|
The first mention of Education
in the village is made in the Rev. Samuel Attwood’s Will (12th
December 1735).1 Within this document appear
the words: ‘…..dispose of the aforesaid last mentioned
Annuity and every part thereof at Ladyday and Michaelmas Day
unto a schoolmaster to be from time to time nominated and
appointed as hereinafter is mentioned for teaching the children
of the poor people Inhabitants of the said Parish of
Ash…..’. Nothing is said as to whether there is a school
there already, or whether in fact the school was started with
the charity.
There is an idea postulated by some that in fact
Samuel Attwood founded the free school himself in the Parish
while he was still alive, but there is no |
|
proof for or against this idea. It is
only known that since 1735 there has been a school on the
present site of the existing building. There is evidence that at
this early stage it was for either boys only or for both sexes.
The theory has been put forward, that it was a girls’ school;
because by the middle of the nineteenth century there were in
fact four schools in the area (Ash and Ridley) and it is
definitely known that the present day school was then a girls’
school. Against this theory is the fact that the Rev. Samuel
Attwood’s Will and the James Lance Charity dated 27th July
1811 (and in fact the next definite date
1 See appendix 1 |