Lacey Green School

Research by Joan West

There has been much debate about when Lacey Green School was founded. The following facts come from documents associated with Charles Brown, Sarah Shard, William Saunders and census returns. None of them confirm when the school was founded.

School at Lacey Green

24th March 1860     An established schoolroom is purchased.

Conveyance. Charles Brown of Stocken Farm purchased from the executors of Sarah Shard of Grymsdyke Lodge a schoolroom and 2 houses (site of school down to turning into Slad Lane incuding the 2 cottages thereon)

16^th December 1870.   DEED of GIFT To the Church

Charles Brown gave the schoolroom to the Vicar and Churchwardens of St John’s Church, Lacey Green, as trustees.

1871. The Church of England adopted the school, naming it “St.John’s School”

3^rd February  1875          Conveyance of Land on which the school is built by Charles Brown to the Vicar and Churchwardens

All that parcel of ground situate at Lacey Green, adjoining the Highroad, containing twenty one and a half yards or thereabouts and in depth sixteen yards or thereabouts as is now fenced out and divided from the other land of the said Charles Brown and which piece of land hereby conveyed was many years ago given by the said Charles Brown for the purposes of education and on which piece of land schools and other buildings have for some years been created and built.

March 15^th 1926  William Saunders of Stocken Farm, conveyed quarter of an acre of land to the Vicar and Churchwardens (Trustees of St. John’s School).

November 1^st 1926    William Saunders of Stocken Farm, conveyed additional land to the Vicar and Churchwardens.

In the 1930s a House was built on Pink Road, Lacey Green with the proceeds of the sale Loosley Row School. It was vested in the Vicar and Churchwardens to be a house for the head teachers' of Lacey Green School to which the Loosley Row children now came. See The School House for more.

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND SCIENCE (legal branch)

Curzon street

London W.1,

Dear Sirs                                                                                                             27^th October 1964  

With reference to your letter of 29^th September 1964, and for the forms enclosed therewith.   I am directed by the Secretary of State to explain that in connection with the application for an order appointing Trustees of the Teachers’ house at the Lacey Green Church of England School, a statement of willingness to serve, if appointed, signed by yourself and the churchwardens should be forwarded as stated in the penultimate paragraph of the official letter of 25^th June 1964 to Mr.Adams.

With regard to the application submitted for an order vesting the legal estate in properties in the Official custodian for charities,  I am to say that the Foundation known as the Endowment for Schools Erected by Emma Grace at Loosley Row and Speen now consists of a holding of £1,481.6.8   3  ½% War Stock, invested with the Official Custodian of Charities, being the proceeds of the sale of the farm at Hughenden, authorised by an Order of 19^th April 1940, which comprised the original endowment.   Thus there is no longer any real property to be vested in the Official Custodian.

The legal estate of the property of Lacey Green Church of England School is already held by the Vicar and Churchwardens and their successors as a corporate body under the Deeds of 3^rd February 1875 and 15^th March 1926, whereby the site was granted under Section 2 of the School Sites Act 1841.   As these Trustees are for the purpose of the said Act a corporate body having perpetual succession, it is not necessary to vest the property in the Official Custodian.

The vesting applications should be completed and returned, with the original Deeds, or certified copies thereof, under which the properties are held, to this department, for transmission to the Charity Commissioners.

I am, Reverend Sir,

Your obedient servant.

(Mrs,) E.M.Sims

 Trade Directories indicate the opening of a day school in Lacey Green in 1951, but it is uncertain if the building occupied the present site.

In the 1851 census, Mary Ann Floyd,aged 36 on 30^th March 1851. from Thorncombe in Devon was recorded as schoolmistress.   She was married to John Floyd, whose grandfather and father were yeomen from Kiln Farm.   They had three children aged 9,6,and 4 years.    It would seem that shortly after the census was recorded they had another child.   There were 22 children, aged from 4 to 10 years listed as scholars including their own three children.   It seems unlikely that with 3 children and another expected that she was teaching anywhere but in her own home. Or was it somewhere closely nearby?  Sadly on a journey to Devon to introduce the new baby to her family they both contracted pneumonia and died.   In 1851 their son, Arthur was 4 years old.  On February 24^th 1882 when the schoolmistress was ill for one week Arthur Floyd took charge of the school. It would seem to be highly likely that this was Mary Ann`s surviving son.   The husband John later remarried and the family eventually settled in Canada with the exception of Arthur who became a butcher in Lacey  Green in a shop that was known as Wayside on the main road.   He married a Plumridge from Speen where he went to live.

