Guisborough History Notes: Schools 1

GGS and Potash Royalties
6 April 1970. Guisborough Grammar School Foundation and Governors. Learned today from Mr Reg. Walker, Land Agent (cf. Clarke and Watson) attached to Kemplah House, that 153 acres of land at Ellerby are on lease of 500 years. Marquis of Normanby. Rights still being negotiated. A complicated question. Capital Gains tax. Betterment Levy. Income tax! Income?
About this time Mr Alexander, Headmaster of GGS, asked me what a 'carucate' was.Why didn't he try a dictionary? Possibility of financial benefit to school foundation.
Mr Walker was then (1970) Clerk to Governors. Very cautious about prospects. He is now (1980) a Governor.

10 Oct. 1903 Rev. TT Lee-Jones
Headmaster guisborough Grammar School.

'The Prior of Gysburne'

M.J.Cook, with birthday greetings from her loving Son, Alfred John Cook, October 2nd 1887.
Guisborough Grammar School
Additional interest will be taken from the perusal of this work, because the Grammar School I am now building is on the site of part of the old priory and on digging our foundations we came on the place where the Abbey Workmen dressed their stone and burnt their lime, and also I am using stone which came out of the old Grammar School which had previously been used in the Abbey. The beautiful ruin seen on the frontispiece faces my office window. AJC.

Written on the flyleaf of a copy of ‘The Prior of Gysburne’, A chronicle of Olden Times, in the Days of Richard Second, Henry Fourth and Fifth’, by The Rev. FH Morgan, MA, Rector of Gisborough, Author of ‘Hillsland'’ &c. 1887.

DIRECTIONS TO BE GIVEN TO THE PARENTS ON THE ADMISSION OF THEIR CHILDREN TO THE PROVIDENCE SCHOOL AND STRICTLY ATTENDED TO.

Providence School 1801
from George Venables Cash Book:

“Finding a great inconvenience for the want of a Clock and Bell for the use of Providence School, an estimate was made under Twenty pounds which some had bearly saved by work at my trade and flattered myself it would be accomplished without an intrusion on the Benevolent, Aug 23rd 1801 being the 11th Anniversary of this Great Work of Providence, the clock was erected in the front of the Building and the bell hung in the Belconey above both proving highly beneficial, the first in ascertaining the Time and the latter in calling and dismissing the Children, Justice appears to have been done in the execution, but the expence has much exceeded my expectation, being a Plan of my own have been the more particular in stating the Supplies, fearful my Generous Friends should think I had disposed of the Benevolence contrary to their intention.

and other exes cost well over £30.
On a subsequent page “The Lord be Praised – Balance £28.5.0½”

Providence School, late 1940s showing WWII air-raid shelters bottom left of picture.

Now, April 1968. The Providence Board School in what used to be Providence Street (houses demolished and Foundry on site) is now abandoned by NRCC and gradually being vandalised. The tablet with inscription to George Venables still in situ on south-facing gable.

In 1981 the school and site was bought by the Territorial Assn. social Club, who have had the school bell polished and displayed on a table in the entrance porch to the club. There is no inscription, but it is most likely the original bell bought by George Venables and erected on his school at the Westgate end of New Road.

Providence School Accounts

Copied from a board at the Providence School, Guisborough,
by members of the Guisborough Branch of the WEA, 1958.

PROVIDENCE SCHOOL
Instituted August 23rd, 1790, For the instruction of 90 Children

Providence School Archives
Saw these in the 1960s when they were discovered by Mr Edward Cowan at the Town Hall and later given to Mr J Morgan, Head of Laurence Jackson School.
Later at Cleveland Cty Archives.

(1) Cash Book, 1790-1810
(2) Minute Book, 1795-1868 (1836-43 missing)
(3) Minutes and Accounts of Infant School, 1860-1873
(4) Log Book, Girls’ School, 1862-1893
(5) Deed dated 22 September, 1804, “Bargain and Sale of the Frontstead, etc. of Providence School in Guisborough”.
(6) Letter written by Mr George Venables, Junior, dated 20 November, 1810.
Addressed to Jno. Harrison, Esq., Guisbrough, Yorkshire.
Depsatched 12 December, 1810.
(7) Ledger 1865-1874

Providence School House

Mr Venables’ account book shows that the original school house cost £118.16s.0d. Subsequent work raised the total cost to £452.8s.7d.

Providence Teachers’ pay - Geo Venables’ account book

“Received & Paid by George Venables, Sr
1790 to 180? with a Recapitulation by George Venables, Jr.”
Bound in boards covered in vellum. Various watermarks: