A HISTORY OF ESSEX 



at least as to the building, for in 1886 the English 

 School was stated to be under the supervision of the 

 school board. 5* It was handed back to the grammar 

 school in 1898.55 



In 1886, however, the school board completed the 

 building of a new boys' school in Chigwell village, on 

 a site to the east of the High Road, at a total cost of 

 ^2,893.56 There was accommodation for 153 boys. 

 The average attendance rose from 55 in 1886 to 105 

 in 1902 and the annual grant from ^^32 to j^i2l.5' 

 By the Education Act of 1902 the school passed under 

 the administration of the Essex Education Committee, 

 Epping District. In 1904 there were 128 boys under 

 4 teachers.58 Numbers fell to 85 boys in 1930.59 

 When St. Mary's School was closed in 1 9 5 o the County 

 School was reorganized for mixed juniors and infants 

 and in May 1952 there were 199 children on the roll 

 and 6 teachers.*" 



In 183 1 the nonconformists in Chigwell Row set 

 up a day school at which in 1833 there were some 50 

 pupils who paid a fee of zd. a week.*' In 1 8 39 its sup- 

 porters built a permanent schoolroom near Miller's 

 Lane. The government made a building grant of ^^80 

 and the school was completed in 1 844. The trust deed 

 stated that the purpose of the school was to educate the 

 poor according to the principles of the British Schools 

 Society.*^ During its early years the school gained some 

 pupils at the expense of the National School for Girls 

 at Chigwell, which was unpopular among the small 

 tradesmen of that village.*^ In spite of this it en- 

 countered difficulties and in 1857 seems to have been 

 closed. In May 1858 it was reopened with the help of 

 the Essex Congregational Union: there were then over 

 70 pupils.*'* But difficulties continued.*5 



In 1 87 1 a school board of 5 members was set up for 

 the parish of Chigwell.** In 1873 the supporters of 

 the British School transferred their building to the 

 board, retaining their right to use it for religious pur- 

 poses. *7 There were then some 52 children in atten- 

 dance.** In 1885 the school was rebuilt, after a fire, to 

 accommodate some 165 children.*' 



Average attendance rose from 86 in 1886 to 104 in 

 1902 and the annual grant from ;^7i to ^^loi.'" By 

 the Education Act of 1902 the school passed under the 

 administration of the Essex Education Committee, 

 Epping District, as a provided school. It was re- 

 organized for girls and infants, the accommodation 

 being estimated in 191 1 at 90 places for girls and 60 

 for infants. The average attendance was 88 in 1910, 

 72 in 1929, and 56 in 1938. In 1948 it was re- 

 organized for junior girls and infants, the seniors being 

 transferred to Grange Hill Temporary Secondary 

 School." In May 1952 there were 93 pupils and 3 

 teachers.'^ The increase was due to the building of 

 the Hainault estate. The school is on the north of 



Lambourne Road near the Lambourne boundary. It is 

 single-storied, of red brick with a tiled roof and has a 

 teacher's house attached. 



By 1845 there was a National School at Chigwell 

 R0W.73 It was apparently held in a cottage. In 1852 

 local Churchmen raised ^^190 or more towards the 

 cost of a permanent schoolroom. The government gave 

 £10, the National Society ^£25, and the owner of the 

 site gave the land. The building was finished in 1853.'+ 

 It was used as an infant school in connexion with the 

 National School at Chigwell.'s It still existed in 1874 

 but it was discontinued shortly after, presumably be- 

 cause of the establishment of the new board school.'* 

 The building was subsequently used for parochial pur- 

 poses, and was known as All Saints Schoolroom.'' It 

 is of red-brick and stands on the north side of Lam- 

 bourne Road near All Saints Church. 



