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NORTON CANES ENDOWED SCHOOL By:- S.J.Whitehouse & R.J.Knowles. The school house was a smal I, single storied brick cottage and stood at the junction of the Watling Street and School Lane for over 200 years. It was known locally as "The Dame School", at the time the Society decided to carry ol!t excavations at t~e s·ite. Sub_s~quent · docum~ritary research however, revealed that the school was endowed by the lords of the manor-s of Norton Canes and in 1737 and continued in use unti I 1862 when the buildings were sold by the trustees. '

Mr. Hopley of Norton East Road, told me that his father was taught there in the early l880 1 s as a free schola r . Mr . Charlesworth of said that no pupils were taught there after the first world war. From 1362 to about the turn of the century it appears possible that the school was run as a Dame School, withsome free scho lars; this wo~d explai·n the name by which the school was known locally.

EXCAVATIONS AT THE SITE.

Work commenced in 1972 and continued steadily during the next two years until the ful 1 extent of the foundation walls were uncovered (see the plan of the buildings). The original cottage had been much altered and added to. An outhouse extension to the north was partially sunken below ground level to provide a cold store.

A much later cottage had been added to the south, and the original doorway br icked up . Evidene< was found of several changes in the quarry ti led floors which had been laid on layers of soft and sharp sand and domestic ash. In these layers were found fragments of small glass panes and lead strip from the original windows; other finds included fragments of clay pipes, pins ma rb I es and occas i ona I sh.erds of pottery.

The Well was excavated to a depth of fifteen feet but contained only building rubble. The ash pit and refuse deposits at the most northern part of the site 1 provide large quantities of broken domestic pottery, china and glassware. Particularly notable were some complete Victorian glass mineral and soda bottles, a whisky "coffin" flask, stoneware jars and bottles, glass inkwel l s and some complete clay pipe bowls. Such was the extent of these refuse deposits that only a smal l section was excavated.

MASTER & PUPILS. A plan of the bui ldings is shown on page 30 • It will be noted that the actual schoolroom, 11 and the schoolmasters living room we re quite small, measuring 4.2 m ( 13'9") by Sm (16'5 ) anc 1 11 4.2m (13 9 ) by 3.50m (11'9") respectively. We know from documentary sources~1that thirty bo = and girls attended the school in the early 1800 1 s. In .J86~e learn that between 25 and s i:x: scholars were taught . It is possible that the cottage added on the south end was for the schoo lmasters growing family, and that the whole ground floor of the old schoolhouse was g i.~ over to teaching.

Fee paying pupils were taken in addition to the free scholars; we find that White 1 s directo­ for 1851 mentions six free scholars and eight paying 2d . per week and some'private scholars ' From Griffiths (1860) we see that the fees var ied from 3d to 6d per week.

The pupils were taught reading, writing and arithmetic l3) in the early 1800 1 s . We get fas cinating glimpses of one of the schoolmasters, Mr. Ooley and his family. The ear mention is in 1840 in the Tithe award.~) In 1841 we find that the Census Returns list the inhabitants as Thoma s Ooley , Schoolmaster, his wife Sophia, aged 40 years and their chil dre- Edmund (15yrs) Sophie (12yrs) Mary (9yrs. ) Martha (6yrs) Sam (3yrs) and James Johnson (72yrs Brassfounder. In 1851 the Census returns g ive much more information; Thomas Ooley (60yrs) schoolmaster, teaching reading, writing and arithmetic, born in Birmingham. His wi fe Sophia was a school­ mistres~, teaching reading, knitting, sewing, machining, and she was .,.born in Dorrington, ~a-: We see that the children at home now are; Martha, servant (16yr s) Sam (13yrs) and Alice (5 - Mr . Johnson i s not mentioned . In a booklet on the history of Gt.Wyrley (5) it is stated that Mr. Ooley taught at the Wyrley Methodist Chapel ·School in 1858, follqwing his ret iremen~ from his sc~ool in Norton.

A Tombstone _in St. James' Churchya'.d bears the legend: In Affectionate Remembrance of -· . Thomas Mansell Ooley. (Late of this Parish - Schoolmaster) who died February 22nd , 1867, Aged 77 years. and of Sophia his Wife who died May llth, 1865• Aged 68 years. Also of their children, Sophia aged 18 years. Alice aged 19 years, Edmund Henry - aged 44 years.

THE FOUNDING OF THE SCHOOL.

The school site was establis~~d by an indenture dated 23rd December,1737, and endowed by Richard Gildart and Phineas Hussey, Lords of the Manors of Norton Canes and Little \./yrley respectively, with other landowners. (6).

Government support to schools did not begin until 1833 , and before that date schools were of three type; supported by benevolent subscription, denominational, and 11 Dame 11 Schools (ie: run by a spinster as a means of making a living). The Lords of the Manors were evidentl y enlightened and benevolent men of their time.

