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The founding of Hopton Wafers School
Until the 1870 Elementary Education Act, the education system in England had developed very much along class lines[1]. So much so, that in the 1860s three separate commissions of enquiry[2] were held into public schools, endowed schools and schools for the working classes each resulting in a separate Act of Parliament[3] . It is noteworthy that the most far-reaching, which led to the 1870 Act, took nine years to come into being.
The Newcastle Report[4] on the state of popular education shows some remarkable disagreement amongst commission members, some of whom were strongly of the opinion that “Government has, ordinarily speaking, no educational duties”. In the first decade of the nineteenth century, the prevailing attitude of the controlling classes was that mass education – anything more than reading, which may permit appreciation of the Scriptures – would produce in the poor a ‘disrelish for the laborious occupations of life’[5] or worse, ‘teach them to despise their lot in life … instead of teaching them the virtue of subordination’[6] .
Against the background of opposition, there were many attempts at improving the lot of the poor. In 1839, £30,000 was voted as a grant to erect schools nationally, attracting 307 applications in the first two months[7]. By the time the Newcastle Report was written, some 2,213,694 children were receiving some sort of elementary education in day schools. (A further 321,768 were ‘deemed to be above the condition of such as are commonly comprehended in the expression poorer classes and as such beyond the range of the enquiry’). Of these children, around three quarters were in denominational schools, although only about 13.5% of all children remained at school beyond twelve years of age and half of those in denominational schools attended for less than 100 days in a year, hardly receiving a serviceable amount of education.[4] Just over one quarter were in private schools (eg ‘dame’ schools), but these were found to be “inferior as schools for the poor, and ill-calculated to give to the children an education which shall be serviceable to them in after-life”.[4]
The 1870 Act provided for each parish to be surveyed to determine whether there were sufficient elementary school places and, if not, to establish a school board, which had the power to apply for a government loan and to add a precept to the local poor rate to finance the school so that sufficient places could be provided.
The 1861 census of Hopton Wafers had counted a total of 444 persons in the parish, chiefly employed as farm labourers or colliers, besides whom there were ‘two landed proprietors, seven farmers, one miller and one retired military officer’.[8] In 1870, it was estimated there was a need for school places for 23 boys, 19 girls and 28 infants. There had been a basic elementary school since 1811,[9] in a house[10] rented for the purpose[1 by St Michael’s church gates. Clearly, this was inadequate and the ‘landowners and resident occupiers’ duly completed the memorial required8[8] and submitted it to the Lords of the Committee of Council on Education.
Before any grant could be given, their Lordships wanted to be certain that the plans conformed to the regulations, and that the proposed conveyance and trust deed for any land were in order. The Rector at the time, the Rev Samuel Woodward, wrote on 22nd November 1870 to the Board of Education stating that his brother, Thomas Woodward, of Hopton Court, was willing to give a piece of land not exceeding half an acre for the site of a school[12] and asked if the grant of land should be to the Rector and Churchwardens and their successors under the School Sites Acts[13] or in what other form and whether the draft of such grant should first be approved. He went on to say that the piece of land in question would be staked out and fenced off from the field of which it formed a part in “a few days” and mentioned that the “field is part of a large Estate that is entailed, Mr Woodward being Tenant for Life”. A note in the Board of Education files for Hopton Wafers states that the Rev Woodward applied for a building grant 24th November 1870,[14] the memorial was duly signed, a site apparently approved and costs estimated. However, no grant was made.
As is made clear in the acknowledgement of the memorial[15] and in a later letter from the Board of Education dated 23rd April 1873,[16] the conveyance, title, trust, plans and specifications were not submitted for prior approval thus prejudicing any claim to a grant. In fact, although a very large number of papers have survived, no trace of a conveyance, title or trust has been found. However, the school was built in 1872 and given the propensity of the victorians for copious paperwork, it is almost certain that one was executed. Indeed, as the land was held by Thomas Woodward as 'tenant for life', the only way it could have been transferred was by virtue of the School Sites Act.
The answer to the eschewing of grant, though, may lie up the hill to the west.
In 1848, the Church of St John had been built at Doddington and a new ecclesiastical district created, although Doddington itself was still part of the civil parishes of Cleobury Mortimer and Coreley. Its location meant that access to schools was difficult. Almost 100 children were located in the district, 65 of them in the Cleobury Mortimer part, but the school there was three and a half miles away, rendering it all but impossible for the children to attend.[17] Roads and paths were poor and, in winter, the area was often ‘snowed up’. In the winter of 1871-2, for example, it was noted that the snow lay on the ground unmelted from 21st December until 2nd February.[14]
The vicar, the Rev Herbert Woodward, was very keen to see a school provided for the children of Doddington. In February 1871 he wrote “there is no spot in England where a school is wanted more than in this poverty stricken and demoralized District”[17] and asked for help in approaching the trustees of the William Lacon Childe’s endowed school in Cleobury for assistance with funding. The Rev Woodward had already approached the trustees but had been rejected. They felt that the provision of schools for Cleobury Mortimer parish, including Doddington, was quite sufficient. Whilst noting that distance was the main problem, they suggested that perhaps part of any grant to Cleobury Mortimer could be apportioned for building a school in Doddington.
