The Journal No. 56
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No. 56 – August 2015 The Journal Lorton & Derwent Fells Local History Society Brackenthwaite Buttermere Embleton Loweswater Mockerkin Pardshaw Whinfell Wythop www.derwentfells.com Scenes in Lorton and Thornthwaite, by Rev. Joseph Wilkinson, 1810 2 rather overshadowed the achievements The Journal 2 of Wilkinson. I would like to welcome two new …The reverent Joseph Wilkinson, 1764- contributors to this issue. Andy Liles, 1831, resided at Ormathwaite between teacher at Lorton school, has written an 1794 and 1804, where his wife, Mary, article on the inspirational headmaster of looked after the elderly Dr William the school, George Oglethorpe. I Brownrigg, her uncle. Being close to remember when we recorded the late Bill Keswick they were in the social circle of Conkey in 2011, possibly then the last the Coleridge/Southey families for a few living Oglethorpe pupil. Bill said ‘The years before the moving to Norfolk. people that I liked the best were Mr & There Joseph Wilkinson was appointed Mrs Oglethorpe, the headmaster and the rector of East and West Wretham, and head teacher’. Welcome also to Tim domestic chaplain to the Marquis of Stanley-Clamp, and his report on the Huntley. Pining for the hills, he returned excellent visit he organised to Acorn in spirit through this publication. Bank. We need more short items of …Quite properly for a clergyman, his general interest in the Journal, and I landscapes contain people, with their hope that others will be inspired to habitations and work-places, and it contribute – the Journal belongs to its would seem that the scenes are quite members. accurately observed. So the challenge is In this issue Walter Head completes for someone to identify the location of his walking survey of Embleton in the ‘Cottages in the Vale of Lorton’. Perhaps 1950s. At the Society meeting in a Society member lives there? The Embleton in April – the presentation is ‘Smelting Mill at Thornthwaite’ will now on our website for those who reflect the lead mining activity missed it – we noted the moat marked undertaken by lessees of the Greenwich 1 on the first series OS map. This was all Hospital. that remained of the house in the park Derek Denman of the lord of the manor, Thomas of Ireby, who was killed by the army of L&DFLHS 2015-16 Robert the Bruce in 1322. A local lady told me afterwards that when the A66 President Professor Angus Winchester was built the moat was used for landfill. Financial Examiner Peter Hubbard Sure enough, there is a record of thinly- covered dumped black material – track- Officers and Committee 2015-16 bed? History is unaffected, but there is Chairman Charles Lambrick little left to see. Secretary Sandra Shaw The cover contains two studies of local Treasurer Christopher Thomas subjects by the Rev. Joseph Wilkinson, Committee members:- from his Select views in Cumberland, Anne Asquith Membership Westmorland and Lancashire, published Richard Easton Talks in 1810. I had been looking for a source Walter Head Tim Stanley-Clamp Outings for these images, which are hard to obtain because a first edition will cost around £2000, not because of the Contents of Journal No. 56 exquisite quality of the artwork, but George Oglethorpe, headteacher of because the letterpress was Lorton school 3 commissioned, for payment, from an A report on the visit to Acorn Bank 8 A walk through western Embleton 10 anonymous writer whose later fame has The floods of Crabtree Beck 13 The mole-catcher 19 John Smeaton and Derwentwater 20 1 http://www.derwentfells.com/pdfs/ The Society’s programme 24 EmbletonTalkWeb.pdf; http://www.derwentfells.com/pdfs/Embleton&W ythopTalk-webversion.pdf 2 http://www.rc.umd.edu/editions/guide_lakes 3 George Oglethorpe:- Headteacher of Lorton School: 1891-1924 by Andy Liles When I first visited Lorton School in the Spring of 2008, it was impossible to ignore the genuine and innate family atmosphere that permeated every classroom that day. I have, to date, enjoyed seven years teaching at Lorton School and watching children flourish in this increasingly rare environment which allows students to thrive both academically and socially. Visitors routinely complement everyone connected with the School for the well rounded, courteous and confident children they meet. As a teacher, I am keen to make the pupils of the School more aware of its history and why we as a school community share an experience so different from others both locally and nationally. This holistic approach to education, on which Lorton School’s current good reputation is based, has been around far longer than any of us currently working here, and I have been keen to discover its origins. As I studied the School’s log books and Mick Jane’s brilliantly detailed Lorton Far less is written about George General School – The Victorian History, it Oglethorpe. While plaques