St James's - The Village School

The Barlow School
Buckton Vale Works School
Part Timers
St James's School
Headmasters and Headmistresses
Today
Photographs

The Barlow School

A school, one field distance from Moorgate, was built in 1816, just off Hudersfield Road. It was an appendage of St Michaels Church, Mottram.

William C Barlow was headmaster of the school, until he died there on 20 January 1851 aged 78. He ran a no-nonsense school and taught the 3-R’s. His wife trained the girls in sewing, muslin embroidery and cross-stitch samplers. They were segregated on the upper floor.

Master Barlow wore a swallow-tailed coat with frilled shirt, knee breaches, white wool stockings and low shoes tied with black ribbons. His black hair was long enough to braid in a short seaman fashion and was tied with a black ribbon. He was a genial man who enjoyed a drink with the men of the valley who met in the parlour of the nearby Stamford Arms and who called themselves "The Loyal Ploughboys".

Barlow studied the stars and sometimes scholars would arrive at school to find their slates adorned with drawings of constellations.

Children walking to school may have stopped for a drink of water at the marl-pit well by the side of the Moorgate Lane.

Jim Wilson who lived at The Fold or at Moorgate paid 8s 8d per quarter for his son Wright Wilson to attend the Barlow School.

Buckton Vale Works School

The mill owner thought that Schooling was important and a room in the works was opened as a classroom with two lady teachers.

The works manager gave pupils the cane when the occasion arose.

This arrangement continued until the village school was built.

The owner of the works realised that training was essential to maintain a supply of chemists and skilled workers. Some Evening Classes were held at St James' school under the direction of the works chemist.

Then in 1890 a laboratory large enough for 30 chemist students was built to train and maintain a supply of chemists. This was well in advance of the time as the nearest technical college was Manchester and it was difficult and expensive to go there. Chemists were needed because the dyes were chemically fixed to the fabric and chemically finished.

Part Timers

All stages of cotton production relied to varying degrees on child labour. Children were not paid piece rates they received a weekly wage.

They were not employed directly by the manufacturer but by operatives who engaged them to undertake a variety of menial task’s associated with the tending of machines.

"Little Piecers" assisted spinners with the repairing of broken threads, helped to clean and oil the machines, swept up, replaced bobbin’s or just ran errand’s.

Various reforms were introduced; one of the most important was Lord Shaftsbury’s 1833 Factory Act, which prohibited night work for young children and the employment of children under the age of 9. It restricted those under 13 years to 9 hours work per day while requiring them to attend school for a minimum of 2 hours per day.

The 1844 Factory Act established what became known as the "Half Time System", it lowered the minimum age to 8 and limited the under 13 years to 6.5 hours work per day, they had to attend school for 3 hours per day Monday to Friday.

The 1874 Act raised the age at which half timers could work to 10 years from 1876 and to 11 years from 1893, the 1899 Act raised the age again to 12.

The School Boards stipulated conditions of education attendance / attainment that a child must reach before they could qualify to go part time or undertake full time work before the age of 14 years.

Of the Wilson children who had attended the Barlow School: Wright became a teenage mason’s helper, probably under his aunts husband Charles Turner the stonemason. Simeon did his bit at the Crows i’th’wood mill under its last operator, Jim Buckley, who also held the Stamford Arms license. Simeon left the mill in the late 50’s (1850’s) and worked in the dye house of the printworks, revived by Calvert & Cox. Hannah worked as a half-timer "little piecer" at Hyde’s Slack Mill in the Castle Clough.

On 29 August 1885 John E Winterbottom of Carr House, Micklehurst, being 10 years of age, being shown to have reached Standard 5 to the satisfaction of the local authority and to being beneficially and necessarily employed, was given a Labour Certificate. John had been born on 6 June 1875.

On 22 June 1888 John Edward Winterbottom of Buckton Vale being 13 years of age, being shown to have reached Standard 4 to the satisfaction of the local authority and to being beneficially and necessarily employed, was given a Labour Certificate.

