Extracts from Hayfield School Log Book


Many thanks to Mike Spencer for these entries      Admission Register

The School opened at 9 o'clock Monday morning 27 Jul 1888

Staff comprised of Robert Henry FLETCHER lately engaged 2nd Master of Ellesmere Road Wesleyan School,  Sheffield and Lucy FORD ex pupil teacher from Chapel en le Frith Girls School at which her apprenticeship was served.

27 Jul 1888 Geography "only 6 children in Standards 3 to 7 knew that England formed part of the continent of Europe, not more than a quarter of the same standards knew in what county they lived .

                  Sewing omitted this week as it was not decided whether children  should provide their own material. (a local businessman later provided 50 yds of material for the poorer children to make clothes)

           Average attendance for the week 100

30 Jul 1888 lists of new children who had previously attended  Hayfield Wesleyan and Hayfield National  sent to Messrs Jackson and Llewellyn for particulars of Examination results. (Many of the children when asked which standard or grade they had achieved in previous schools were unable to tell the teacher what they had attained to and this caused difficulties in grading the children hence the need for the Exam results. One boy David LYNE stated he had attained standard One and was placed in Standard Two, later it was discovered he had already attained the second grade but because he had spent most of his time in the second grade he had not progressed sufficiently to be moved on into the 3rd standard.  He was therefore held back a year.

The following sums were asked, of which two children got 3 right, 3 children got two right, 4 children got 1 right and six failed to get any right.

59 - 16s -4 and a half penny multiplied by 56, 67, 35.

1 Sep 1888 Average attendance 130

20 Oct 1888 Order for a blackboard placed.

   Ralph PARKER was sent off early to fetch his half time certificate - did not return.

16 Nov 1888 The rough weather still keeps the attendance low in the infant class, chiefly among those from Little Hayfield.

    Dec 1888 John DIGBY when admitted his mother said he did not like to come to school if he is not allowed to write with his left hand

Teresa BEAVER has an impediment in her speech, she does not seem to have the power of speech or understanding of a child of four.  Both of the above children were over 7.

18 Jan 1889 RECITATIONS

Standards 4-7 "Battle of Flodden"

    "           3    "Blenheim"

    "           2    " The miller and the King"

    "           1    "Which loved best"

1 Feb 1889  Attendance this week has been very poor on account of the inclement weather and much sickness.  One case of fever.  Bertha WARDLE aged 6 died this week.  Four children of the CAPSTICK family have returned to school since Christmas Vacation after an absence of 3 months on account of fever.

12 Feb 1889 Unable to prepare the following children in time for Examinations

Theresa BEAVER   Edith HOLT   John DIGBY   Robert LONGE ( or Tonge?)

Fanny GREEN   Geo REDFERN   Emma SLANEY   Polley CAPSTICK

Beatrice SHAW

14 May 1889 Attendance low today children being kept at home to help with "spring cleaning".  School closed in afternoon, Hayfield fair.

5 Jul 1889 Children returned to Infant Class from Standard 1.

Mary Elizabeth WHITEHEAD  7 in Mar 1890

Sarah HUDSON                    7 in Apr 1890

Edward Bowden GASKILL      7 in Dec 1889

Fred Augustus GREEN          7 in Jul 1889

Elizabeth LEE                       7 in Feb 1889

31 Oct 1889  Examinations throughout the school

Standard 1 weak children  John DIGBY, Edgar BARNES, Ada HODGSON,

Theresa BEEVER, E CRITCHLOW, Chas WYATT

Standard 3 "five or six children bad throughout"

Joe COOKE, David LYNE, John WOOD, Esther GIBSON, Alice HUTCHINSON.

3 Feb 1890 Rangeley LEE a boy in Standard 6 came this morning (Monday) with very untidy clogs and was sent home to clean them.  The mother was annoyed at his return and sent him to the Church School

31 Oct 1890 Albert BRADLEY on returning to school yesterday afternoon had one leg run over by a trap.  He was carried home on the back of a bigger boy.  On examination by doctor the leg was found to be severely bruised but not broken.

