This post is about what school days were like for the boys attending what is now known as Borlase School in Marlow, during the 1830's and 40's. Why this period in particular? Because it a period from which we are fortunate to have some first hand descriptions of what it was actually like to go there. At this period, the school was almost always referred to in Marlow as the Free School or Blue Coat(s) school, occasionally as the Charity School. It was founded by Sir William Borlase in memory of his adult son Henry who died in 1624. Henry was a one time Marlow M.P. Sir William established the school for 24 poor boys of Marlow, Little Marlow and Medmenham, with an adjoining House of Correction and Work House. The master of the latter would whip any offenders presented to him by the parish constables or tithing men, and provide work for the able bodied poor. The "idle poor", vagrants and petty criminals could also find themselves inside the House Of Correction aka a Bridewell. He had another important job, of also providing training for 20 Marlow girls in the arts of knitting, lace making and sewing. Actually a female teacher did the day to day duties here. This female education was the first part of the bequest to be cut down when the income from Borlase charity proved insufficient to maintain all of Sir William's institutions. In 1833 there were only 12 girls being taught for free by a mistress but, interestingly, they were also at this point being taught to read, in addition to "work". The girls were also then to be "partially clothed" by the charity.
Our focus in this post is however the main boys school. It was known as Blue Coats because the "Charity Boys" were provided with a sort of uniform upon joining the school. This was indeed blue: a blue cape, tied with red tape, and a blue cloth cap with a red band. This outfit would have been a source of pride and distinction when it was first introduced. But by our period, it was a little anachronistic and as the boys were required to wear it on the way to and from school this made them the target of a certain amount of teasing from other boys.
Brothers William and Edward Bavin who attended the school during this period under master George Gale, dictated their memories of attending the school to amateur Victorian Marlow historian George Stevens. George Gale had taken over from the troubled William Francis, who ended up in gaol in 1834 for libelling a member of the Wethered family. Francis (Frances) seems to have had a knack for finding trouble. He had been in charge of the school for decades but the trustees of the school were said to be unsatisfied with him in the period before his arrest. A report by those investigating Public Charities in 1833 said an attempt had been made to dismiss Francis but it had proven unsuccessful as "no specific charges were bought against him". When Francis was arrested and sent to Aylesbury Gaol for 3 months, it was relating to a libel case that had rumbled on for 2 years. The scandal caused a lot of gossip in the town and it must be said he had significant support in Marlow. The charges against him were regarded by some as politically motivated and a subscription was raised to cover his expenses while he was imprisoned. It is in this environment that George Gale took over.
George was described by the Bavin boys as one who worshipped birth and breeding. "His ideals were wealth, birth, and blood and he looked down on scholars as inferior beings". He is said to have favoured using military phrases and was not one to inspire his young students with ideas about the various opportunities their education could bring them. Instead he told his charges that many would hang and the rest would probably be soldiers! Physical punishment was a given, in common with other schools at the time.
The trouble for the boys was that the curriculum for their education was created in the 1620s and it was still followed closely. Sir William had asked for the boys to be instructed to read, write and cast accounts. They were also tested on their catchecism annually. Boys attending the private schools in the town could expect to study a much wider range of subjects such as history, Latin and geography. The Bavin boys remembered that they read several chapters of the Bible every single day, with the boys gathered around Gale in a half circle. Apart from this, arithmetic, reading and writing, they only had a few lessons in mostly military history, this being a passion of the master. But no geography, or languages, ancient or modern. The students stayed at the school for 4 years, at the end of which they would receive 40 shillings towards an apprenticeship.
So how were the scholars chosen? The family of a prospective student, who was the right age (10) had to apply to the treasurer of the Borlase charity for a "ticket" for (potential) admission. They needed then to take this ticket to a majority of the 12 trustees to be signed with an endorsement. If the family did not find support from the trustees for their application, they could not proceed. At the annual meeting of the trustees at Easter, the tickets were reviewed and a certain number selected - twice as many as there were places available each year. These were then taken to the Governor of the school, who personally selected the successful candidates. Places were limited to 1 per household, so Edward Bavin attended as a Blue Coat boy, while William attended as a day boy. This meant that William did not have to wear a uniform but had to pay a fee for his education. The master was allowed to take on as many fee paying pupils as he wished providing teaching them did not interrupt the business of educating the Charity scholars, and these fees were generally in this period regarded as a source of additional personal income for the master. He also had an adjoining house and garden for his use. In 1818 under William Francis the entry fee was 1 guinea and the annual one 25 guineas. William Bavin remembered that there was about 6-15 day boys attending at a time.
The day boys had to provide their own materials, but the charity boys were allowed a primer, psalter, new testament and 2 reams of paper annually.
Once selected, the boys faced an unofficial initiation ceremony on their first day. As they approached the little line of trees outside Remnantz, in their tell tale new blue capes, they would be seized arm and leg by 4 boys while a fifth grabbed the head. They were then "bumped" up the row of trees. This was said to be a very old tradition, but it was ended when a parent complained.
The other tradition was said to be the heavy drilling of the young boys as to the right answers to the (rehearsed) questions they would receive during their annual religious examination in the parish church. The boys were marched there in uniform, the day boys excused this experience. Given the amount of Bible reading the boys did, it's hard to imagine there was much they didn't know!
Written and researched by Kathryn Day.
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1850s night school for agricultural labourers and the Regency adult education institutions Here
Sources include:
Borlase, William Copeland - The descent, names and arms of Borlase (G.Bell & Sons, 1888)
Buckler, John Chessell . Sixty Views of Endowed Grammar Schools (Hurst, 1824.)
Carlisle, Nicholas Concise Description of the Grammar Schools of England 1818
Public Charities, an analytical digest. Commission on Charities and Education of the Poor, 1842.
South Bucks Standard August 1896.
Windsor and Eton Express 29 November 1834
Family Almanack and Educational Register, 1854.
Kelly's Directory, 1847.