in the School became apparent that Lorton School’s rightly recognise the important approach to education was the legacy left contributions of William Alexander and by William Alexander and George John Wilson, there is no recognition of the Oglethorpe. William Alexander, I’m sure, thirty-three years of toil undertaken by needs little introduction; his contributions George Oglethorpe to transform Lorton to the School, both financially and socially, from an ailing establishment to one that are part of the reason why Lorton is one of students, staff and the local community Cumbria’s oldest surviving schools. were proud to be associated with. I hope In addition to funding the expansion of this piece redresses the balance in the School in the mid 1890s, Mr Alexander recognising Mr Oglethorpe’s contribution to provided the means to create two covered Lorton School – including the fostering of play areas that were built in 1906. The its child-centred philosophy - and the local boys’ shed survives to this day while the community. girls’ made way for what is now the George Oglethorpe, born in Dearham in pavilion shared by the School and Lorton 1866, became headmaster of the School in Tennis Club. Alexander’s recognition of the 1891 at the age of twenty-five. He need of children to have a change of succeeded Frederic Jones, under whose environment between lessons stewardship the school had sadly demonstrates his understanding of the floundered. Mr Oglethorpe’s early entries importance of a well-rounded education; in the School’s log book lamented the an idea decades ahead of his time. standard of arithmetic and spelling, as well as the girls’ sewing! 4 The staff roll was threadbare on his Attendance List on a weekly basis as well arrival; only he and his wife working as as presenting certificates to the children: schoolmaster and assistant schoolmistress Every week cards will be given for respectively along with Mrs Benson, the regular attendance and at the end of school cleaner. The School appeared to be the year those twenty who can in a chaotic condition according to his produce the most cards will be entry on September 29th 1891: ‘The photographed in one group and each cupboards are in a disorderly state and I child presented with a copy and a have great difficulty in getting classes to framed copy hung up in School. work on this account, as the necessary The impact of this scheme was almost books etc. are not easy to find.’ immediate, and by 1900 the School had Mr Oglethorpe spent the next decade won the Attendance Challenge Shield, vied improving the School’s fortunes for by around two hundred Cumberland remarkably. One of his most notable schools, boasting an attendance average changes was the introduction of an of 95.6%. It was a moment of significant incentive for excellent attendance, pride for everyone connected with the elevating the importance of education in School; it inspired a poem entitled When the mind of the children and the local Lorton Won The Shield, written by former community. Farming work, sickness and headmaster John Bolton. Students of adverse weather conditions affected the Crosthwaite Boys’ School, the Shield’s attendance rate significantly, and previous winners, wrote a magnanimous academic progress surely suffered as a letter of congratulation to their Lorton result. He began by posting a Perfect counterparts for their achievement: 5 Fellow Scholars, We have just heard that you school has won the beautiful County Challenge Shield for the highest percentage of average attendance for 1899 and are going to get it presented to you tomorrow. We, as winners of the shield last year, send our congratulations to you. We of course would sooner that we had won it again but we are glad it has not gone far away. Lorton School would retain the trophy for another two years. The improved attendance brought about the dawning realisation in both Mr Oglethorpe and Mr Alexander of the need to expand the School. Teaching over ninety pupils in such confined conditions was becoming increasingly impractical; both men saw the potential for more effective education that could be realised with expansion and they worked together for three years to raise funds for improving the existing rooms and adding a new room. leadership was recognised in a Report of Much of the renovation work was done, Her Majesty’s Inspector: or contributed to, by members of the local The School is worked in three groups, community with whom Mr Oglethorpe had and the principles of the New Code developed a strong bond. Two-hundred have been adopted with satisfactory people attended tea in the new room to success. Good work is done. The commemorate its opening and Infant class is well taught. acknowledge the community’s efforts. Because of the increasingly infrequent By 1899, one hundred and nine pupils need for it, and to commemorate the were attending the School.