluctuates; Sunday school has 28 boys and 34 girls, but fluctuates.
7. 38 daily - all at Sunday school too; 25 boys and 30 girls in church or Sunday school.
8. 10 boys, 12 girls engaged in work during the week.
9. Heydon children live in the village.
10. Sunday school 10 years ago, no increases
11. (blank)
12. None
13. Rector
14. Sunday school established 6 years and supported entirely by Rector; always been Dames schools
15. South Sea House - pay £2.6s.19s to dames school for 12 children per annum
16. Daily dames school supported by parents or friends of the children and Sunday school by rector
17. Poor find it very difficult especially large families.
18. None
19. £4.13s.8d from South sea House - paid half yearly
20. None
21. None
22. South Sea House
23. None
24. 2d per week dame school for reading and work, and 3d a week those who are taught writing and arithmetic with reading and work.
25. Rector pays Sunday school teacher £5 per annum and all books in the Sunday school
26. Give Sunday school children some frocks, tippets, bonnets etc. To girls and to boys - gloves, stockings and hanks, etc.
27.None
28.None
29. Most go to Dames school or Sunday school or both. No middle school nor schools for the higher classes as there are only poor children in the parish.
30. Want of funds.
31. Any supplementary education? I both give and lend books
32. None except by taking notice of them
Signed: John S Corsemen, Rector
LITTLEBURY
1. 760
2. 1 day (boys & girls), 1 Sunday (boys and girls), Dames Infant (boys & girls)
3. Sunday school with County of Essex Society
4. Almost all respectable inhabitants are members of the Establishment Church; Sunday school could be united with board.
5. 70-100 in day school room; Sunday school in church; girls in outbuilding of vicarage
6. Day school 41 boys, 31 girls; Sunday school 55 boys, 65 girls
7. 66 - will increase as new master is better
8. 16 boys, 12 girls
9. 2 miles from Littlebury Green, Catmere End, Strethall
10. None; increase of 10-15 pupils
11. None
12. None
13. Lord Braybrooke is patron of the day school; the vicar runs the Sunday school
14. Day school goes back to Edward VI time but this is not documented; Sunday school started May 1st 1808
15. Day school has land and cottages; Sunday school has subscriptions
16. How supported now? As above
17. None
18. Only Sunday school has subs, day school free as it has land and cottages
19. Free school has rent
20. Sunday school has subs
21. None
22. None
23. None
24. Free scholars pay 2s. per year for fireing
25. £66.6s.6d.
26. None
27. 4-5 Dame schools
28. None in the parish but shepherds boys perhaps 6 or 8
29. 50-60 in the Dames schools
30. No deficiency
31. None
32. No
Signed: Henry Bull (who had been seriously ill, hence delay in sending back answers to return)
NEWPORT
1. 900 - 950
2. 1 day school, 1 Sunday school, no infant
3. SS in union with Society
4. Not SS, but Day school might unite possibly
5. 70 in day school, no room for SS - used 2 rooms in a cottage
6. 60 in day school, 60 in SS
7. 50 in day school, 58 in SS
8. 20 boys, 40 girls: 60 boys on the books of the daily school but average Sunday attendance only 24 = 30 of them from other parishes about 10 of dissenting families who are allowed to attend their separate places of worship once on Sundays.
9. 4½ miles (beyond parish)
