TEACHERS IN THE VICTORIAN AND EDWARDIAN PERIOD
The first Master at the National School was Thomas Rickards. His wife Elizabeth was Mistress of the Infants. Thomas was also Parish Clerk. In 1880 Fanny Hurren was appointed assistant. She was the daughter of Simon and Emily, a schoolmistress, presumably private as well as bookseller. On subsequent censuses she was listed as School Governess. Fanny’s sister Emily was also a school teacher, also private. The family were Yoxford-born and lived in Bank House, at the corner of Brook Street. By the 1881 census George Pauley, aged 37 and born on Guernsey, was Master. He and his wife and three children lived at the Schoolmaster‘s house. His wife and oldest child were born in London, his younger children at Cratfield and Metfield. He doesn’t seem to have been in Yoxford long as he is not mentioned in the Logbook. Later in the year George Plant, born in Huntingdonshire and his wife Clara, born in Brentwood, Essex, were Master and Mistress. They were very young as ten years later on the 1891 census their ages were given as 32 and 33. They had four children then, two born in Chelsea and the two youngest born in Yoxford. By 1884 Miss M A Smith was Assistant.
On 1st November 1886 Lucy Rosetta Cotton, aged 14, (daughter of Ezra Cotton) commenced duties as Pupil Teacher. 1846 saw the creation of the Pupil Teacher system. Pupils were apprenticed for five years commencing at 13 years of age. Originally they would continue their education and undergo training by their Head Teacher. They were regularly monitored by Her Majesty’s Inspectors. At the end of the apprenticeship, at the age of 18, they had to compete for the Queen’s/King’s Scholarship which subsidised the best students to attend residential training colleges and acquire full certificated status. By 1880 the system had evolved so pupil teachers would spend half their training based in school and the other half in specially designated centres. The local one was at Saxmundham. The 1902 Education Act made local authorities responsible for providing training for teachers.
Miss Smith left the school the following January and Kate Cullingford, from the Girls’ British School in Woodbridge, commenced work as assistant. She left in 1889 and was replaced by Florence May Roper from Wangford. Kate Roper assisted in the Infants section. Lucy Cotton became ill the following year and unable to continue her duties. In January of 1891 Miss Annie Hewitt was appointed assistant teacher. George Plant became ill and died in March 1892 and the school was closed for a week. James Dodgson commenced as Master in July but on 1st November 1893 William Busby was appointed Head Teacher. A Miss Vass was a Pupil Teacher along with assistant Annie Hewitt. William was born in Hanley, Staffordshire and was 28 years old. His wife Rosetta was only 21 and was Mistress of the Infants. In 1901 they were living at Mill House.
Miss Vass left the school in June 1895 and was replaced by Emily Gilbert as a Pupil Teacher. In March 1896 Violet Cook commenced teaching as a Candidate. Miss Hewitt left at Christmas 1897 and was replaced by Miss Webb in January 1898. Emily Gilbert resigned at the end of March and Alice Clarke commenced as Candidate for Pupil Teacher. On 13th June Roberta Chandler commenced teaching. On 22nd June 1899 the school was closed whilst the teachers took an exam in Physiography (Physical Geography) at Leiston. On 6th July 1900 Mrs Busby took her certificate exam in Norwich. In October Miss Webb resigned and Alice Clarke was transferred to Leiston. On 1st November Sidney Hurren (grandson of Emily) and Ethel Moore started teaching as apprentices – Sidney for four years, Ethel for three. On 20th December Violet Cook completed her apprenticeship and was awarded a photo album by the school. Lilian Swann aged 19 commenced teaching the following January. In May of 1901 Mrs Busby and Miss Chandler took a Hygiene exam in Ipswich and in June Drawing (Model) in Saxmundham and Physiography and their Certificate in Norwich in July. Sidney was examined in Geometry.
On 6th January 1902 Alfred Richard Busby commenced teaching as a Candidate for Pupil Teacher and his sister Eve in September. They were the children of William and Rosetta. On 30th April the following year Alfred was examined in Blackboard Drawing at Saxmundham. In the summer all the Pupils took exams in various types of drawing and in Physiography. In January 1904 Eva Todd & Edith Newby commenced teaching as Probationers. Ethel Moore passed the King’s Scholarship exam in March. All the Pupils took exams in Science and Art in the summer. In September the six Pupil teachers attended the Pupil Teacher Centre in Saxmundham. In February 1905 Sidney Hurren passed the King’s Scholarship exam and in April Ethel Moore commenced as Teaching Assistant. In June 1906 Theodora Wright commenced as Candidate. In September Ethel Moore passed the Certificate exam, Distinguished in Geography and History. In 1907 Dora Wright passed the exam as Candidate for Pupil Teacher for three years. In August 1908 Miss Swann resigned after seven years and in September Miss M Linder commenced duties as Assistant. In August 1910 Theodora Wright’s apprenticeship ended and Maurice Hurren commenced as Pupil Teacher.