An Illustrated History of Old Sutton in St.Helens
Part 9 (of 34) - The History of Education in Sutton
a) Introduction | b) Henry Vallancey and the Sutton National Schoolsc) Sutton 'Nash' in the 20th Century | d) St.Annes School | e) Robins Lane
Researched & Written by S.R.Wainwright ©MMX Contact Me
a) Introduction to History of Sutton Education
Historically, the provision of education for the less well-off has been linked to the Church. So Sutton's lack of churches and parish of its own until the 1840s, was a considerable handicap to the development of regular schooling for children of working families.Private education at differing levels was available for the youngsters of better-off families and 1833 statistics reveal that Sutton, with a then population of 3,173, had six day schools that accommodated 237 pupils. They were mainly 'dame' schools, and probably offered little more than a foundation in the basics.
An advertisement placed in the Liverpool Mercury in 1849 for Green End House School
However, Green End House school run by Mary Loftus (later a Mrs. Musgrove) was said to have had the most accomplished of masters who were charged with instructing their nineteen female pupils in French, Italian and music, as well as religion and 'moral discipline'.
By the end of the nineteenth century, Sutton was reported to have had two private schools. When 94-year-old Catherine Williams wrote her Sutton memoirs in 1983, she refers to a Miss Wainwright having had a dame school in Ellamsbridge Road. Around a dozen pupils of various ages were taught in her front parlour for fourpence a week. Catherine also described how teaching nuns at the Sutton convent nearby, took in pupils for sixpence a week, with piano lessons available for an extra tanner.
By this time free education was available to all and much of the credit has to go to Reverend Henry Edward Francis Vallancey (1807 - 1888) and Father Bernadine Carosi. Funding was difficult for both C of E and Catholic parishes as they managed the educational needs of a rapidly expanding Sutton populace. Vallancey was able to call on a number of wealthy parishioners and, coming from a well-off family, initially subsidised his schools from his own pocket.
The Passionist Fathers had a much smaller pool of benefactors and had to cope with a massive rise in parishioners in just half a century. It's been said that there was only 30-40 Roman Catholics in total in Sutton and Bold during the 1840s. However, by the mid-nineties, there were around 1000 Catholic children who needed educating. The resources required were a huge challenge for both Christian religions and this page will detail how this was accomplished.
b) Henry Vallancey and Sutton National Schools
Rev. Vallancey was the first vicar of Sutton Church (see dedicated page) who took up his benefice in 1849. As soon as he arrived in Sutton township, Vallancey set about improving the education of local Sutton children. Although Sunday or Sabbath Schools had begun in 1806, he was shocked to find little other provision for the poor and in a letter (dated 13th December, 1849), to Brasenose College in Oxford, who were the owners of a small Sutton estate, he wrote:
On taking possession of my living, I found everything had to be created in the parish. My attention was first of all directed to the almost total want of schools...A further survey of my parish having convinced me of the extreme necessity of schools, I am determined to avail myself of the only spot suited for the purpose, the old Township poorhouse of which I have agreed to take a lease for 21 years....I have obtained an excellent schoolmaster and mistress. 
The accounts for the schools' first year of operation show that it was educating 95 boys and 74 girls with a budget of £120 that was spent on equipment, fuel and pay for the two teachers who were a young married couple, Mr. and Mrs. T. Carter. Annual fêtes in Sherdley Park began immediately and a Liverpool Mercury article of August 13th, 1852 reported that at that year's gathering, Rev. Vallancey had presented to the two teachers a "handsome Bible" in recognition of their services, as they were both leaving to take up positions at a Lake District school. During the couple's stewardship, the school population had risen to 336, double its first year total.
In another letter in June 1856, Vallancey said that although the schools were now firmly established, they were located too far away from the St.Helens Junction / Sutton Oak district where most of his congregation lived:
My present schools are contiguous to my Church but far removed from the mass of my population. The great mass of my people reside around the works and many have to come more than a mile every day and some nearly two miles. Down where the majority reside, there is a population of full 2500 and, as much building is going on there can be no doubt that the population will increase still more. 