10. From 50 to 70 pupils
11. ditto
12. School room for SS and National School now being erected.
13. Vicar runs day school, and Master of Gonville & Caius College was visitor/governor
14. Daily free grammar school 1588, SS 1827
15. Grammar school had endowment, SS run on subscriptions
16. As above
17. Paying for new room
18. As 17
19. Grammar school £210, SS £17
20. £17
21. None
22. None
23. None
24. Day school 1d per week
25. £227
26. None
27. SS girls at house of dissenting minister - Independent Methodists - 27 girls
28. 6 children aged 5+; also 20+ not at school, may learn at home
29. About 30 at Dames schools, 6 to Middle School, Grammar school may be mixed
30. New National School will make it ‘commensurate with the needs of the population’
31. None
32. None
MANUDEN
1. 690
2. Day - plain work & reading; Sunday school; no Infants
3. No - SS by vicar & parishioners, day school ditto
4. (blank)
5. No school room; SS in church; day school in house of governess who also runs SS girls
6. Day school - 37 boys and girls; SS - 32 boys and girls - total 109
7. (blank)
8. 31 boys, 32 girls
9. 1 mile
10. 89 in 1835, now 109
11. 95 scholars in 1837, 109 in 1838
12.(blank)
13. Vicar runs Sunday school, governess runs day school
14. SS & infants established 50 years (1790)
15. Subscriptions from parishioners
16. Ditto
17. Very limited means
18. (blank)
19. £11
20. £11
21. None
22. None
23. None
24. 3d-4d per week day school, according to age
25. Anything over £11 came from vicar’s pocket
26. None
27. Protestant dissenters have SS & Day school
28. (blank)
29. (blank)
30. Want of funds
31. (blank)
32. (blank)
Signed James C Stokes (18.7.1840)
QUENDON
1. 211
2. Daily - small children only, others to Rickling
3. No
4. No
5. 30
6. 23
7. (blank)
8. No Sunday school = go to Rickling
9. (blank)
10. None
11. None
12. None
13. Vicar visits weekly and pays for several of the children, the rest by different individuals.
14. (blank)
15. No funds
16. Voluntary contributions
17. None
18. Only one school
19. 2d a week for each child (vicar pays)
20. None
21. None
22. None
23. None
24. 2d a week if they can afford it
25. (blank)
26. None
27. None
28. All have some and avail themselves though many are taken from school very young to keep birds from the corn or to assist the father.
29. Many at Dame school before going to Rickling
30. (blank)
31. (blank)
32. I cannot get them to attend to any school after they have left.
Signed, John Collin, Rector
RICKLING
1. 420
2. One day school, one Sunday school
3. No
4. No
5. Room 36 x 12 feet is quite full
6. 37 boys, 42 girls - 12 from Quendon, and Rector subscribes to the school
7. 70+
8. 10-12 boys - I find the boys who have left school cannot be managed with the rest of the children.
9. 1 mile
10. Number has increased but means the same
11. (blank)
12. No
13. Vicar
14. Built in 1830
15. Voluntary subscriptions built and land given by Lord of the Manor
16. Annual subscriptions
17. Yes
18. Only one school
19. £35
20. £20
21. None
22. None
23. None
24. £10.10s. from children - each pays 1d per week if one child, 1½d for 3, 2d and so on
25. £33
26. None
27. None
28. Only 4-5 and these might if the parents would attend to the rules of the school
29. Few go to dames schools before coming here
30. (blank)
31. (blank)
32. A few come to me every Sunday.
Signed: John Collin Jnr. - Vicar
SAFFRON WALDEN
1. 5200
2. National Boys School and Girls School, ditto Sunday school; Infant school belonging to the Quakers
3. Both in union
4. (blank)
5. 150 in each
6. 87 Boys day school, 16 boys in Sunday school; 50 girls day school, 16 girls in Sunday school
7. as before
8. (blank)
9. None out of town
10. (blank)
11. (blank)
12. (blank)
13. Clergyman
14. 20 years
15. Funds of 2 charity schools and annual sermon
16. (blank)
17. (blank)
18. All from common fund
19. £70
20. (blank)
21. £40
22. (blank)
23. (blank)
24. 1d a week
25. Exceed the income
26. (blank)
27. British & Foreign School contains 90; Infant schools 70; Dames School 150
28. Not prepared at present to answer
29. Schools of higher classes - about 100
30. (blank)
31. An adult school has recently been established at which an average 120 attend superintended by the clergyman
32. No accommodation in church for them.
Signed: Nicholas Birts, Vicar
UGLEY
1. 341
2. 1 day school, 1 Sunday school
3. Yes, both
4. None
5. 80
6. 48 day school, 61 Sunday school
7. 40 day school, 55 Sunday school
8. 10 boys, 3 girls
9. Greatest distance travelled: Within parish half mile
10. School room erected 1836
11. Ditto
12. None
13. Under Curate
14. 20 years
15. Voluntary subscriptions
16. Voluntary subs
17. None
18. One common fund
19. £13.11s.
20. £13.11s.
21. None
22. None
23. None
24. None
25. £13.11s.
