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I will attempt to give you some
of the information for which you ask.
There was a pre 1914 interesting, and in places
amusing, Log. My predecessor, Mr. Meyers, was at Ash about 30
years and then was kicked out as he offended the Rector. The old
Log speaks of their differences of opinion.
There was no security of tenure in Church Schools.
The Rector and his wife were all powerful.
One amusing bit I do remember in the Log was; ‘This
morning John Smith was disobedient so I gave him six strokes on
his latter end.’
Mr. Fred Goodwin was a scholar in the time of Mr.
Meyers so he can provide you with many facts I am sure.
I believe Mr. Meyers’ daughter taught in the
school, and a sister of Mrs. Jarvis was on the staff (Miss
Packmann). Mr Meyers had more than 90 children on roll at one
time. One day I called at Ash school some years before I went to
teach. The children were crowded into long desks, seating six or
ten, and using slates. To clean these they spat, then rubbed dry
with elbow!
An old lady, Mrs Batt, cleaned the school for the
sum of 3/- per week.
In one lobby there was a tap and a basin for
washing hands. There was no drainage so there was a pail
underneath. This pail was in a continual state of overflow.
There were two toilets in the playground with huge
cesspools under. These were emptied twice yearly. A tumble down
shed was used as a coal place.
In the middle of the playground was a large soft
water tank into which the rain from the guttering flowed. This
tank was covered by a rotten lid, which had to be raised each
time Mrs Batt needed any water for scrubbing. The poor old soul
had to dip a pail down and when water was low, attach a piece of
rope. |
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Many pails were lost and my only wonder is
that Mrs Batt did not find a watery grave.
The gem of the playground architecture was the
dustbin! This was between the coal shed and the toilets. This
was a four sided structure of rotten, gaping boards about 5’ x
5’ x 5’, no cover of course. In, or rather on this
disgusting heap, was put all the ashes from the fires, dead
flowers, discarded food from the children’s lunches, floor
sweepings etc. etc. Nobody could tell me when it had last been
cleared out. When a man came with a horse and tumbril it was
piled with about a ton of filth.
You ask about books – they were supplied from the
K.E.C., but the order had to be approved by the school managers,
which meant the Rector. His wife used to try to cut down my
needlework requisition.
Decoration – by present day standards, none. Find
the Rector in a good mood, then slip in a request and personally
see that the order is delivered to the tradesman.
Those were the days when all holidays were granted
by the managers. (For managers always read Rector!)
The Ash pre 1914 was a fruit growing village. All
North Ash was an immense fruit farm, all the Billet and the back
of the Street. Gypsies came by the hundred, made the village a
place of horror with their thefts and drunken noise. Barnardo
boys also came.
The school was always closed for six weeks to allow
the children to earn money. They rose at 3.00 a.m. and worked
till dusk. After the fruit picking ‘holidays’ they were worn
out!
There are two grandsons of the late schoolmaster
living in the neighbourhood of Ash, or Gravesend – Eric
and Harold Fletcher. Mr. Goodwin would know them I expect.
Thank you very much for your letter.
Yours sincerely
Mary Wright (signed) |