Census Returns 1901
Address: Carr							Place Born
Winterbottom	John Edward	Head	Male	Age	26	Color Mixer Print Works	Mossley
Winterbottom	Margaret	Wife	Female	Age	28	Print Looker Print Works	Stalybridge

St James's School

1877 - 1901
1902 School Report
1902 Diphtheria
1904 School Report
1924 School Strike
1928 Schools 50th Anniversary
1952
Photographs

1877 - 1901

25 May 1877

Mrs Lowe of "Oakwood" laid the foundation stone.

5 August 1878

Day Scholars were admitted. The school took the place of the Works School and the Barlow School, also known as the Staley School.

31 May 1901

Whit Friday, an addition to the school was begun. The addition was to comprise an Infant Room, Cloak Room, Offices and an enlarged playground with boundary wall. Thomas Hague laid the Foundation stone.

3 September 1901

The timetable included singing, drill and scriptures.

20 September 1901

Average attendance 175.6 a record for this school.

In 1901 there were 574 people living and working in Carrbrook Village, of which 212 (37%) were children. All of the adults, except 34, worked at the printworks.

1902 School Report

1902

William Battersby, Standard 4, left school at play-time. The headmaster, John Heys, sent a covered note to his mother asking for an explanation. A verbal answer was brought by the bearer that if the headmaster wanted an explanation he must see the mother.

Census Returns 1901
Address: 22 Grasscroft Street, Stalybridge							All Born Stalybridge
Battersby	James	Head	Male	Age	38	Fish Dealer
Battersby	Annie	Wife	Female	Age	37		Born Ashton
Battersby	Robert	Son	Male	Age	15	Cotton Piecer
Battersby	Jane	Daughter	Female	Age	12
Battersby	May	Daughter	Female	Age	10
Battersby	Alice	Daughter	Female	Age	8
Battersby	Albert	Son	Male	Age	5
Battersby	William	Son	Male	Age	3

30 May 1902.The year end report.

Average attendance has been 159.1 with the additional attendances of half-timers, 161, the same as 1901. Of these figures the infant class average has been 46. Subjects included:

Grammar, Composition, Poetry.

Class 1 (Standards 5 and 6) Stories, letters, essays based on oral lessons. Poetry was "The Trial Scene" from the Merchant of Venice.

Class 2 (Standards 3 and 4) Sentence formation. Reproduction of a simple story. Poetry was "Wreck of the Hesperus".

Class 3 (Standards 1 and 2) Sentence formation. Formation of plurals. Poetry "The Beggerman".

Geography, History, and Common Things.

Class 1 (Standards 5 and 6) New Zealand, Africa, America and British Possessions. The human body, circumstances that affect health, simple physics, laws and phenomena’s. Tudors to the present time.

Class 2 (Standards 3 and 4) England and Wales. Families, animals and plants. Ideas and classification. Friend and foes of the farm.

June 1902

Declaration of Peace, the end of the Boer War. The school closed at Noon as the Works were doing so.

25 June 1902

School closed tomorrow (Thursday) and Friday – for the Coronation (Edward VII).

1902 Diphtheria

Sept 1902

Salaries for teaching £61.00.

12 September 1902

Average attendance 156.2

16 September 1902

Nellie Andrew of the Infants Class died this morning of diphtheria. She was at school on Friday 12 September, her brother was present this morning.

17 September 1902

The school was disinfected by the Works Chemist early this morning.

19 September 1902

There are some new cases of diphtheria and children are also kept away through fear. Average attendance 139.5

22 September 1902

Only 109 children present out of 179.

Harry Todd, 12 years of age, Standard 6, was away last week from school in consequence of having got cold.

This was the answer by my enquiry.

He died on Saturday of diphtheria.

His sister and brother were present on Friday.

I do not know how many cases there are and many children are evidently kept away for fear of infection.

In both cases of death the doctor was not called in until near the end.

The school was disinfected again this morning.