11 Nov 1890 John DIGBY re-admitted today after sickness of hip disease and brain fever which has lasted 5 months. The Doctor informed me in August that the lad would not be fit for school for at least 12 months perhaps never again. Yesterday the mother saw me and desired the lad to be allowed to attend school when he felt able and also that he might be put in Standard 1 which he passed last exam ------ if the work of Standard 2 was to much for his "excitable brain"

10 Mar 1891 Septimus CRABTREE received two strokes across each hand for wilfull badness......... using a corner of the building as a urinal

9 Nov 1891 Joe MELLOR death from croup.  He was an infant in the first division.

13 Nov 1891 George THORPE Assistant, left Friday for a situation at Bolsover nr Chesterfield

16 Dec 1891 Object lessons, occupations; baker, blacksmith, carpenter, bricklayer, candle -making, paper hanger, painter, silk weaver, paper maker.

Admission Register

NAME                                  Adm        DOB     Parent            last school         left              

Esther HIGGINBOTTOM  23/7/88    3/9/76    Anne      Hayfield Weslyn    8/3/89 work

Adele YATES                 23/7/88    26/3/78       Chas           "            "         20/9/88 left dist   

Percy Joseph HOBSON  23/7/88    27/6/75  Edwin MASON   Private       4/6/90 ------

Ada HOPE                     23/7/88    11/7/77  Tho SMITH       Private          -----------------

Joseph EDGE                23/7/88     1/1/79    Stephen         Hayfield Natnl 6/2/90 left dist

Geo HODGSON             23/7/88     20/10/80 Thomas              "         "     9/7/90 ------

Lavinia Rose HADFIELD 23/7/88      20/6/83  Tho Rose HADFIELD Hay Wes 28/9/91 to America                                                                                                             

Emily KNOWLES          23/7/88       9/11/82 Joseph     New Mills Board      -------------

Alice Cotterill GOULD    8/10/88       26/11/79 Tho COTTERILL  High Lane Disley --------

(surname for this entry is as in the register)

Saml WATERHOUSE  1/10/88     ------   only came half a day left dist        8/10/88

Jas John WALTSHIRE  7/1/89    18/2/74 Wm WADE uncle  Lyndhurst, Hants 15/4/89

Rose KNIGHT             29/4/89   -/1/81    Levi MASON  Derby St Lukes 25/10/89 left dist

Mary Elizb HADFIELD 7/1/89     15/12/77 Tom BAGSHAW Chapel e,l.F. 6/6/89  fees

Wilfred LOWE           12/8/89    16/4/79  Wm.  Thornsett Board  18/12/91 Tech  School, Manchester                                                                                                 

Sebra Ann NEWTON 17/6/89    20/10/79 Wm. Philadelphia Brd, Sheffield 19/9/89 left dist

        "   "       "          6/1/90 re-admitted                                                 9/6/90

James W TURNER  27/8/90     5/4/84        Samuel.                              to Blackpool

Emily Maud YEOMANS    26/3/91  13/2/82   Alice TURTON    Chester St  2/10/91 guardian Manchester to Potteries                                                         

Wilfred FIELDSEND        28/3/92    10/11/86 Charles.             ---------        16/9/98  to Stockport                                                                                                      

Wm PREEZE                  3/3/02     23/7/92    George          Heysham      -----------

Laura TATTERALL          2/8/01       25/10/90  Martha.       Gawthorpe Natl  ------------

Nora HEARSUM            25/10/97     12/8/87    John.         London           16/3/98

Arthur SHIRT                 28/2/98       14/9/91    Chas .     Burnley Brd      -------------

Stanley SHIRT               28/2/98       17/10/92    "                "                 --------------

Edwin CLAYTON            3/1/98          7/5/88      Herbert   Glasgow          14/10/98