Advertisement for Sutton ''Nash' girls' school placed in the Liverpool Mercury dated January 15th, 1895
Vallancey obtained sufficient funds to build two segregated schools and in August 1863, the foundation stone was laid on land in Ellamsbridge Road, that had been donated by copper smelters, Newton Keates & Co. The new schools were opened in February 1864 at a cost of £1300. The philanthropic British & Foreign Copper Company - the trading name of Samuel Newton and his partner William Keates - had supported an infants school on the land since 1850, so it was a natural development.
Memorial to Head James Plews in Sutton Parish Churchyard
On January 1st, 1859, John Newton Brooks was reported in the Liverpool Mercury as being "master of the National School, Sutton" when they reported on his marriage to Jane Hepworth Booth.
James Plews (1837 - 1911) was a headmaster of Sutton National - or 'Sutton Nash' as it was locally known - for thirty-four years. His worst moment was no doubt on October 14th, 1881 when a severe storm struck Sutton. It blew down the school belfry tower, causing the death of one child with many others injured. The headmaster reported that upon entering the scene of the roof fall, he found:
...the room filled with a cloud of dust and saw, through it, Miss Hannah Rosbotham, in the act of lifting out of the wreck a little girl completely covered with slates, timber, bricks and broken plaster. 
Hannah was awarded the Albert Medal for her bravery and the people of Sutton held a collection which raised the sum of £13 (about £900 in today’s money) as a ‘thank you’ for her courage.
James Plews, who lived in Garnet Street and came to Sutton from Sunderland, was also a warden at St.Nicholas. He died in 1911, and has a prominent memorial at the front of the New Street church.
c) Sutton 'Nash' in the 20th Century
In 1914, four-year-old Frank Bamber began attending Sutton 'Nash' infants school. In his memoirs, 'Clog Clatters of Old Sutton', he explained how each class had about fifty pupils who had to share ten to twelve wooden desks between them. Frank also discussed the school's design: It was of different architecture than the senior school, it was built of bricks and stone and had high mullion windows arched like church windows at either end. It had one large room divided up into four classes by wooden upright poles with iron bases and these carried horizontal poles which were ringed to carry green curtains which could be drawn at will. It has come to my knowledge that a boy in this school has uttered a swear word. I have lectured him and told him I will not allow anyone to swear in this school and if he uses that word again I will have no option but to wash his mouth out with soap and water. 
Sutton Nash schoolchildren in the infants school in 1924 - contributed by Brenda Macdonald
Joan Heyes (née Williams) also attended Sutton 'Nash' infants and is seated on the second row of the above photograph. She's sat next to her friend Margaret Baines, whose at the end of the row, with both girls wearing hair ribbons. Margaret's Dad kept the Bowling Green Inn in Robins Lane.
Joan says that the youngsters sitting at the front, were disadvantaged children who didn't have breakfast at home, so the school would provide some for them. The windows behind the pupils were sliding partitions that were folded back to make a school hall when needed.
In his memoirs he describes the school as a red brick building that was L shaped, with girls on the bottom floor and the boys on the top floor. The boys would enter the school via Ellamsbridge Road, then walk across the playground through large opening inward doors that led into a very large entrance hall. This had a wide stone stairway about fourteen feet across, that had eighteen or so steps that led onto a landing. This in turn had two stone stairways, one to the right and another to the left, which was in a reverse direction to the main stairway. These led into another entrance hall and then divided off into various classrooms that had very high ceilings.