There has been a Managers Meeting, I have to close at noon, and the Medical Officer of Health for Stalybridge has to be seen in regard to closure.

Census Returns 1901
Address: Buckton View							Place Born
Andrew	George	Head	Male	Age	32	Cotton Cloth Twister	Manchester
Andrew	Bertha	Wife	Female	Age	32		Stalybridge
Andrew	Fred	Son	Male	Age	4		Pendleton
Andrew	Nellie	Daughter	Female	Age	3		Stalybridge
Andrew	Ethel	Daughter	Female	Age	1		Mossley

1904 School Report

12 September 1904

Copy of Report

Mixed School: Instruction is systematic and progressive. In the lower groups a little more energy and vivacity should be thrown into the teaching. The Infant class continues to do very fairly well.

General: The sufficiency of the warning in severe weather is very doubtful and should be carefully watched.

Steps should be taken to prevent the sulphur fumes from the stove in the cellar escaping into the rooms used for instructions.

The ventilation of the classrooms is insufficient and the offices are not separate for the sexes.

Subjects

Essential Subjects: Reading, writing and arithmetic

Subjects giving information through observation: Geography, history, science.

Expression Lessons: Composition (oral and written) and Occupation (preparatory and applied)

Useful lessons: Sewing and Drawing (mechanical for boys only, freehand and object drawing taken with girls)

Refining Lessons: Poetry and Singing.

Physically Developing: Physical Training

19 September 1904

The sub-committee is to examine the painting done during the holidays.

I made a strong complaint about the lack of blinds.

I have brought the matter before the Inspector, the Managers and two deputations from the Education Committee.

Half the school is unusable on sunny days, of which we have had a good many this summer.

The autumn sun is worse than the summer sun.

1924 Schoolchildrens Strike

1 April 1924

The school was getting overcrowded and the Board of Education decided that children over the age of 11 should go to the school in Millbrook.

The result was a marked decrease in numbers, even among those whose names were on the register.

It was hoped that attendance would gradually improve.

More than once the Government Grant had been lost through irregular scholars.

The older children didn’t like being sent to Millbrook and went on strike; the strike lasted for over 12 months!

1928 50th Anniversary

4 February 1928

To mark the schools Golden Jubilee year a Sale of Work was held today and raised £270 to install electric light.

Among those present were the Chairman, the Vicar, and two special guests Mayor Alderman J G Lowe (son of Mrs Lowe who had laid the foundation stone in 1877) and Mr J R Hague (son of Mr T Hague who had laid the foundation stone for the addition in 1901).

19 and 20 May 1928

A re-union and social was arranged to mark the schools 50th anniversary year.

Besides being a day school St James’s was also used as a Sunday School.

In the big room of the school there is a framed list of the members of H M Forces, from the village in the late War. Near is another list of those who gave their lives. Out of 140 from this parish who were killed, about 30 were our own young men.

A special mention should be made that Kate Booth has undertaken extensive research into the military history, family and social life of every soldier, man and boy, from Carrbrook and Millbrook and nearby areas, that served in the First World War. Thanks to her alone the names that were listed on the wooden war memorial that once was inside St James's School, Carrbrook are now listed below. Her extensive study is a work of reference. I am pleased that it was possible to publish this list and other details on this web page in 2004, the year that commemorated the 90th Anniversary of the start of the First World War. Thank you Kate for all your efforts and achievements. Should anyone have any details in connection with any Carrbrook or Millbrook First World War Soldier could they please send an e-mail to the site, carrbrookvillage@btopenworld.com