St. John's National School, Buckhurst Hill, was 

 built in 1838 by local Churchmen. The lord of the 

 manor gave a site next to the church and the National 

 Society contributed ^35. The building cost ^{^209, 

 most of which was defrayed by local subscribers.'* By 

 1840 there were about 50 pupils, nominated by sub- 

 scribers. Parents paid zd. a week for the first and \d. 

 each for other children." In 1846 there were 43 

 children under a mistress who was paid £\<^ a year and 

 3 monitresses.*" In 1866 the Charity Commissioners 

 authorized a new scheme of management which gave 

 control of religious teaching to the minister (later the 

 Rector of Buckhurst Hill) and the management to the 

 Vicar of Chigwell, the minister, and 6 representatives 

 of the subscribers.*' In 1869 Edward North Buxton 

 gave additional premises in Albert Road. These were 

 used for an infants' school.*^ 



The district of the Chigwell school board, founded 

 in 1871, included Buckhurst Hill, and a board school 

 (see below) was promptly built there. The National 

 School maintained its voluntary character and continued 

 to use the building next to the church. The managers, 

 however, let the Albert Road infants' school to the 

 board at a nominal rent, retaining the right to use the 

 building on Sunday and two week-nights.*-' The 

 average attendance at the National School rose from 7 1 

 in 1872 to 158 in x886, and the annual grant from ^48 

 to ^^140.*^ By 1882 or earlier the school had ceased to 

 take boys, but in spite of this the rapid increase neces- 

 sitated its enlargement and this was carried out in 

 l887.*5 The average attendance continued to rise: in 

 1899 there were 237 girls and 88 infants.** In 1904 

 there was official accommodation for 394, but there 

 were 403 children on the roll, under 1 1 teachers and 

 3 monitresses.*' By the Education Act of 1902 the 

 school passed under the administration of the Essex 

 Education Committee, Epping District, as a non- 

 provided school. The average attendance fell to 298 



5« Kelly's Dir. Essex (1886). The vestry 

 minutes for 1 88 1—6 also contain references 

 to 'the Board School, Chigwell' which 

 must mean the English School. 



J5 E.R.O., D/P 166/28/10. 



" Min. of Educ. File 13/60. 



5' Rep. of Educ. Ctlee. of Council, 1886, 

 p. 518; Schs. under Bd. of Educ. igo2, 

 p. 68. 



5' Essex Educ. Cttee. Handhk. 1904, 

 p. US. 



s» Min. of Educ. File 13/60. 



<•" Ibid.; inf. from Essex Educ. Cttee. 



" Educ. Enijuiry Ahstr. H.C. 62, p. 270 

 (1835), xli. 



*» Min. of Educ. File 13/62. 



^3 See above. 



'♦ Essex Congr. Union Reps, 1858, p. 11. 



'5 Ibid, i860, p. 7. 



^^ County Companion, 1 880. 



" Min. of Educ File 13/62; Chelmsford 

 Chronicle, 26 Jan. 1872. 



^8 Rep. of Educ. Cttee. of Council, 1874 

 [C. 1265-1], p. 322, H.C. (1875), xxiv. 



69 Min. of Educ. File 13/62; Rep. of 

 Educ. Cttee. of Council, 1886, p. 518. 



"> Ibid.; Schs. under Bd. of Educ. igo2, 

 p. 68. '■ Min. of Educ. File 13/62. 



'* Inf. from Essex Educ. Cttee, 



'3 Kelly's Dir. Essex (184S). 



'^ Inf. from Nat. Soc. 



'5 Kelly'sDir. Essex{i%sS, 1862, 1870). 



^<• Ibid. 1874, 1878. 



" Ibid. 1902. 



'8 Inf. from Nat. Soc. " Ibid. 



8" Nat. Soc. Enquiry into Ch. Schs. 

 1846-7, pp. 4-5. 



8' Min. of Educ. File 1^14-6. 



SMbid. 13/45. 



'3 Min. of Educ. Files 13/45, 46. 



*■• Rep. of Educ. Cttee. of Council, 1872 

 [C. 812], p. 407, H.C. (1873), xxiv; ibid. 

 1886, p. 518. 



8s Inscription on school building; Kelly's 

 Dir. Essex (iSSi). 



86 Kelly's Dir. Essex (1899). 



8' Essex Educ. Cttee. Handhk. 1904, p. 

 144. 



40 



