Rye Castle Museum

 

Before the days of compulsory free education for all children, Rye had many small private schools. Here are some of them. We have memories of several, but others are just names. If anyone can help with more details of any of them, please let us know.

Mrs Albin’s School – in Watchbell Street, later in Cinque Ports Street.

Miss Allen’s School – Watchbell Street

Miss Ashenden’s Dame School – Wish St. and Rope Walk.

The Bellmount School (Mr Pretty) – Watchbell Street.

The Misses Bushby’s School – Sussex House, first in the Congregational Hall (now the

Community Centre), then in West Street and later Turkeycock Lane/Tower St.

Mrs Colebrooke’s School – Watchbell Street (now Church Square) 

Miss Cook’s School.

Miss Frankham’s School.

Miss Fryman’s School.

Mrs Goddard’s Adventure School  – Watchbell Street 

The Misses Greenaway’s School in Watchbell Street, later in Cadborough Farmhouse.

Mrs Horner’s School in Sheffield Place, off Lion Street at the back of the George Hotel.

Miss James’ School – Wish Street.

Mrs Harriet Kennett’s School - 10  Watchbell Street

Miss Landry’s School – Watchbell Street

Miss Pink’s School in Mermaid Street, Watchbell Street, later East Street.

Mrs Seliman’s School in Watchbell Street, later Cinque Ports Street.

Miss Stonham’s School.

Mrs Williams’ School.

The School for pauper children, which was run “by the Parish”, in the South Chancel of St. Mary’s Church was “moved” elsewhere in 1862/3 when the Church was reorganised and the closed off chancels re-opened..

In the 20th Century there were also the Rye Collegiate School on Guys’/Hilder’s Cliff, sometimes called the Misses Moon’s School’, and The Convent School in Bank House, High Street (where Woolworth’s now stands).
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Mrs Longley wrote these recollections in the 1950’s:

“Rye has been noted for many things throughout its long history, but during the 19th Century it appears to have been quite a centre of learning.

In 1840, when a coach left the George Hotel daily at 8 am (Sunday excepted) for London, and when our population was 4,893, in addition to the Grammar School and Saunders’ Charity School in Landgate, (Bedford Place) there were five privately owned day or boarding schools in the town, some of them described as Academies.

Watchbell Street and Mermaid Street were, apparently, the most favoured by these select abodes of learning – but how different these two delightful and serene streets of our present town must have been then. Straw-hat makers, milliners and dressmakers, greengrocers and sweet shops, and public houses, were found in both. The Hope & Anchor at one end of Watchbell Street was very handy for sailors from the Strand Quay, and I am told that a Mrs Knight of this Inn was famous for the making of home-made sweets which she was so bold as to sell on Sundays! The Jolly Sailor at the other end of the street did a roaring trade and had a well-known doss-house attached to it. In my young school days, we hurried by this Inn of ill repute with averted eyes, in fear of drunken sailors reeling in the street.

Of the schools before 1840 I know very little, but in an old directory of that year there was listed a school in Watchbell Street, its principal being Miss Charlotte Allen. Miss Allen’s establishment would be for the instruction of the very young: progress through the local schools is shown in a fragment of autobiography by Walter Fuller Thorpe, ” the first school I attended was kept by Miss Allen. I left there in 1845 (aged 5 years 6 months). The second school, from which I was removed at Christmas 1848, was kept by Miss Pink. I then went to Rye Grammar School, Mr George Easton, Master. I was there for five years ……”

Miss Pink’s School was kept by two sisters, Jane and Eleanor. It has come down in history as ‘the Misses Pink’s Academy’. It was situated in Mermaid Street and as a ‘Ladies Boarding and Day School’ was a popular school for many years. Here is the Prospectus, which must have been issued in their heyday, for there is a great difference between the tone of this dignified statement and that of the latter days of their school when it was in Cannon House, East Street where. I am told, they had 21 scholars and as many cats.