The response from the board of education was bland.[18] They noted that they had no power to interfere and observed that the position of the trustees was not a denial. As the trustees were “men of business as well as gentlemen of liberality”, the Board suggested that calm discussion may yet produce results.
No correspondence has been found to cover the next few months but, in October 1871, Arthur Jebb, a barrister in occasional practice, who acted as inspector with the Board of Education to deal with the matter, met Samuel Woodward at Hopton Wafers[19] and Herbert Woodward at Doddington.[20]
Dealing with two Rev Woodwards in neighbouring parishes might have been confusing at times, but Mr Jebb had clear sympathies with one over the other. He seems to have sided with Herbert Woodward on building a school at Doddington and made a strong representation to the trustees of the Lacon Childe foundation that they should provide finance and that the terms of their trust should form no obstacle,[21] pointing out that they could avoid the formal creation of a school district with the accompanying need for a school board and the levying of a rate. At the same time, he wrote to Rev Samuel Woodward, enclosing a copy of his plea to the trustees, stating unequivocally that if the trustees failed to agree, he would use coercion to amalgamate Coreley, Hopton Wafers and as much of Cleobury Mortimer as he could – but he was confident that the trustees “will come to terms”.[18] The trustees met in November but, although they were also desirous of avoiding a rate and a school board, simply agreed that they would be willing to confer with a deputation from Coreley and Hopton Wafers to “ascertain their opinion”.[22] In sending the trustees’ resolution to the Rev Woodward, Jebb reiterated his view that the trustees would come round and he was quite neutral to the proposal that Hopton Wafers build for less than anticipated in the village and contribute to more on the hill.
Samuel Woodward’s response to the idea of amalgamation was to support the plan in principle, but with the suggestion that the districts be redrawn such that the high level portion of Hopton Wafers parish be assigned to Doddington and the Crumpsbrook portion of Cleobury be assigned to Hopton Wafers, as the children there would be nearer to Hopton Wafers than to the proposed school at Doddington. He felt that there was little difference in running a school for 80 rather than 60.[23] Jebb does not appear to have been open minded to the idea and responded “permit me to state most distinctly that I shall not recognise the Parish of Hopton Wafers as forming a separate School district in itself and by itself”,[24] and reiterated that if voluntary efforts failed, a united school district would at once be formed.
In reading the correspondence, a picture begins to emerge of two very strong willed and determined individuals, both gentlemen and in a position to adopt polarised positions: Arthur Jebb, keen to provide a school for Doddington, but in his own way; and Samuel Woodward, willing to be cooperative, but not to be coerced. Woodward’s very indignant reply makes clear that he would appeal any decision to create a united district and points out firmly, but politely, the errors of Jebb’s proposal.[25] Jebb was unmoved. He wrote back that Woodward’s letter and all the other correspondence had been passed on to the Rev R Temple (to adjudicate) and that he would do his best to carry into effect the scheme he had proposed and to which he strictly adhered, as its "adoption was in the best interests of those chiefly concerned".[26] He wrote again a few days later to say the he had heard from Rev Temple that the reports had already gone to the Education Department and that anyone aggrieved should address themselves there, writing by way of a parting shot “in fact we adhere to our views”.
Arthur Jebb was an interesting character, with a background perhaps more akin to that of Samuel than Herbert Woodward. Census records describe him as a barrister in occasional practice, who lived, with a large household, at The Lythe (Lythe Hall) nr Ellesmere, Shropshire, where the Jebb family still reside. He was born at sea in 1840, near Fleetwood on board the steamboat ‘Victor’, the only son of Richard Jebb, gentleman and JP. He was educated at Harrow and graduated from Balliol College, Oxford before being called to the bar in 1866. His daughters, Eglantyne Jebb and Dorothy Buxton founded Save the Children.
The tenor of the letters suggests strongly that Mr Jebb was trying hard to support the Rev Herbert Woodward in his endeavour to build a school at Doddington. That support becomes very clear in later letters dated October 1873[27] and an accompanying minute reveals a surprising degree of feeling. He notes: “it seems clear that the Rev H Woodward – a person sent to Coventry by his aristocratic clergy neighbours &c on account of eccentricity & humble birth – alone & unsupported (except by his parishioners who are all poor to a man) – cannot start a plan for a voluntary school ...”. Contrast this with the comments in a different minute relating to Hopton Wafers: “The Rector is the brother of the squire and they are both deeply imbued with feudal notions – the Church, the School and the Parsonage close together in the centre of the parish & the parish in a ring fence - & the whole of it belonging to one man”.[28]
Early in 1872, his support seemed to be paying off. The Board of Education wrote that their Lordships recommended that the school at Hopton Wafers be built for only 60 pupils, instead of 70 as first recommended and asked for plans to be submitted. The letter also stated that no difficult was seen in the three parishes uniting to build a school at Pole.
