Plymouth, Schools | East Stonehouse School Board

PLYMOUTH
DATA
www.plymouthdata.info

The Encyclopaedia of Plymouth History

SCHOOLS | SCHOOLS ALPHABETICAL INDEX | SCHOOLS CHRONOLOGICAL INDEX

EAST STONEHOUSE SCHOOL BOARD

Updated: 10 November 2011

A public meeting of the ratepayers of the parish of East Stonehouse was held on May 5th 1874 to discuss the motion: 'That it is expedient that a School Board should be formed for the said Parish'. The chairman was Mr R Robinson Rodd, who declared the motion as passed. [1]

The East Stonehouse School Board was formed on Tuesday June 16th 1874. Eleven candidates contested the seven seats. There were three polling stations, at the Saint George's Hall, the National School in Market Street, and at the East Stonehouse Workhouse. The poll was closed at 7pm and the count started at 8.30pm after the ballot-boxes had been carried to the Saint George's Hall. The result was declared at 1.30am the following morning. [2]

There were 616 ballot papers distributed and the votes cast were as follows: the Reverend S Hobbs (Nonconformist), 617 votes*; Mr W C Hare (Churchman), 460 votes; Mr T Taylor (Nonconformist), 447 votes; Mr T S Bayly, (Churchman), 446 votes; the Reverend P H Newnham, (Churchman), 436 votes; Mr J Friend (Churchman), 410 votes; Mr A D Davey (Nonconformist), 407 votes; Mr J Treverton (Non conformist), 402 votes; Mr G F Bartlett (Independent Churchman), 272 votes; Mr C Trego (Independent Dissenter), 230 votes; and Mr J Taylor (Independent Dissenter), 49 votes. [2]

*There is no explanation of how the Reverend Hobbs managed to secure one more vote than the number of ballot-papers unless this was an extra "vote on the night" that was not included in the number of papers distributed.

Previous to the election of the School Board the Education Department had identified six schools in the parish that would form the basis of the School District:

Stonehouse National School, 314 boys, 215 girls and 82 infants;

Royal Marines' School, 422 boys, 178 girls, 108 infants;

Stonehouse Wesleyan School, 289 boys and girls and 127 infants;

Workhouse School, 7 boys, 7 girls and 10 infants;

Mrs Bowden's School, 34 infants; and

Saint Paul's School, 164 infants. [3]

The total number of children being educated in East Stonehouse was thus 1,957. [3]

They also laid out the amount and description of school accommodation needed in the School District:

For 100 girls and 250 infants in Union Lane; and

For 200 infants at the end of Newport Street.

East Stonehouse School Board opened the following new schools:

East Street Board School;

High Street Board School.

Sources:

[1] Public Notice: "Parish of East Stonehouse: Application for School Board", The National Archives, London, accession number ED2/110, courtesy of Mrs Janet Henwood, Devon Family History Society.

[2] "Stonehouse School Board Election", Western Morning News, Plymouth, June 17th 1874.

[3] "Elementary Education Act 1870, Section IX, Final Notice BF, School District of East Stonehouse", The National Archives, London, accession number ED2/100, courtesy of Mrs Janet Henwood, Devon Family History Society.