This inscription is over the doorway of the old schoolmaster’s house and parish rooms in Flockton and reads R 1698 C. This probably refers to Richard Carter of Flockton, who died in 1700 and was buried in the chapel of ease there. He devised in his will a yearly rent to support the teaching of six poor boys in Latin and Greek. It seems that a schoolmaster was then appointed for in 1713 John Armstead “late school master of this town” was buried, aged only 23.
Later Timothy Rhodes, great grandson of Richard Carter and a Carter trustee, gave land whereon a school, school master’s house and assistant master’s house should be built by public subscription in a deed of August 7th 1760. The school was actually built in 1760, 7 yards by 7 yards square, and by 1762 the Wentworth Charity had provided for more poor boys to be taught there in Latin and Greek.
By the end of that century the school had become an elementary school and Joshua Mellor, schoolmaster, is recorded as being buried in Flockton in 1854, aged 80. After this the school seems to have fallen into disrepair until Sir John Lister and Lady Lister-Kay undertook to reorganise it and build an extra large room at their own expense. Soon afterwards, in 1860, this Grammar School became part of the National School, a Church of England school, supervised by the school managers and the Carter trustees.
After the 1870 Education Act, which provided funding for primary education, and the introduction of compulsory education of children up to the age of 10 in 1880, the school was extended, with 3 more classrooms and a stage being added by 1883.
A further Government Act of 1891 made elementary education free and extended the school leaving age to 12, although those between 10 and 12 need only attend part-time, and might work the rest of the time. The infant school was built in 1895.
The school was taken over by the West Riding County Council in 1904.
Surviving school reports from the 1860s indicate that attendance at the school was sporadic. Mining was the chief occupation and families were reluctant to leave their children at school until they were 10 when they could be down the mine helping to support the family. Children were kept off too to help out with farming tasks at busy times and to prepare for the annual Feast. Inhabitants were said to be well known for their drunkenness, immorality, dishonesty and ignorance at this time.
The Church of St James the Great replaced an earlier chapel of ease on the same site. Its doorway has several interesting carved heads decorating it, such as this one.
George and Dragon Public House
This ancient inn, now called "Jack's", dates from 1485 and the reign of Henry VII who is reputed to have stayed here on his way to hunting grounds further north. It was at first called the "Noah's Ark" and later "the Chained Poker" after an incident which happened here. It is said that years ago the chains from the pokers on either side of the hearth were used to hang the landlord's wife and that her ghost lingers at the inn to this day. A plaque outside the inn tells the story.