Samuel Woodward lost no time in making things happen. By the end of February, plans had been drawn up and estimates received. Cleobury builder John Smith proposed building a school, house and offices for:
| £ | s | d | |||
| School | 85 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Privies | 12 | 13 | 0 | ||
| House | 129 | 17 | |||
| 227 | 10 |
A discount of £5-0-0 was offered if both school and house were built at the same time.
The school was built at some time between March and October 1872. £100 was paid on account in August for work done and new estimates for additional work were given in October. Rather more was paid than the estimates which have been found:
| £ | s | d | |||
| Original estimate | 227 | 10 | 0 | ||
| School yard | 24 | 3 | 0 | ||
| Boundary walls | 38 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 289 | 15 | 0 |
| On account | 100 | 0 | 0 | (Aug 73) | |
| On account | 50 | 0 | 0 | (Oct 73) | |
| On account | 110 | 0 | 0 | (Dec 72) | |
| Paid | 30 | 14 | 1 | (Mar 73) | |
| Work done | 32 | 3 | 6 | ½ | (Jul 73) |
| On account | 13 | 10 | 0 | (Aug 73) | |
| 336 | 7 | 7 | ½ |
but there are no records to explain the difference.
In April 1873, Samuel Woodward wrote to the Education Department to say that the school had been built,[29] to which the Department responded[16]that by so doing without the Department’s prior approval, a claim to any grant would be prejudiced and asked were it the case that no grant was being asked for.[34] The tone of Samuel Woodward’s reply suggests he found the question tiresome. He writes that no grant was asked for in his letter of the 18th and that he was simply advising their Lordships that the school had been built, voluntarily.[30] Two months later, in another terse note,[31] he confirmed the school had been built and gave the dimensions, which he had received from the builder that day: a single school room of 30’ x 16’. The school had been operating since the second week in January 1873 – and continued in operation for almost 140 years until September 2012.
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The saga of the school at Doddington continued. Arthur Jebb noted his view that the magnates of Hopton Wafers would decline to contribute to a school at Doddington and that they had already forwarded to the Department a strong memorial against his plan.[27] The ratepayers of Hopton Wafers had submitted a very strongly worded objection to being made liable for provision of places at Doddington,[32] pointing out the folly of requiring children to pass through Hopton Wafers on their way to a school a further two miles away and that it would be better simply to provide further accommodation in Hopton Wafers. But Jebb was still pretty certain that they would give in. Correspondence during October showed a great deal of sympathy towards Herbert Woodward’s desire to establish a school at the Firs (by the church at Doddington), though he did point out a practical difficulty in that Doddington was only an ecclesiastical district and a school board could not be created.
However, in May 1874, the Education Department wrote that they would give up any requirement for a school at the Firs, if a new school were to be built at Coreley at the Hints, and a classroom added for fifteen at Hopton Wafers. Although the school at Coreley was built, the need for additional space at Hopton Wafers became critical (a minute in the Education Department’s files highlights an increase in population in Hopton Wafers, ‘at least 19/20 of whom are persons of humble social rank, the squire’s & parson’s families being the only better class folk in the parish’ and bemoans the fact that ‘had the “squire” (Mr T Woodward) carried out his intention of building for 80 all would have been well’, neatly ignoring that it was Department advice to build for 60).[33] Further moves were made to force the union of Cleobury Mortimer and Hopton Wafers school boards[34] and the whole affair rumbled on until March 1889 when a formal enquiry was held and all notions of building a school at Doddington were finally dismissed.
BIOGRAPHICAL FOOTNOTES
Samuel Woodward (18xx-1890), Rector of Hopton Wafers from 1861 until his death, was the second son of the Rev Thomas Woodward, also Rector of Hopton Wafers. Thomas was nephew of Lucy Botfield, wife of Thomas Botfield who had devised the Hopton Court estate to his wife’s nephew, failing any issue of his own nephew, Beriah Botfield. Thomas died before succeeding and the estate went to his son Thomas, brother of Samuel and the owner of the land on which the school was built. Samuel inherited the estate on his brother’s death and when he died, leaving three daughters, it passed to his brother, vice-Admiral Robert Woodward.