Liverpool Mercury reports on Sutton National School - May 21st, 1897 (left) and December 24th,1897 (right)
Frank Bamber remembered that Mr. Rigby looked after the heating of the boiler, who was also a stone mason who made gravestones from premises where the petrol station in Ellamsbridge Road now stands. Frank recalled his first day in the senior school:
And so in 1917 and the Great War still being waged, all us 7 year olds after morning prayers were assembled in the Infants School and formed into twos and led by Miss Saunders. We marched into the Senior school to meet our new teachers, Mrs. Mills and Mrs. Brown who taught two classes, Standard IA and Standard 1B. Entering the classrooms after being divided up, we took our places and sat in the combined wooden forms and desks, each of these forms sat four of us together. The desks had a sloping stop towards us with four ink wells and a groove along the desk below the ink wells to position the ink pens and pencils and a shelf was provided under the desk top to place our books and caps, and so we began our education as 'Standard Ones'. 
Bottom: 'Sutton Nash' schoolkids c.1948 - click for full school photo - contributed by Margaret Ward
Being considered 'Cock Ot' Class' or 'Cock Ot' School' was a prized status symbol and Frank remembered many pre-arranged fights taking place between boys at the back of All Saints Church after school.
The Church did a grand job of screening the two battlers and spectators from the main Ellamsbridge Road and generally we had no interference from anyone except a very big woman who at times would rush across the field from Carnegie Street with two buckets of water and try to hurl the contents at us, which prompted us to either cheer, jeer or boo her; it was all good fun and excitement. As well as an educational centre, Sutton National School was also used as a form of community centre where various gatherings took place, including political meetings. The Sutton Conservative Club held an annual tea party there and it was also used as a polling station during elections. In February 1938 the St.Helens Newspaper reported on a "splendid" boxing tournament that had been held in Sutton 'Nash' that was promoted by former pupil and boxer / coach George 'Bold' Thomas.
d) St.Annes RC School
When Henry Vallancey was seeking funds for new schools in 1856, he makes reference in his correspondence to a day school at St.Annes RC Church, which was then the only school located close to the main working Sutton population. It had opened three years earlier but was just a large schoolroom attached to the adjacent monastery.
The Passionist church congregation grew quickly and by 1861 had 2000 Sutton parishioners. As Sutton Parish had Rev. Vallancey to fight for education for their poor Church of England children, so the Passionist Catholics in Church Road (renamed Monastery Road in 1902), had their Father Bernadine Carosi.
The St.Helens Weekly News of May 25th, 1861 reported on a "tea party and soiree" that had been held in the St.Anne's School-room. It was to celebrate the feast of St.Bernadine, whose name their Father Superior had adopted. Two hundred parishioners and clergy heard a stirring tribute from Rev. Albin, who said Father Bernadine had for "so long been our beloved pastor. He praised him for erecting schools at Sutton and at Peasley Cross (St.Joseph's) "certainly not without much opposition, trouble and anxiety".
By this time 300 children were attending the schools and a new Burtonwood school, attended by 40 pupils, had recently opened. As the Catholic population expanded, so improved school buildings in Sutton were needed to accommodate all the increasing number of youngsters. The difficulty was finding the funding.
The building of a dedicated school at St.Anne's - Preston Guardian November 4th, 1871
St.Annes Church, Monastery and Schools had a number of benefactors during the nineteenth century, with John Smith and the wealthy Borrows family of locomotive manufacturers, especially generous. However, Smith who was a director of the St.Helens Canal & Railway Company, died in 1863 and the Borrows' Providence foundry in Pecker's Hill Road, that was named after their Roman Catholic faith, only began operating in 1868. So raising sufficient funds for a new school was a slow process and it took until 1871 before its foundation stone was laid.
The cost of the building plunged the Passionist Fathers into debt for many years and fundraising activities to pay off the debt, included an annual prize draw that boasted some unusual lavish prizes. A Dublin newspaper of 1885 revealed that the "Great Drawing of Magnificent Prizes at St.Annes Schools included a pearl ring valued at £100, a chest of carpenter's tools, an "extraordinary (missing link) Smoking Monkey (a prize of great novelty)" and a revolver. Although it seems strange for a church to offer a gun in a prize drawer, it was quite common in Victorian times for fairly well-off individuals to own a pistol. Some members of the clergy possessed one.
