Part 13 (2/2)
W. c.l.i.therow, Solicitor, who had previously acted as Treasurer. So far the whole scheme had been attended by the most marked success in all departments.
In the year 1894 the numbers of pupils, and of the subjects taught, had further increased; and it became necessary again to move into more commodious premises. The large building in Queen Street, which had been erected by the late Mr. F. Stevens, of Gordon Villa, and was then occupied by Miss Morris, as a school for young ladies, was rented, having two large cla.s.srooms and a smaller one.
Among the teachers who followed was Miss Annie Foster, who succeeded Mr.
Switzer in July, 1895, and continued as head of the Inst.i.tution for nearly six years. She was a most enthusiastic and energetic worker, and under her the schools attained the highest point of success, both as regards the number of pupils attending and the variety of subjects taught. The school at this time had attained to the highest degree of efficiency which it is ever likely to reach. Not only had Horncastle pupils taken more prizes than those of any other technical school in the Parts of Lindsey, but on the visit of the Government Inspector, Mr.
Minton, at the prize-giving in September, 1896, he stated that the school occupied the third place in all England. {114b}
In the year 1899 again the Inspector, on his examination in October, reported its state as being ”very satisfactory,” and in that year grants were earned of 140 from the County Council, 35 from South Kensington Science and Art department, 50 from the Whitehall department, 12 from fees for science and art teaching, 10 from the evening continuation cla.s.ses, a total of 247. Miss Foster was a.s.sisted by Miss M. E. Edgar.
A former pupil, Mr. C. H. Stevens, a native of Horncastle, was also appointed a.s.sistant Master, until he was promoted to take charge of a technical school at Folkestone. Mr. A. Blades, of the London University, Junior Master of the Grammar School, was for a time an a.s.sistant. At the end of 1900 (Nov. 15) Miss Foster resigned, being promoted to the head teachers.h.i.+p of the Camden School of Art, in London. Miss M. E. Edgar, who had been a.s.sistant teacher for several years, was at this date appointed Head Teacher, in the Science and Art department, Mr. C. W.
Gott, of the Grammar School, B.A. of London University, becoming Head Master of the evening continuation school, and Mr. H. J. Haddock teacher of shorthand.
It would not be possible, nor is it desirable, here to go into full details as to all the work done; but as, in future years, it may be interesting to have some record of the progress in the earlier days of this Inst.i.tution, and as the writer of these pages has been closely connected with the school, from its first inception, a summary of the more important particulars is here given.
In the spring of the year 1896, a course of public lectures, ill.u.s.trated by lantern views, was given by himself, descriptive of his own travels in Egypt, which were attended by full audiences of junior pupils, and many adults. In 1897 he gave a similar series of lectures on his travels in Palestine, and these proving equally popular, a third supplementary course was given by him in 1898.
In 1898 ill.u.s.trated lectures were also given by the Rev. J. A. Penny, Vicar of Wispington, on ”The Abbeys and Castles of England,” and as being very instructive on the subject of architecture, these were largely attended. They were followed by a course, which proved very interesting, given by Mr. R. W. c.l.i.therow, the Treasurer, descriptive of a walking tour made by himself, among the scenery of the English lakes. He also gave an instructive lecture on Canada.
In the spring of 1898 the Head Teacher, Miss Foster, gave a series of lectures on ”Physiography,” being an account, the result of most careful study and practical investigation, of the various geological formations and fossils of the earth, ill.u.s.trated by specimens largely of her own collecting. {115} These were very instructive, and attended by a fairly numerous cla.s.s of pupils.
Other valuable courses of lectures were given during this early period of the school's existence. In the autumn of 1896 Dr. R. McLay, of Horncastle, was engaged by the Committee to give lectures in the Masonic Hall, on ”First Aid to the Injured,” under the St. John's Ambulance regulations. The pupils, numbering 25, were afterwards examined by Dr.
G. M. Lowe, of Lincoln, when 23 of them pa.s.sed as ent.i.tled to St. John's Ambulance Certificates. So much interest was shewn in these lectures (to which policemen were specially invited), that it was resolved, in the following year (1897), that the services of Dr. McLay should be secured for a repet.i.tion of them, with increased remuneration. They were again given in the autumn of that year (beginning Oct. 18), when 24 persons attended, of whom 16 presented themselves for examination, which was again held by Dr. Lowe, all of whom pa.s.sed with credit, and gained ambulance certificates. We give these particulars as shewing the value of the work done at this period.
Similarly valuable instruction has been given in later years, but, with diminished funds available, and cla.s.ses smaller, owing doubtless to the exhaustion in some degree of the stream of candidates for instruction, compared with its flush at the outset of the school's existence, fewer lectures on these extra subjects have been given; and instruction has been confined to more ordinary, but not less useful, work, in drawing, geometric and from models; modelling in clay, painting in water colours and oils, book-keeping, arithmetic, shorthand, French, and so forth.
