Education

Bubwith, being an agricultural parish, had little need for formal schooling for its children, most being required to start earning their way as soon as they were able. The 1841 census, presented in full on this website, shows that most children were working from the age of 12 years onwards, and in one case there is a girl of 10 employed as a female servant.

However, it would be wrong to say that there was no provision for education for children, for those whose parents wished it.

The Act Books and Visitations Returns of the Archbishops of York provide useful evidence of schooling in even the smallest parishes in the Diocese of York. From these we know that there was a schoolmaster in Spaldington in 1563. The location of the school where this schoolmaster taught is a mystery, however, in the Survey of Spaldington Fields in 1725, there are three fields of around 4 acres each, called 'School Lands', but whether these indicate the site of the school, or were simply lands given in charity to support a school or schoolmaster is unknown.

The Visitation Act Book of Archbishop Herring in 1743 contains the answers from each parish on a number of questions put to them, including the answer to the question: 'Is there any Publick or Charitie School, endow'd or otherwise maintain'd in your Parish?' to which the answer from Bubwith was, 'At Bubwith ye Parishers have or hire a School Master Monethly or Qterly to teach their Children to read, & to come duly to Church to be instructed in ye Church Catechism'.

The same question was posed in Archbishop Drummond's Visitation of 1764, to which the answer was, '1 petty school taught by an old woman'.


The Parliamentary Papers for 1833 contain an Abstract of Education Returns. The evidence from these is more encouraging:

BUBWITH PARISH
       






Breighton Township (Pop. 204): No school in the township.
       
Bubwith Township (Pop. 461): One infant school in which are 6 males and 17 females; and - Four Daily Schools, one of which contains 16, another (commenced 1819), 35; another (commenced 1830), 6; and the other (commenced 1832), 12 children; in all the above schools the instruction is at the expense of the parents. One Sunday School, wherein 88 children of both sexes are taught gratuitously.

Foggathorpe Township (Pop. 128): One Daily School, wherein are 40 males and 38 females, whose instruction is at the expense of the parents.

Gribthorpe and Willitoft Township (Pop. 108): No school in the township.

Harlethorpe Township (Pop. 105): No school in the township.

Spaldington Township (Pop. 352): One Sunday School, in which 16 males and 24 females are instructed gratuitously by the Methodists.


Further evidence can be found in the 19th century Trade Directories and Topographical Dictionaries. From the Baine's 1823 Directory we are told 'Here is a Methodist chapel, with a good Sunday school attached.' The directory also lists in the Bubwith section, 'Ross Thos. Schoolmaster'. Thomas Ross was also listed in the White's 1846 Directory. From the 1841 census we know that there were three schoolmasters in Bubwith: Thomas Abrams 20; Thomas Ross 45; and Benjamin Dudding 70. Benjamin Dudding was still teaching at the age of 75, when he was listed as a schoolmaster in the White's 1846 Directory.

By the time of The 1851 Parliamentary Gazetteer, the situation seems to improved yet again, when the entry for Bubwith says: 'There are 5 day and 2 Sunday schools in this parish' and further lists a Methodist Sunday School in Spaldington. The Post Office 1857 Directory gives the following for Bubwith: 'There are chapels for Wesleyan and Primitive Methodists; also a school for boys and girls, and a Sunday school'; and adds 'There is a school for boys and girls at Spaldington Outsides.' The Directory lists the schoolmasters as: 'Ross Thomas, schoolmaster & parish clerk (Bubwith); Plummer ---, schoolmaster, Outsides'.

Bulmer's Directory of 1892 gives details about the School Boards. 'A School Board, consisting of seven members, was formed in 1875, for the united district of Bubwith, Breighton-cum-Gunby, and Harlthorpe; and in 1877, a commodious school, with master's house attached, was erected at a cost of £3,000. There are 140 children on the books.' The entry for Foggathorpe states:  'The Wesleyans have a chapel in the township, built in 1803, which is also used as a day school, under the management of the Holme-on-Spalding Moor United District School Board. There are 41 children on the books.', while that for Spaldington states: 'A School Board, consisting of six members, was formed about 12 years ago, for the united district of Spaldington, Gribthorpe, and Willitoft. The old Wesleyan chapel, built in 1820, was converted into a school, and opened in 1877. There are 68 children on the books.' The Directory then lists the following teachers: Flint Miss Evelyn, private school (Bubwith); Mitchell, Fred, master, Board school (Bubwith); Ellerton Miss Margaret, schoolmistress (Foggathorpe); Clark John, master, Board school (Spaldington).