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Ackworth School - A Quaker School for those "not in affluence".

1840-1849.

'One of the pleasantest features of the years 1844-1847 was the number of lectures by professional men with which the children were favoured. Of these a course of four on Electricity, Pneumatics, &c., by William Richardson, twice delivered during this period, was greatly enjoyed by the children. The lecturer had something of the Yorkshire dialect, which gave an interesting flavour to his speech ; his experiments were brilliant and uniformly successful, and his apparatus, all made by himself, and gorgeous with polished brass, was superb. Of this he was naturally very proud, and not infrequently referred to its superiority, which led Thomas Pumphrey one day to remark to him gaily, " Thy idols are brazen, William." The observation appeared to give the lecturer unmingled pleasure. Dr. Murray was another great favourite. He gave three courses during this period, the first being one of seven lectures on Chemistry; the second, one of four on the Physiology of Plants ; and the third, a series of four on Chemical Affinity and Agricultural Chemistry. William Freeston gave two lectures on Natural History ; Daniel Mackintosh two on Geology ; J. H. Buck a course on Physical Geography, illustrated by means of drawings shown by the oxyhydrogen light ; and Edward Brayley five on Igneous Geology. Some of the chemical lectures were followed up by others on similar topics by Samuel Hare, who was then the clerk ; and the teachers themselves swelled the number of public lectures, much to the gratification as well as the instruction of the children, to whom scientific teaching in class was at that time but little known.' - Ackworth School during its first hundred years - Henry Thompson.

Boys: 

Curriculum:

  • Religious study (a chapter from the bible was read before breakfast).

  • English language.

  • Reading.

  • Writing.

  • Spelling.

  • English Grammar (in upper classes).

  • English History (as of 1820).

  • Mathematics (mainly arithmetic, older boys studied land surveying, Trigonometry, Mensuration and a little elementary Algebra).

  • Geography (map instruction and the drilling of the rudiments of geography).

  • Latin (as of 1825 - taught to twenty of the most advanced scholars).

  • Lectures from professionals (1844-1847).

Manual work:

  • Dining Room Waiter - four boys nearly all their play time and two quarter hours daily in school time. Changed every fortnight.

  • Washers - two boys employed every morning for about half an hour and twice a week in the evening for the same time, to attend to the arrangements connected with the boys' washing. In play hours only. 

  • Tailor's Waiter - one boy employed twice a day for a week at a time in finding boys who have to change their clothes, which have been mended.

  • Shoemaker's Waiter - similarly employed as above, but rather more frequently. In play hours only.

  • Shed Sweefers - four boys employed for about two hours on Fourth and Seventh Day afternoons, in play time, in sweeping the shed, colonnade, stable-yard, channels in various parts of the premises.

  • Garden Sweepers - three boys employed about two hours on Seventh Day afternoon for eight months in the year. Play time only.

  • Shoe Cleaners - eight boys, two to three hours on Seventh Day afternoon (play time) in blacking and polishing boys' shoes, and two or three hours on Second Day, principally in school hours.

  • Knife Cleaners - eight boys, two to three hours on Seventh Day afternoon (play time) in cleaning boys' and girls' knives.

  • Bath Cleaners - four boys, employed two at a time every morning during the season, (five or six months) for about an hour in play time, to clean out the Bath. Only one third of the boys eligible.

  • Bread Carriers - two boys for four hours, generally twice, sometimes three times a week or oftener, in the general assistance of the baker. They are also employed about three hours every other Seventh Day in carrying hot water for boys' ablutions. Partly school and partly play-hours. 

  • Washing Mill Boy - one boy to assist the house-man at the washingmill every Third Day from 5 o'clock a.m. to 7 pm. Thirty/forty boys eligible. 

  • Churners - four boys, employed two at a time, twice a week. In school-time. 

  • Door Keepers - two boys to ring the bell, kindle the fires in the office and lodge, attend on the Superintendent, finding boys for him, going errands into the village, to Pontefract. A post of honour and confidence, but of much labour. A permanent office. 

  • Sheet Carriers - four strong boys employed about half-an-hour on Seventh Day evenings, after reading, in gathering up shirts and stockings for the washing and about an hour on Second Day mornings in giving out and exchanging sheets and bolster-cases. Very heavy work. Play-time. 

