Summary Education Provision in of the County of Buckingham 1833

In 1833 there were 146,529 people living in Buckinghamshire

Provision of Schools

In 1833, before attending school was made compulsory , a survey was carried out to find out about what schools existed in the County. Below is a summary of what was found.

If you want to know what schools were provided in your parish please look for your parish in 'Bucks Parishes' and then 'Education Provision 1833'

 

School Type

 

Schools

Scholars

Total

Infants (2 - 7 yrs)

 

34

 

 

 

Male

 

161

 

 

Female

 

158

 

 

Unspecified

 

450

 

 

TOTAL

 

 

769

Daily (4 -14 yrs)

 

386

 

 

 

Male

 

4,889

 

 

Female

 

3,187

 

 

Unspecified

 

1,989

 

 

TOTAL

 

 

10,065

 

Total under Daily Instruction

420

 

10,834

Sunday (4-16 yrs)

 

294

 

 

 

Male

 

7,198

 

 

Female

 

8,566

 

 

Unspecified

 

4,964

 

 

TOTAL

 

 

20,728

 

Maintenance of Schools

 

School

By Endowment

By Subscription

By Payments from Scholars

Subscription & Payment by Scholars

 

Schools

Scholars

Schools

Scholars

Schools

Scholars

Schools

Scholars

Infant

 

 

3

221

26

306

5

242

Daily

48

1,717

36

1,366

269

5,195

33

1,787

Sunday

9

840

271

19,255

2

52

12

581

TOTALS

57

2,557

310

20,842

297

5,553

50

2,610

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Schools Established by Dissenters

(those who did not attend the Church of England)

 

School

Schools

Scholars

Infant

 

 

Daily

3

42

Sunday

107

8,660

 

Increase in the number of Schools since 1818

 

 

Schools

Scholars

Infant and other Daily

124

3,635

Sunday

138

12,426

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There were 24 Lending Libraries attached to Schools in the County

 

Lacemaking Schools

Olney Lace School

If you look at some parishes you will see 'lace-making' schools mentioned. These were not schools as we know them today but instead institutions teaching the skills of lace making to generally poor children from about the age of 7 and then using them as a source of cheap labour. By the age of ten they were likely to be working every day from 8.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m., were usually poorly paid and often treated badly.

 

Straw Plaiting Schools

Also mentioned are straw plaiting schools which were established by the beginning of the nineteenth century.
(The straw was split lenghthways and then plaited into various patterns, the finished product was then sold to the hatmakers to make straw hats)
The schools were generally conducted in a cottage by a village 'dame'. They were supposed to teach some reading and writing but very often the 'teachers were unable to read and write themselves. The conditions in these 'schools' were unbelievably squalid and they were vastly overcrowded with children, mostly girls from four to fourteen. Because straw had to be kept damp open fires were not allowed even in the depths of winter so heating was through coal or wood in earthen or metal pots called 'dicky pots' which girls put under their long skirts.
A skilled female straw plaiter could often earn more than the male farm labourer of the household so it was a skill worth learning.