REFERENCES[1] Marsden, W.E. (1987) Unequal Educational Provision in England and Wales: The Nineteenth-century Roots, London, Woburn Press Go back
[2] Clarendon Commission. 1861-64; Taunton Commission, 1864-68 and Newcastle Commission, 1858-1861 Go back
[3] Public Schools Act. 1868: 31 & 32 Victoria c118; Endowed Schools Act 1869: 32 & 33 Victoria c56; and Elementary Education Act 1870: 33 & 34 Victoria c75 Go back
[4] Report of the Commissioners Appointed to Inquire into the State of Popular Education in England, Parliamentary Papers, 1861, Vol. 21 Go back
[5] Justice of the Peace, quoted in Williams R. (1961) The Long Revolution London, Chatto and Windus Go back
[6] Davies Giddy MP - Hansard, House of Commons, Vol. 9, Col. 798, 13 July 1807 Go back
[7] reported in The Spectator, 5 October 1839, p5 Go back
[8] School Building Form No 2, file copy completed by Rev Samuel Woodward, undated – Hopton Court records (HCR) Go back
[9] Form EA2, Form of Application to the Board of Education for an Order under §11 of the Education Act, 1902- completed by Rev James Payton, dated January 1903 (to appoint foundation managers) Go back
[10] ‘This house has been taken down many years ago. Stood near church gates”: marginal note in the minutes of second Parish Meeting of Hopton Wafers, 28 March 1895, Minute Book 1894 – 1896, Hopton Wafers Parish Council records Go back
[11] Trustees of Thomas Botfield’s Charity to allow house, at Hopton Wafers, then used as school, to continue to be used for same purpose at yearly rental of sixpence: minutes of second Parish Meeting of Hopton Wafers, 28 March 1895, Minute Book 1894 - 1896 Go back
[12] HCR: manuscript file copy of letter, 22 November 1870, Rev Samuel Woodward to Board of Education Go back
[13] School Sites Act 1841: 4 & 5 Victoria c38; School Sites Act 1844: 7 & 8 Victoria c37; School Sites Act 1849: 12 & 13 Victoria c49; School Sites Act 1851: 14 & 15 Victoria c44; School Sites Act 1852: 15 & 16 Victoria c49 Go back
[14] The National Archives (TNA): Public Record Office (PRO) ED21/14818 Minute by Inspector Arthur Jebb, noted on Supply Agenda form 3 dated 4 July 1873 Go back
[15] HCR: Acknowledgement of memorial to build for 70 children, 5 May 1871, Board of Education to Rev Samuel Woodward – a note states that whilst the schoolroom is long enough for 72 children, their Lordships’ architect returns the plan itself as unsatisfactory and not meeting the requirements Go back
[16] HCR: original letter, 23 April 1873, Board of Education to Rev Samuel Woodward Go back
[17] TNA: ED21/14818 Letter from Rev Herbert Woodward, 13 February 1871 Go back
[18] TNA: ED21/14818 Letter to Rev Herbert Woodward, 16 February 1871 Go back
[19] HCR: original letter, 28 October 1871, A Jebb to Rev Samuel Woodward Go back
[20] TNA: ED21.14818 Letter from Rev Herbert Woodward, 28 October 1871 Go back
[21] HCR: original letter, 28 October 1871 Arthur Jebb to the Trustees of the Cleobury Mortimer Endowment Go back
[22] TNA: ED21/14818, contemporaneous copy of minute of Cleobury Mortimer Trustees’ meeting, 3 November 1871 Go back
[23] HCR: (incomplete) contemporaneous copy of letter, November 1871, Rev Samuel Woodward to A Jebb, Go back
[24] HCR: letter, 1 December 1871, Arthur Jebb to Samuel Woodward Go back
[25] HCR: contemporaneous copy of letter, undated but December 1871 from context, Rev Samuel Woodward to Arthur Jebb Go back
[26] HCR: letter, 9 December 1871, Arthur Jebb to Rev Samuel Woodward Go back
[27] TNA: ED21/14818 Minutes to file and file notes of correspondence between A Jebb and Rev Herbert Woodward Go back
[28] TNA: ED21/14818 minutes on a form relating to the provision of a school at Hopton Wafers and places at Doddington, Jul 1873 Go back
[29] This letter is referred to in the Department’s response (17), but the original has not been found. However, part (if not all) is included in a minute by Arthur Jebb Go back
[30] HCR: contemporaneous manuscript copy of letter, 25 April 1873, Rev Samuel Woodward to Education Department, Go back
[31] TNA: ED21/14818, note from Rev S Woodward to Arthur Jebb, 26 June 1873 Go back
[32] draft of a letter, 1 September 1873, sent to Education Department by the ratepayers of Hopton Wafers, Hopton Court records Go back
[33] TNA: ED/14818 minute dated 16 July 1887 Go back
[34] TNA: ED21/14818, Notice U September 1888 Go back