The parish of Swepstone is in north-west Leicestershire, five miles south of Ashby de la Zouch. Historically, it contained the chapelry of Snarestone and township of Newton Burgoland.
18th century
In 1712, the rector of Swepstone commented to Bishop Wake ‘No Charitie Schole, but one near the parish, of which it has the benefit’. He was referring to the free school in Appleby Magna, founded by Sir John Moore in 1699, ‘for all the kingdom of England and Wales … and more especially those living and settled in the parishes of Appleby, Norton, Austry, Chilcot, Stretton, Measham, Swepstone, and in the town of Snarestone’.
Schools in 1818 (population 829 across the three villages)
In addition to the school in Appleby Magna, by 1818 there was also an endowed school at Snarestone. This was established in 1717 by Thomas Charnells, and varied by the donor in 1720 and 1721, for the education of 40 children, firstly from the poor of Snarestone, then from the sons of freeholders and tenants in Snarestone whose estates did not exceed £20 annually, and then from poor children in Swepstone, Newtown Burgoland and other settlements within a 5 mile radius of Snarestone. They were taught the Anglican catechism, reading, writing, arithmetic, geography and astronomy, with the option for older boys to also learn Latin and Greek to prepare them for University. A library was attached to the school, which in 1839 was said to contain 500 volumes. The endowment covered a salary for the master and an usher, and the master was permitted to supplement his income by taking 20 paying scholars. In 1818 it was said ‘the master never objects to admit a larger number’ of paying pupils. There were also 25 children who attended dames’ school in Swepstone, Snarestone and Newton Burgoland during the week, but the rector does not indicate which village(s) these were in.
1833
In Swepstone with Newton (population in 627 1831), there were five daily schools, teaching 37 boys and 41 girls, whose parents paid fees. The endowed school at Snarestone had its full complement of 40 free and 20 paying scholars. There were also two other schools in that village, which now had a population of 353. One of these schools had 6 male and 8 female pupils, while the other, which opened in 1833, taught 7 boys and 8 girls. The children at these two schools were all instructed at the expense of their parents.
Day schools connected to the Anglican Church in 1846/7
There was a National School in Swepstone, which met on Sundays and Weekdays. It was attended full time by 15 boys and 13 girls, with another boy attending on weekdays only. There were also 10 boys and 6 girls who only attended on Sundays. The school room was described as ‘virtually secured’, as was the master’s house. The school was financed by a mixture of school pence from the children and subscription payments from the better off.
The endowed school at Snarestone was not doing so well in this period, with just 14 boys attending on Sundays and weekdays and a further 25 boys on weekdays only. There was also a dame’s school attached to the Church, funded by a subscription and school pence, attending on weekdays and Sundays by 4 boys and 20 girls, on weekdays only by a further 14 boys and 9 girls and on Sundays only by another two boys and one girl.
Sunday schools
1818
The local Sunday schools for Swepstone, Newton Burgoland and Snarestone contained 220 children ‘from different parishes’ and it is not clear which village(s) contained Sunday schools at this date.
1833
There were two Sunday schools in ‘Swepstone with Newton’, which were supported by contributions: the Anglican Sunday School educated 18 boys and 24 girls; the Methodist Sunday School was attended by 30 boys and 34 girls. There was also a Sunday School in Snarestone, attended by 20 boys and 20 girls, who received free instruction.
Anglican Sunday schools in 1846/7
See day schools above
1851
Only the Anglican Sunday school in Swepstone returned details of attendance on 30 March 1851, recording 80 scholars in the morning and 81 in the afternoon. There were also 41 people who attended the afternoon Sunday School attached to the Independent chapel in Newton Burgoland. The Anglican Sunday School at Snarestone held morning and afternoon lessons which were attended, respectively, by 43 and 44 scholars.
Return to A History of Leicestershire Schools: A-Z
Sources
- J. Broad (ed.) Bishop Wake’s Summary of Visitation returns from the Diocese of Lincoln, 1706-15 (Oxford, 2012), II, p. 746
- Education of the Poor Digest, Parl. Papers 1819 (224)
- Education Enquiry, Parl. Papers 1835 (62)
- Reports of the Commissioners of Charities, Parl. Papers 1839 (163)
- National Society for Promoting the Education of the Poor in the Principles of the Established Church, Result of the Returns to the General Inquiry made by the National Society, into the state and progress of schools for the education of the poor … during the years 1846-7, throughout England and Wales ( London, 1849).
- 1851 Ecclesiastical census