It would appear that the Lords of the Manors and the other l andowners paid for the initial erection of the school-house. To pay for i ts maintenance, and payment of the schoolmasters wages, they enclosed about 55 acres of "the waste" i . e. Cannock Chase, and directed the rents to the use of the school trustees. Any residue went towards the Curates upkeep.

We find refe rences to the upkeep of the school in the Parish Account Books; **here are a few extracts:-

1744 ~m.Hickman. Chu rchwarden. Pa id for gl aizing Scool 8d. 1756 Wm.Mare, Churchwarden. · Paid for drink at the schoolhouse and 1ane. 4. 5d 176 0 James Hall,Churchwarden Pd.for mendg the Scoolhouse doore lockses 8d. 1761. Wm .Sm ith, Churchwarden Pd. for one hundred and a half of bricks for the Schoolhouse. l /6d Pd. the mason 2/6d 1765 Hugh Moss, Churchwarden Nov.ye 9 Twelf Strikes Of Lime for the Schoolhouse, 6/2d ye 21 Paed James Heath for work at the School 7/-d Bricks and tiles for the school and caridge 3/7d

The trustees decided the number of children who should receive free tuition, "reserving the privilege c;trictly for those whose parents are not able to pay for their Schooling." The enclosed land was ve ry poor, and as late as 1818 we find that the tenants r eceived ba~k 10 per cent of their rents "and t hey are still h igh"

Out of the rent received from the lands, the schoo lmaste r was paid £20. per year, and the curate £1-0 per year. ' Of the lands enclosed we find, by reference to the tithe map that they fall into several areas of the village. . 1I Workhouse meadow (or Blakmores piece) also ' known as Brookpiece, Pool piece, "far _P.oolpiece and Pgolmeadow (all knowp alternative)y as Grices Piec~) were all situated i~ the area that I is now Norton East Road, Road and School Road. Older residents of the village wi 11 remember that School Road was formerly ca·l led Workhouse Road.

The close of land known as Hi !kin Wilkin was situated north of the Watling Street and to the east of Walsall Road.

I am unable to determine the location of Birchin piece .(otherwise Yew Tree Piece) and also Stringers Croft.

Although the school was well situated originally being half way between Little Wyrley and tJorton the expansion of coalmining in Norton rapidly increased the population, as the following table extracted from the Victoria County History illustrates.

YEAR. 1801 1811 1821 1831 1841 1851 1861 1871 1881 1891 1901

POPULATION 547 519 669 678 775 968 1628 2776 3546 4047 5214

The table refers to the Parish as a whole but the increase took place almost entirely in Norton, with Little Wyrley continuing as little more than a hamlet. It became obvious to the trustees of the school that it was inconveniently placed and in 1862 an order of the .. charity commissioners was obtained aut.horising the sale of the schoolhouse.

11 In the unreported Charities (7) we find that •• the Schoolhouse, Cottage Outbuildings and garden containing 1 rood and · 13 perches, part of the property of this charity were sold to the said P.F.Hussey for £130. The schoolhouse had become much dilapidated and incon- veniently situated for the objects of the charity and the trustees contemplate the erection of a new school on the site next mentioned. 11

This site was of course the church schools at the junction of Church Road and Norton Green Lane,! Norton Canes which were built in 1864 and demolished in 1952 (although the buildings ceased to be used as a school in l934J

REFERENCES:

1 • a) Select Committee of the House of Commons; Select Committee of Inquiry into The Education of the Poor (1818) i . e. the "Taunton" Report) Abstract of Education Returns for (1833)

c) Whites Directory 1334.

2. G.Griffiths; The Free Schools and Endowment of Staffordshire (1860)

3. The Charity Commissioners; The Charities in the County Of Stafford selected from the report of the Charities Commissioners (58 GEO TiT - 7 WILL lV )

4. Tithe Commis sioners; Tithe award for Norton Caines otherwise Norton under Cannock, 1 (1840) I 5. James Homes haw and Ralph Sambrook; Great \.Jyrley, 1051 - 1951. I 6. The administrative County Of Stafford Endowed Charities (Elementary Educa tion) ( 190 5) 7. Charity Commissioners; Unreported Charities VOL . XViii 21-25 •. WatUng

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LOCATION OF THE SCHOOLHOUSE

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THE SCHOOLHOUSE BUILDINGS AS THEY APPEARED IN ABOUT 1 ~5 6 ~ 11 ul :.,1 Site of I ash ! 1 earth cbset -1 pit_ __j l I!._ ___iJ site of -I pig styes i I

-I KEY. Jr-! gi;~ / 3i;Tivoiiiouse Later ad!itions Brick floor or paving Tile floor

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PLAN OF THE BUILDINGS. LIVING ROOM (originally the Schoo/ Room } Scale in metres lQ+++ I 0 2 I ,:::r 3 4

LIVING ROOM