The Prospectus of the Misses Pink’s AcademyTHE MISSES PINK’S ESTABLISHMENT
FOR YOUNG LADIES
MERMAID STREET, RYE.

 

Terms per Annum.

Board, and Instruction in English Grammar,
Geography, Ancient & Modem History, Plain &
Ornamental Needlework, Writing, and
Arithmetic, TWENTY GUINEAS

Weekly Boarder, SEVENTEEN GUINEAS

Washing, TWO GUINEAS

Each lady shall bring a silver dessert spoon, knife and fork, and six towels.

A quarters notice or payment is required previous to the removal of a pupil.

Terms per Quarter

Day Pupils, ONE GUINEA AND A HALF.
French, TEN SHILLINGS AND SIXPENCE.
Music and drawing, FIFTEEN SHILLINGS EACH.

Wax Flowers, TWO SHILLINGS AND SIX-
PENCE PER LESSON.

Day pupils and Instruction in English Grammar, Geography, Ancient and Modern History, Plain and Ornamental Needlework, TEN SHILLINGS
AND SIXPENCE

Writing and Arithmetic, SEVEN SHILLINGS AND SIXPENCE.

What is now 44  Church Square – then in  Watchbell Street, next door to the pawn shop, was a Dame School for many years [run first by Mrs Colebrooke and then by Mrs and Miss Albin.].

In about 1884, another, very small Dame School was held by Mrs Horner, grandmother of Councillor Horner. An ‘Old boy’ has told me that the children sat on low forms and repeated the alphabet and the mathematical table by the hour, and he has never forgotten his 2 to 12 times table.

The chief point of interest about this little school is that it was situated in a ‘hidden’ part of Rye, -a part that many never see. The school was reached through a narrow passage from Lion Street, (then Red Lion Street), which led to the back premises of Dennis’s Ironmonger’s Shop, whose front entrance is in the High Street. However, behind the Ironmongers, there still stand two little houses – two rooms up and two rooms down (now the store-rooms) – with a narrow cobbled passage between them not more than 3′ 6″ wide – the two front doors being exactly opposite each other.

A few feet further on are two more little houses which once faced Lion Street with a passage between them, but now they and the passage have been incorporated into Mr Herbert Gasson’s Antique Galleries. Just above the Galleries on Lion Street there is a doorway, but it no longer gives public entry to what was, in the 1880’s, Mrs Horner’s Dame School.

However, education in Rye was progressing rapidly by that time. In the 1870’s Public Elementary Schools were built. Organised teaching was the order of the day – with some rewards for hard work and there was a report that: “about 50 of the most deserving boys attending Rye Board School visited the Indian and Colonial Exhibition in charge of Mr J.M.Jenkins, head-master, expenses being defrayed by public subscription.” That was on August 20th 1886.

The following year, Jubilee Year – the Mayor (Mr C. S. Vidler) gave a treat and a day’s outing to ten Grammar School boys and forty Board School boys at Lydd and Dungeness as a “Jubilee Holiday”.

Not only the pupils but also the teachers were on a firmer footing. In November 1886, it was decided at a meeting of Rye and District teachers to form a branch of the National Union of Teachers. In July the following year they had their first summer outing to Bodiam.

One discordant note of the 1880’s occurred when, in March 1882, on Mr Chapman’s resignation as master of the Workhouse, the Guardians decided to send the children to public elementary schools.It is on record that for many years the youngsters trudged to and from Playden School as Rye did not receive them.

Some children went to Cadborough House School ( the old Cadborough Farm House, since destroyed by a flying bomb.) The Principals were Misses Sophie and Annie Greenaway. Miss Sophie was tall and gaunt and had a glass eye, which gave her a sinister look. Miss Annie was small and pretty with fluffy brown hair and eyes as bright as a robin’s. Their father was a typical old sea captain with a frill of white beard from ear to ear, piercing blue eyes, and a happy smile, but few teeth. He carved little models of coasting barges for the boys. ( taken from the memories of Tom Longley )

Other stories of these Rye Schools are recorded in the Rye Memories ‘Schools in Rye’ volume produced by the Local History Group of Thomas Peacocke Community College in 1989.

