Tytherington Village School

Tytherington Village School

On the hill which, before the quarry, rose up behind the church there was a cottage where Sarah Shield lived. Her tombstone reads:
'To the memory of Sarah Shield spinster of this parish who departed this life May 31 1852 aged 93 years and 11 months'. The greater part of her time was spent in usefulness to her neighbours. She was also the village schoolmistress for 63 years and died respected by all who knew her.'

The Shield family, which had provided the clerk for the church for 150 years, continued the tradition established by Sarah. Samuel Shield, Sarah's nephew, was the working bailiff for the Hardwicke estate and his wife Hannah taught the village children for some years in the middle of the century. Their house, long since demolished, was across the road from Liberty House. Caroline Lyons' sampler, worked in 1857 and still in private possession in the village, may well have been worked in this school. Then for a while Mrs Lashford the butcher's wife held a school in Church Cottage until the Board School was opened. Maryann Holpin (great-grandmother of Ivor Fowler) is recorded as a 'schoolmistress' at the age of 18 at Baden Hill in 1861.

A contract was signed on 10th May 1876 between the Trustees of Thomas Hardwicke's will and the Tytherington School Board, for the sale of one rood of land on which to build a school. The land cost £30 and had been tenanted by John Hawkins Tyler. The Conveyance was dated 24th July 1876. Tytherington School Board had a large official seal dated 1875 which was affixed in the presence of John Hewett, Vice-Chairman. Documents show a blue area just outside the boundary of the school, which must have been a pond. The School Board agreed to build a wall (except along the road) of stone and mortar at least 6ft high and 18ins wide.

The Board School opened in 1876 for 120 children at a cost of £1500. A new wing was added in 1902 increasing the accommodation from 120 children to 150. The school closed for lack of children in 1984. The head teachers for the last 100 years were Miss Louisa Pullin in 1879, Miss Taylor in 1885, Miss Foskett in 1889, Mr Lissaman to 1893, Mr Tuck to 1896, George Manuel to 1911, James Hemingway to 1941, Richard Leakey to 1952 followed by Mrs Leakey to 1966 and Peter Grudgings almost to the closure.

The photograph (left) pictures the building in 1990 after the school closed. For a while it was a craft workshop before it became the village hall.

Click on the thumbnails to enlarge the photographs


	1891	Early1900's	1903	1922	Tytherington School c 1925 Standing l to r Eric Bryant, Ernie Cotterell Colin Clements, Seated Joan Wilcox, Bridget Hughes (Heaven), Power sisters, on ground Beryl Clements (Brown), ?

c1920s

1932

1967 Tytherington School staff Standing l to r Mrs Castle, Mrs Shepherd, Seated Mary Cornock, Peter Grudgings, Beryl Brown

1974

Centenary celebrations 1977


Arthur Boyt and George Pearce retire in 1974 as managers of Tytherington School	Arthur Boyt and George Pearce retire in 1974 as managers of Tytherington School		Centenary celebrations 1977	Beryl Brown's retirement from 25 years at Tytherington School in 1981. Headteacher Peter Grudgings on right


Old school at Earthcott, used by Itchington infants school children until they were old enough to walk to Tytherington School		Arthur Boyt plants a copper beech tree to celebrate Tytherington School's centenary 1977	Tytherington School headteacher Peter Grudgings buries a time capsule to celebrate the centenary of Tytherington School in 1977	Mr & Mrs A.W. Boyt with Tytherington School Headteacher Peter Grudgiings celebrate the school's centenary in 1977.


Advert from a Churpels programme 1986	1968	1978		1980


1983	1977	1982


c1893	c1902	c 1901