26. 25 boys, 30 girls are clothed, none boarded
27. Not any
28. Not any
29. Not any
30. Not any
31. Not any
32. Not any
Signed: James Cooper, Curate
WENDENS AMBO
1. 370
2. 1 Sunday school, go to adjacent parish at very small cost and get more than could here - it is strictly Established Church
3. Yes
4. No objection
5. 460 square feet in one room - could take more
6. 64
7. 58
8. 32 boys, 32 girls
9. 1 mile within parish
10. (blank)
11. Last 2 years school room built - number of children increased by one third
12. No
13. Committee, but really the Clergyman
14. 2 years as now, but 10 years Sunday school though not under National Society
15. (blank)
16. Voluntary subscriptions
17. Not any
18. (blank)
19. £4.16s.
20. All
21. (blank)
22. (blank)
23. (blank)
24. Not any
25. £4
26. Not any
27. Not any
28. About a dozen under 50 years of age
29. 20 at Dames schools to which clergyman furnishes books
30. (blank)
31. Evening adult school once a week: 6-8 attend and make very rapid progress; also evening lecture on Wednesdays
32. Not any - but is felt desirable
(asked for further information to be sent)
Signed: H.H. Swinny
WIDDINGTON
1. 383 in 1831
2. 1 day school for girls only, 1 Sunday school for boys only, no infants but would like one
3. None
4. None
5. No rooms - boys area is 20-30, girls same (hired)
6. 12 girls educated by Rector and 6-7 by others, boys 16
7. 15 at day school, 12 at Sunday school
8. 16 boys, 16 girls
9. All from parish
10. Number educated the same, but subscriptions diminished
11. ditto
12. None
13. Teachers superintended by Rector
14. By late Rector
15. Voluntary subscriptions but very inadequate
16. (blank)
17. The greatest from the parish being solely agricultural very poor and having no resident gentry
18. Very small subscriptions- one common fund - not enough
19. Only £4 - many discontinued
20. £4
21. Nothing
22. Nothing
23. There is not a sixpence from any endowment or any other source whatever and all deficiency is supplied by the Rector
24. 12 girls educated by Rector pay nothing - other girls pay some trifling sums weekly
25. Varies as girls require clothing or not
26.12 girls clothed by Rector
27. One independent and others
28. A great number uneducated for where no rewards are given the poor not considering education as a reward are unwilling that their children should be kept in school and prevented thereby earning a trifle by keeping shop etc.
29. (blank)
30. Chief obstacle is extreme poverty of the parish
31. None except occasional lending of books
32. None - excepting former scholars if anxious are encouraged to advance in knowledge.
SCHOOLS IN UTTLESFORD & CLAVERING HUNDREDS
This list may be compared with the Pigots Directory the same year which indicates some places which had schools but whose diocesan education returns are not among those at the ERO.
1839 PIGOTS DIRECTORY
(schools in bold italics do appear in Diocesan survey but not shown in directory of same year; schools underlined do appear in directory, but not shown in 1839 Survey)
No schools mentioned in directory: Arkesden, Berden, Clavering, Langley, Birchanger, Chrishall, Heydon, Elmdon, Wenden Lofts, Wendens Ambo, Wicken Bonhunt, Ugley, Strethall.
Schools mentioned in directory:
Chesterfords: National School (William Debnam, master; Mrs. Mary Jeffrey, mistress), Infant Schools (Mrs. Elizabeth Barker, mistress).
Debden: Free Schools (Mrs. Sarah Denison & Mrs. Mary Tant, mistresses)
Elsenham: National School (Mary Barker, mistress)
Farnham: Charity School boys & girls (George Barker, master; Mrs. Elizabeth White, mistress)
Great Chishill: Day school (Thomas Wyatt), seminary (the Misses M & E Dorrington).
Henham: James Orger (also butcher)
Littlebury: Free School (Charles Bedford, master)
Manuden: Day School (John Hurrell)
Newport: Day school (Mrs. Isabella Bailey)
Quendon: National School (Frederick Page, master)
Saffron Walden (16 schools - see educat1 file): Audley End Free School, Free Grammar School, Infant Schools (2), Day Schools (2), Seminaries (4), Academies (3), British School, National School, School of Industry.
Stanstead Mountfichet: National School (Miss Mary Gilbey); Day school (William Philpot); Free School (Miss Caroline Monrow); Seminary (Miss Searle); Seminary (Miss Mary Morgan).
Takeley: National School (Mrs. Elizabeth Evered, mistress)
Widdington: Day school (Mrs. Ann Reynolds)
Wimbish: National School (Ms Sarah Crisp)
