Brighton and Preston School Board Industrial School for Boys, Chailey, Sussex
In 1875, the Brighton and Preston School Board established an Industrial School for Boys to serve East Sussex. The School occupied the former Chailey parish workhouse building at North Common, Chailey. On June 9th, 1875, the School was certified to accommodate up to 60 boys placed by magistrates under detention. Mr Henry Glover was appointed as superintendent with his wife, Ellen, as matron, positions they were to hold until the School's relocation in 1902.
As well as classroom lessons, the boys received industrial training in shoemaking and tailoring with the older boys doing farm and horticultural work on the School's six acres of land.
An 1896 report on the School commented that there was a pleasant homely look about both its exterior and interior, but that the provision for air-space was far from satisfactory. One dormitory in particular was like the orlop deck in the bowels of an old sailing ship. The schoolroom was rated as good but its galvanized iron construction made it hot in summer and difficult to warm in winter. The main building suffered from dampness. Two cows were being kept and a few pigs. Ten boys worked in the tailor's shop and made all the clothes for the school. Two boys were engaged once a week for 3 hours in the laundry, while the bulk of the washing was sent to Brighton. The brass and reed band had 28 members which constituted more than half of the School's 52 inmates. Fifteen minutes of military drill and ten of physical drill were given each day. The play-yard had some gymnastic apparatus under a covered shed. The adjacent common was used daily for cricket or football. The choir and the band occasional excursions but not the school as a whole. There was is a library of about 120 books. The winter evenings were spent in reading or in games such as draughts. There was a mark system in operation by which the boys could earn monetary rewards for good conduct.
Concern about the physical conditions in parts of the building led to the School's removal in 1902 to new premises at Portslade, an establishment run jointly with the London County Council.
The Chailey site was subsequently occupied by the Heritage Craft Special Industrial School for Crippled Children.
Records
Note: many repositories impose a closure period of up to 100 years for records identifying individuals. Before travelling a long distance, always check that the records you want to consult will be available.
- The Ancestry UK website has two collections of London workhouse records (both name searchable):
- The Find My Past website has workhouse / poor law records for Westminster.
- London Metropolitan Archives, 40 Northampton Road, London EC1R OHB. Has Discharge Register (1875-1902).
Census
Bibliography
- Higginbotham, Peter Children's Homes: A History of Institutional Care for Britain's Young (2017, Pen & Sword)
- Mahood, Linda Policing Gender, Class and Family: Britain, 1850-1940 (1995, Univeristy of Alberta Press)
- Prahms, Wendy Newcastle Ragged and Industrial School (2006, The History Press)
Links
- None noted at present.
Except where indicated, this page () © Peter Higginbotham. Contents may not be reproduced without permission.