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Schoolroom History

Compiled and illustrated by John Perridge

The original site for the village school, was the larger, left hand, end cottage of the terraced row on the North side of the village. However the existing Church of England School built in 1863, now used as the village hall was built and administered by the Wentworth Estate. Under the supervision of Lord King, 1st Earl of Lovelace, and locally, by the Reverent Augustus Byron.

The Rev Augustus Byron, who's portrait hung in the school class room for many years was born in 1828. His father was Admiral George Anson Byron 7th Baron Byron of Rotchdale, and his mother was Elizabeth Mary Chandos-Pole. Augustus graduated from Oxford university with a "Master of Arts Degree. He later became a JP, Justice of the Peace for Leicestershire. He married Frederica McMahon and they had six children. Augustus died in 1907.

The earliest school record held in the National Archive is dated 1871 and gives the village population as 222 with the number of rate payers as 46. The number of children able to be accommodated via the Church of England School is given as 78, and the number of children requiring accommodation was 40.

THE FULL SCHOOL REPORT DATED 1894

The series of letters and forms shown below relate to a detailed inspection carried out in 1894. The teacher at that time was Mary Anne Roland, born December 1842. She took up the post of teacher at Kirkby Mallory School in August 1877. Her salary for that year is given as £49, less fuel, that means she was responsible for providing the lighting and heating within the school.

( lighting would have been via oil lamps and heating by coal fire)

THE DOCUMENTS BELOW, DATED JULY 25, 1894, INQUIRES AS TO OVERALL STATE OF THE SCHOOL

Its purpose was to ensure that "The school will henceforth be conducted as a "Certified Efficient School" within the meaning of the Education act of 1876".

A list of questions were then asked for the inspector to comment upon.

Does it provide about a quarter of an acre for every 250 children accommodated?
Is it dry and in good repair?
Is it light in all parts?
Is it warm and clear of draughts?
Is the school well equipped in respect of furniture, apparatus and books?
Is it well ventilated?
Are the closets and urinals, light, sanitary, sufficient, well disconnected from the school and separately approached by each sex from the school room itself?

As shown below all questions were answered with a YES, although the inspector does make a note regarding the ventilation in the apex of the roof, and the need for a blind in the South window.

BUILDINGS REPORT JULY 25th 1894

As breifly described above.

The Managers Reply

Here the Rev. Augustus Byron asks for a little time for the matters to be remedied, as the Earl Lovelace is not expected to return to England until the end of Autumn. Non the less, the Rev Byron informs the Hinckley Education Authority that he will pass on the details to the Earl's Agent.

Then there was a section on the rules to be observed in order to comply with the above act of 1876.

Payment in respect of each scholar is not to exceed nine pence per week. The managers are responsible for the payment of teachers. Teachers not allowed to undertake other duties. Girls are taught plain needlework. That school registers etc, are all kept up to date.

Note, the Reverent Augustus Byron, Vicar of Kirkby Mallory church has signed the document as being the provisional manager only. The overall "Manager", responsible for the upkeep of the school on the date stated above would then of been, Ralph Milbank, the 2nd Earl of Lovelace. At the time he had been living abroad and had been summons to return upon the sudden death of his father.

For more about the history of Kirkby Mallory please see John's main history website: http://kirkbymalloryhistory.uk/

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