Ann Horwood came to Lacey Green in 1847 with her parents from Aston Clinton.   Her father was a domestic servant.   In 1854 she married Peter Floyd, cousin of John Floyd, both grandchildren of John Floyd and Sarah, nee Janes, of Kiln Farm.

1866  said by Bernard Houghton (later vicar) to be when the school had been started

Deed of Gift 1870 from Charles Brown to Vicar and Churchwardens (managers)

Conveyance 1875  from Charles Brown to Vicar and Churchwardens (managers)

1874 April 13th   Appointed Headmistress.  Miss Burrows. Monitress Emma Hawes. Chairman of the School Managers. The Reverend Burgess.

1874 April 17^th  1^st day.  Opened with 37 children. Visits from the Vicar and Mrs Burrows and Reverend Oliver Grace

1874 April 24th.  61 pupils on the book

1874 May 31   Researcher's Note. The scripture stories told to date are all from the Old Testament, (none from the New) they are as follows: - 

The Creation of the World. The Fall of Man. The Death of Abel. The Flood, The Building of the Tower of Babel. The Destruction of Sodom and Gommorah.

Hagar and Ishmael. The Call of Abraham. Jacob`s Vision. Jacob`s Return to Canaan. Joseph Being Sold into Egypt.

1875 Feb 19 Mrs Burgess the Vicar's wife took the sewing class

1875 Mar 5   Mrs Burgess took the sewing class Weds pm. Miss Powel, niece of Charles Brown, sewing Friday

1875 Mar 19   Miss Powel took the sewing class Monday

1875 April 9   Miss Powel took the sewing class Monday

H.M.Inspector's 1^st Annual Report.    Miss Burrows seems to have found this school in a most inefficient state when she took charge on 13^th April last.

Since that time the scholars have made fair progress.   The infants require great attention.   Those in the third standard read badly.   Writing is pretty good but arithmetic and needlework are pretty fair.   The children attend very irregularly.

As many infants as possible should be sent to Speen and Loosley Row and the older children brought to this school.

My Lords have allowed the full grant with hesitation.   They will look for a much better report next year.   The ninth supplementary rule must be observed in future.   My Lords have overlooked its infringement, as this is the first inspection of the school.

Researcher's Note. 1975 continued with visits from the Reverend Burgess, particularly as the annual examination date approached.   Mrs Burgess and Miss Powel continued to help with the needlework

1976 Apr  The children were examined by Mr Herbert, H.M.Inspector.  67 present.   The Reverend W J Burgess, the Reverend Oliver J Grace and Mr Charles Brown were in the school during the examination.

1876  February 16.  Mr and Mrs Forrest (Grymsdyke) visited the school.

H.M.Inspector's 2nd Annual Report received  1876 May 23th (Summary).   The school has made distinct improvement since last years examination.   It is now  in a decidedly promising state which is creditable to Miss Sarah Burrows.   The managers and teacher had been informed that the examination this year would now be according to the new code of 1875 consequently subjects taken under article 19 were not successfully done.   The sewing is good

1877 April 18th  The annual examination was held.

H.M.Inspector's 3rd Annual Report received 1877 May 17 (Summary).  The school  has done pretty well in the examination in the elementary subjects and some care has obviously been bestowed upon grammar and geography.  The discipline is not so good as I should like to find it.   The needlework is satisfactory.

1877 Sept 3rd. Agnes Parslow commenced duties as a monitor in place of Emma Hawes

H.M.Inspector's 4th Annual Report received 1878 May 1^st.  This school has fallen off considerably in point of arithmetic since it was last inspected   The arithmetic is good for nothing and the dictation is exceedingly indifferent.   The reading is fair.   The influx into the school of several ignorant children has no doubt increased the teacher`s difficulties, but this is not much to account for the terrible falling off which is apparent.   A deduction in grant of one tenth is made for faults of instruction.

1878 MAY 10th  Annie Janes started working as a monitor

H.M.Inspector's Report for the Evening School received 1879 June 7^th.   This little school has done very well

H.M.Inspector's 5th Annual Report received 1879 June 7.   The school has improved somewhat  during the past year, but the arithmetic is still wretched.  The infants are fairly forward.  Scripture maintains it`s former average but cannot be said to have advanced much.   Some of the children in the upper division answered well and intelligently.   The others were somewhat weak.   The repetition work of this school is generally very creditable and reflects upon the teacher as painstaking and conscientious.