  • Morning Waiter - two stout boys to assist the house-man in the boys' chambers, about an hour and a half daily, and two hours on Seventh Day afternoon. Play-hours.

  • Bed Rollers - four boys about three quarters. of an hour (one quarter school time) twice a week to move the beds when the chambers are swept, and occasionally for five or six hours when they are washed. 

  • Manglers - two boys every Fourth Day during Winter.

  • School Sweepers - about eighteen boys sweep and dust the Schools, open windows, fetch coals, keep and arrange books, slates. Play-time. A post of honour. Duties frequent, but not heavy. A permanent office.

  • Hair Teazers - twelve boys frequently. Play-time.

  • Stocking Menders - six boys every week from Fourth Day, middle of the day, to Sixth Day evening, in running stocking-heels. About forty-eight boys first on the List are employed. It consequently comes to their turn once in eight weeks. 

  • Boys employed at the Garden - four boys constantly, in school time and play-time and, in ` crop time,' often six or eight. In summer, twelve to twenty or upwards (volunteers) on holiday afternoons. Employment various, from the heavier labours of digging and wheeling, forking manure, to hoeing, weeding, gathering sticks. Gooseberries, currants, and other small fruit, also peas, beans, gathered in school-time by a whole school or large section of one, and occupies a good deal of time in the season. The garden labours are very useful to the gardener and are considered a privilege by most of the boys. 

  • Hay-making - for three or four weeks, occasionally for a much longer time, the regular school duties are so much interrupted by this employment as almost to be set aside.

  • Occasional Employments - assisting the carpenter-but seldom. When baker or house-man is from home, many of their duties are entirely performed by boys. Two boys assist in moving the desks, out of the school-rooms four or five times a year, when they are washed, and, once a year, the forms out of the Meeting-house.

Girls:

Curriculum:

  • Religious study (a chapter from the bible was read before breakfast).

  • English language.

  • Reading.

  • Writing.

  • Spelling (one-hour a day).

  • English Grammar (in upper classes).

  • English History (as of 1820).

  • Arithmetic. 

  • Housewifery. 

  • Needlework (spinning - abandoned in 1817, sewing and knitting).

  • Geography (map instruction and the drilling of the rudiments of geography).

  • Latin (as of 1825 - taught to twenty of the most advanced scholars).

  • Lectures from professionals (1844-1847).

Manual work:

  • Superintendent's Waiter - one girl for a week in play-hours and about two hours daily in school hours.

  • Parlour Waiters - two girls to wait in the housekeeper's room and assist the housekeeper for a fortnight at a time. One of them all her time, the other all her play-time and for two hours daily in school-time. 

  • Dining Room Waiters - four girls in play-time for a week.

  • Shirt Menders - six girls three days (three of them four days to assist in the washing) employed both in and out of school, and two girls who assist them only in play-hours. Change weekly. 

  • Mantua Maker's Assistant - one girl all her time for a week.

  • Constant Menders - two girls five days for a week

  • Menders - six girls all their school time and nearly all their play-time, from Fourth Day morning to Seventh Day noon.

  • Room Sweeters - six girls (four of whom are out of school each Second Day morning till 11 o'clock.) Employed in play-hours daily about an hour.

  • Pie Makers - two girls to assist two mornings in each week in schooltime.

  • Two girls to assist in washing the young children and in cleaning the Wing, a quarter of an hour every morning and the whole of two evenings weekly. Play-hours.

  • Laundress' Assistants - four girls on Fourth Day afternoon. Playhours.

  • Paring Potatoes - all the girls who are not in other offices, six mornings in the week, half an hour before the morning school. 

  • Occasional Employments - the girls provide the coals for the school. room fires, which they make and mend. They keep the school-rooms in order, and some of the older ones occasionally assist the Wing-maid, chamber-maids, &c. They are much employed in topping and tailing gooseberries, shelling peas and beans, cutting and paring apples, &c., during the season. They sweep the flags of their play-ground once a week in fine weather, and have numerous other incidental employments of a domestic nature, but which it would be difficult to particularize.

Page updated 8th September, 2015.