There follows reminiscences from various Rye residents:

1. Herbert William Wright. b. 1879

 There were four schools in Watchbell Street: Miss Pink’s; Miss Greenaway’s, Mrs. Seliman’s and Miss Albins’ (Mr. Hobb’s niece). The first school I went to was Miss Albin’s in Hobb’s Pawn Shop. It just had one class. In those days we had no desks, only stools. The cane was used a lot. I remember a girl called Maudy Washbourne was always in trouble and she used to run away. The teacher could do nothing with her.

Another thing that sticks out in my memory is my brother Moss (Amos). I took him to that school ( Miss Albin’s ) for the first time. He would not go in. There was me and Miss Albin pulling him in. Miss Russell, who had a shop opposite, came over and filled his mouth with sweets, but we never succeeded in getting him into school.

Another school I went to was Mrs. Kennett’s School. It was a mixed school run by Mrs. Kennett and her daughter and we had to pay 2d a week. There was no free schooling in those days.

I remember we had no desks, but we had to sit on boxes on each side of the room. The sanitary arrangements were very bad – we had to walk up the garden! Mrs. Kennett was a very old lady – her lunch as brought to her every morning – brandy and natty fingers with bread! We had to stand by her table and read by pointing our finger on the letter. If we made a mistake she used to jab her needle into our finger, as she would be darning stockings!

We had one afternoon of knitting and all the boys had to learn how to crochet. There was no playtime. The Congregational Chapel was next door and there was a cherry apple tree in the garden, which we used to sample!

After school Mrs. Kennett’s daughter used to take us for a walk and we had to pick up all the sheep wool to put in the old lady’s ear. Our mother and father were at this school too!

I was there in 1887 when it was Queen Victoria’s Jubilee. All schools marched to the salts to receive a three-penny piece and a medal -I still have mine. Mr. Vidler was Mayor of Rye.

2. From members of The Rye Women’s
Institute in 1956

The Misses Greenway’s School was noted for the politeness of its scholars. For instance the slate rag was kept in the comer of the room, and the pupils would line up with the gracious ritual: ‘After you with the rag, please Willie,’ to be followed, on receiving it, with grateful thanks, and occasionally a sly kick. Is it to be wondered at that, after this surfeit of politeness, the boys, released form school, would go over to the Tan Houses to listen to the fishermen swear? Without cinemas, radio or television, we were forced to make our own amusements. They might seem tame to the children today, but to us they brought excitement and the pleasure of contrast. To be in the open air after the stuffy, over- crowded schoolroom was a delight, even though we still wore our black woollen stockings, button boots, numerous petticoats and starched dresses that pricked the neck. (Pinafores, obligatory wear for school, were left behind: so too were thoughts of pothooks and hangers, the recitation of multiplication tables and the needlework lessons when we mended our own or our teacher’s clothes.”

3. Mr. Richard Baker

The first school I attended was a tiny private one, run by an elderly Mrs. Seliman in a small house (now demolished), in Cinque Ports Street. The fee charged was 6d per week (2.5 p now). I remember that our class, perhaps 10 or 12 pupils, was situated in a back room on the first floor, overlooking the Market and the Railway Station, and on one occasion I was rewarded, presumably for some good work, by being allowed to sit idly watching the trains. Mrs. Seliman had probably been told I was madly in love with railways; indeed, for several years I had every intention of becoming a train driver until the day I read, in “The Boys’ Own Paper”, that it might take 20 years to pass through the various stages of training, where- upon I dropped the idea for ever!

4. Mrs. Edith Hill (Nee Baker)

I began school at four years of age at a Dame School belonging to Mrs. Seliman. It was in Cinque Ports Street, in a row of cottages. It was knocked down by a bomb when the Cinema went. We sat on forms in what had been a bedroom and wrote on slates. My brother went first and I wanted to go with him. Eventually my mother let me go.