To show that the school has continued to do good work, we may state that on January 25, 1906, a meeting was held for the annual prize giving, when close upon 70 pupils, of both s.e.xes (69), received rewards, several of them for success in four or five different subjects. For the year 19056 the school received a grant of 100 from the County Council, 25 from the Horncastle Urban Council, and the fees of pupils paid about half the expenses.
We now give a brief account of the more important of the work carried on during the same period in the country parishes. In March, 1892, the first ”pioneer” lecture was given at Woodhall Spa, on Horticulture, by Mr. Horace Huntly, lately in charge of the Duke of Bedford's gardens at Woburn Abbey, Beds. This was well attended, and the instruction given was most useful, for the better cultivation of cottagers' gardens. This was followed by a course of three lectures on the same subject, in March of the succeeding year. In April of the same year (1892), a series of six lectures were given at Stixwould and Horsington, by Miss Kenealy, of the National Health Society, on the subject of home nursing, and treatment in cases of accident, fevers, &c. These also proved so instructive that she was engaged to repeat them in the summer of the following year; and they were given in eight different parishes, beginning with Langton on June 5th; the attendances being very large, in one case 70 being present.
Mr. Robert Jalland, Surgeon, of Horncastle, also gave a lecture at Kirkby-on-Bain, in April of the same year, on the subject: ”How to secure healthy homes,” which was very instructive and well attended, over 40 being present. In the autumn of that year a series of five lectures on Cookery were given by Mrs. Pierce, of the National Health Society, at four centres, Roughton, Thimbleby, Horsington, and Minting, beginning on Oct. 10th, and continued weekly. These were considered so instructive that the Secretary, having made notes of them, was requested to have 500 copies printed, for free distribution, which was done.
In January of 1893 lectures on b.u.t.ter-making, with practical demonstrations, were given by Miss Carter, a professional teacher with certificate of the B.D.F.A., in nine parishes, from Jan. 12th to 24th.
Lessons in sheep shearing were given in May, at eight centres, Roughton, Kirkstead, Woodhall, Langton, Wispington, Stixwould, Bucknall, and Thimbleby, the teachers being Mr. S. Leggett of Moorhouses, Boston, and Mr. R. Sharpe of Horsington; prizes of 1 and 10/- being given to the most proficient pupils.
In 1894 lessons were given in hedge plas.h.i.+ng, on Mr. Gaunt's farm at Waddingworth, in November, the teacher being Mr. H. Butler of Greetham, money prizes being given. Lessons in under-draining were given on Mr.
Carter's farm at Bucknall, in December, the teacher being Mr. W. Scott of Hatton, money prizes being also given.
In 1895 lectures on poultry keeping were given in February, by Mr. E.
Brown, F.L.S., and Mr. F. Parton, at five centres; and they also visited various farmyards in the neighbourhood to give practical advice; these lessons were well attended. Lessons in horse shoeing were given at Horncastle, for the neighbourhood, by Mr. J. B Gresswell, M.R.V.C., of Louth, in May and June, at which nine blacksmiths attended; certificates of the National a.s.sociation of Farriers being awarded. Lessons on sheep shearing were given at Thimbleby, Kirkstead, and Bucknall, in June, the teacher being Mr. R. Sharpe of Horsington. Dairy lessons on b.u.t.ter making and stilton cheese production were given by Miss Carter, at Woodhall Spa, Kirkby-on-Bain, Minting, and Reed's Beck, in October and November. Lessons in under-draining were given on Mr. F. W. Scott's farm, at Bucknall, in December, the teacher being Mr. W. Scott of Hatton, and money prizes given. Two lectures on bee keeping were given at Woodhall Spa, in November, 1895, by Mr. W. J. Banks of the Grammar School, Wragby, which were well attended; the same gentleman also giving a practical demonstration of the same, by request, at the Manor House, Woodhall Spa, in August of the following year (1896).
[Picture: Bridge Street]
In 1896 Hedge Plas.h.i.+ng lessons were given, in January, at Stixwould, Bucknall, and Horsington, the teacher being Mr. W. Scott of Hatton. The Head Secretary, Mr. S. Maudson Grant, was present and said he was ”much pleased with the work done.” Lessons in stack thatching were given, in September, in the yards of Mr. H. N. Coates, of Langton, Mr. R. Roberts, of Thimbleby, and Mr. S. Harrison, of Roughton, to ten candidates, the teacher being Mr. Isaac Storey, of West Ashby. These extended over four days, and were p.r.o.nounced by the General Secretary, Mr. S. Maudson Grant, of Lincoln, to be ”highly satisfactory.” In November lessons in under-draining were again given by Mr. W. Scott, of Hatton, on the farm of Mr. Joseph Clifton, of Horsington, to two cla.s.ses of candidates, those over and those under 24 years of age, and were well attended.
In 1897 hedge plas.h.i.+ng lessons were given in February, on the farm of Mr.
<script>