Carrbrook War Memorial
Name	Date Died	Age	Last Known Carrbrook Address
Bates, Wilfred	23 July 1917	37 years	Carrbrook
Boden, Frederick G	31 May 1918	24 years	South View
Casey, Thomas	7 June 1917	38 years	6 Moorgate
Dodd, John	2 August 1916	20 years	Shireclough Farm
Galt, Peter	27 May 1918	35 years	Barlow School
Hanshaw, George W	28 August 1918	24 years	24 Beaconsfield Terrace
Harrison, Herbert	2 October 1918	25 years	Tatton Street, S/B
Haslam, Ernest	22 June 1918	25 years	Moorgate Cottages
Healey, Phillip	25 September 1915	20 years	Staley Road, Mossley
Hopwood, Walter	11 October 1918	29 years	Moorfield Terrace
Hunt, Benjamin Coe	18 March 1917	18 years	Buried Mossley
Hyde, Arnold	4 January 1916	17 years	12 Long Row
Johnson, Arthur	14 April 1918	24 years	1 Heyheads
MacKenzie, John T	9 October 1916	28 years	10 Moorgate
Marshall, Frederick	29 October 1917	25 years	20 Carr Cottages
Marshall, George	13 May 1917		20 Carr Cottages
Marshall, Harry	11 December 1915	20 years	20 Carr Cottages
Metclafe, Henry	24 September 1916	26 years	490 Huddersfield Road
Mitchell, Squire	30 August 1917
Nield, John
O'Pray, Robert	28 January 1917		12 Moorfield Terrace
Ogden, Milton	14 March 1916	24 years	473 Huddersfield Road
Richardson, Joseph	9 September 1915		Father a Manager CPA
Robertson, Peter	7 June 1917	27 years	7 South View
Shepley, Albert	6 April 1918	24 years	4 Long Row
Shirt, Samuel	Due to Service1919	42 years	Millbrook
Turner, Frank	18 August 1916		488 Huddersfield Road
Turner, Robert	16 November 1917	22 years	20 Long Row
Whitfield, Joseph	11 May 1916	25 years	486 Huddersfield Road
Williamson, Robert	13 September 1918	27 years	22 Long Row

1952

1952

A village celebration was held for the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth the Second. A dance was held in the village schoolroom.

Headmasters and Headmistresses
1878	(5 Aug)	to	1880	(30 July)	Geoffrey G Broughton
1880	(15 Aug)	to	1880	(1 Sept)	Daniel Holt
1880	(13 Sept)	to	1887	(30 Jan)	Henry H Appleton
1887	(31 Jan)	to	1893	(31 Oct)	John William Hibbert
1893	(1 Nov)	to	1896	(24 Dec)	Albert J Sidebottom
1897	(11 Jan)	to	1913	(31 Oct)	John Heys
1913	(3 Nov)	to	1916	(29 May)	John H J Radcliffe
1916	(30 May)	to	1919	(6 July)	Mrs C Radcliffe
1919	(7 July)	to	1921	(21 June)	Robert Hitchen
1921	(23 Aug)	to	1923	(8 Mar)	Robert E Bagnall
1923	(9 Apr)	to			Mrs Bagnall

Census Returns 1901
Address: Holly Bank, Stalybridge							Place Born
Heys	John	Head	Male	Age	31	Certified School Master	Whittle le Woods
Heys	Ellen	Wife	Female	Age	30		Romiley
Heys	Mary	Daughter	Female	Age	5		Gorton
Heys	John	Son	Male	Age	3		Stalybridge
Heys	Noel	Son	Male	Age	1		Stalybridge

Today

In this area the county boundaries have changed several times over the years.

In 1848 the River Tame formed part of the boundary with Yorkshire which extended up to the Stamford Arms public house.

In more recent times the car park and the houses of Carr Rise and that side of the Carr brook were part of Micklehurst, Lancashire. The school and houses on the Long Row side of the brook were in Stalybridge, Cheshire.

So the parents of children living on the Lancashire side had to get written permission from Lancashire County Council and Cheshire County Council for the children to go to the village school which was in Cheshire, just the other side of the stream!

The entire village became part of Stalybridge when Tameside was created in 1974.

Photographs
Thanks to Mrs Corin of Buckton Vale Primary School for original school records and photographs.
Please e-mail your memories of attending the school to carrbrookvillage@btopenworld.com