5. Mr. Ken Ellis

My first school, at 4.5, was a Dame School run by Miss Seliman and her brother. It was situated in a row of cottages where the new shops are on Cinque Ports Street. (The cinema was built on the demolished cottage site first.) About twenty youngsters sat on wooden forms and wrote with slate and slate pencil.

6. Miss Molly Kimpton

I began School at Miss Seliman’s School in Cinque Ports Street. We had to go past a dairy to get to it. The lane we used to go to Miss Seliman’s was also used by Mr. Ashbee’s cows to go to their milking sheds at the bottom of the lane. At school we went through a side gate and up into a dark hole -it seemed jet black -up a staircase to get to the schoolroom. Miss Seliman was a little shrivelled old lady who wore a boned collar to her black blouse and a black skirt. She always smelled of paraffin! She had little glasses and I don’t think she could smile. We wrote there on slates and I remember the Ellis children being there when I was. If you had to go to the toilet, you had to go down the dark staircase and across a cobbled yard.

7. Miss Elia Harvey

At the age of six, I was sent to the Sussex House School, a private school run by the Misses M.E. and C.A. Bushby, daughters of the Postmaster. For our premises we used the Congregational Sunday School Rooms on the Lower Floor (now adjacent to the Community Centre on Conduit Hill). They consisted of two rooms and an outside toilet. The Senior Class was taken by the elder Miss Bushby, while the younger sister taught the Juniors, and a third teacher was engaged for the youngest pupils. The teachers wore blouses and skirts. Our lessons embraced the three ‘R’s’, and drawing and music were extra subjects then after school hours. We assembled at 9.30 am until 12noon, and 2 pm until 4 pm. We had no uniform but later on we adopted red tammies with a school badge. We had no playground, so limited exercises were taken with dumbbells, Swedish Drill and marching to music. Homework was set. As our numbers increased, the Misses Bushby built a house in West Street, near to Tower House, and there we had an Upper and a Lower Room with cloakroom and W.C. indoors. We also rented a room in Church Square to take surplus pupils. Some years later we moved yet again into larger rooms in Tower Street. They were originally the Ceramic Stores and well adapted for our needs as we grew in numbers, including a few young boys. Here we extended our subjects and included algebra. We still had no playground, but rented a tennis court on the Cricket Salts, near to the Pavilion. No school meals were provided as we were all local children and went home for a mid-day meal. Each year we produced an operetta, which was performed on the Monastery stage, and a display of handwork and painting in our  schoolroom. During the last three years of my schooldays, a visiting dancing teacher was engaged, and we were taught bailet, national dances and ballroom dancing.

8. D.G.Southerden

I went to school at Sussex House School in West Street, run by the Miss Bushby’s. It was on the left hand side. at the top, just before the turning towards the Church. The ladies did not live in the house, they lived in Church Square. I was there until Miss Clara died and Miss Queenie gave up the School. My schoolmates there were Jim and Reg Burton: their mother had a newsagents shop in the Mint. I recall dancing the Maypole on the Salts at George V’s Coronation when at this school.

9. Mr Raymond Balcomb

I began school at the age of five, in 1912. I attended the Sussex House School in West Street. My earliest memory, indeed the only one of that school, is of two boys more robust than myself, attempting to bully me into parting with my lunch and once being sent to school on a pouring wet and windy morning with an umbrella. It blew inside out and I was so relieved to get home.
10. Miss Nora Booth

I began school in a little private school in Wish Street.
11. Mrs Joan Page

I went to Miss James’s School next to the Pipemaker’s Arms until I was five.

QUOTES

“Girls away – because they were not allowed to knit!” [An early strike?]

“Water in tap unfit for drinking -begged from the neighbours.”

“Spent all my time this week working with the dunces of different classes round the blackboard.”

“Mistress to special service in church for women.”

“in spite of big fires no room above 31′F at 9 am and 37′ F at noon and 3.45pm.” Happy Days!

 Jo Kirkham