Freeman's Journal and Daily Commercial Advertiser of Dublin - January 4, 1886 & December 5, 1885
These new schools proved inadequate with an expanding population in Sutton and a new infants school was built in 1895. The increase in attendees is indicated by a report in the St.Helens Reporter of August 2nd, 1895, on the annual 'demonstration' of the Catholics of Sutton and Burtonwood. Over 1000 boys and girls processed to the field of Mr. Willis in Sutton Junction where a fête was held. Roughdale's Brass Band led the procession followed by masters W. Murphy, J. Taylor, Ged Taylor, H. Leadbetter, W. Clare, Geo Jones, Jas Parr, Joe Case, Peter Almond, W. Nolan, P. Holland, and John Ashton. These were the Morris Dancers who performed as the procession journeyed along Church Street and Robins Lane as the newspaper commented: Much delight was shown by the populace at the artistic evolutions portrayed by these boys...Along the route through the various streets bunting and other decorations enlivened the scene beyond description...When the processionists arrived at the field, the sun shone out magnificently. After about 1000 children had been substantially fed, various sports and entertainments were indulged in. A stage had been erected where the children of Sutton Infants School delighted their hearers with a commendable performance. Miss Bickerstaffe played the harmonium for them most satisfactorily. 
Elizabeth Prout (pictured right) was a headmistress of the girls' school in Sutton and superior in the convent nearby. She was foundress of the Sisters of the Cross and Passion who helped young children employed in the Manchester mills. Currently Elizabeth Prout is one of only four English men and women whose Causes for Sainthood are being considered by the Vatican and her remains lie in a shrine at the present church (see this blog post).
The old St.Anne's Roman Catholic girls school - contributed by Ian H. Campbell
These days Saint Annes Catholic Primary school has modern premises in Monastery Lane near to the new church and social centre. The photograph above shows the old girls school built in 1895 and sent into this website by former 'Pudding Bagger' Ian H. Campbell now resident in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Ian writes: The portion on the left corner was a class room and a stage and is where the church boys choir used to practice during the winter months. The choir master was Fr. Peter Paul, if I remember correctly. Next to the playground was the infant school, and then further left was the canteen.
The old St.Anne's Roman Catholic boys school - contributed by Ian H. Campbell
A new junior school was built in 1950 and although the church has changed its name to St.Annes & Blessed Dominic, the school has retained its original name. St.Annes is the only Sutton school of the nineteenth century, to have continued into the 21st century.
d) Robins Lane School
Robins Lane Secondary School was a notable school throughout the twentieth century and continues to this day to educate Sutton youngsters, albeit under a different name and in a different location. It opened on March 1st, 1909, with 489 boys and girls who were educated separately on the one site, with a primary school nearby. 
Robins Lane Secondary Modern school - contributed by Kathleen Fehrman
Unlike Sutton 'Nash' which was a church school, Robins Lane Secondary Modern (as the senior school became), was funded by St.Helens Corporation. Despite having few sports facilities of its own, it was successful in rugby league, football, life-saving and athletics competitions, winning the town sports for eight successive years.
Drama was also encouraged at Robins Lane, and under popular 1940s and '50s headmistress of the girls' school, Doris Gee, the Christmas productions were renowned. Every other year there was a Nativity and she also produced A.A. Milne's "Make Believe" and "Beauty and the Beast".
Robins Lane Nativity Dec 13th, 1952 - Joseph and Mary played by Anita Ramsdale and Sheila Martin
Picture taken by Wright Brothers of Robins Lane and contributed by former teacher Ivy Swift
Towards the end of the 1960s with the spread of new housing estates in Sutton, it was decided that the school needed a new, modern building to accommodate the expanding population. So the school relocated to Elton Head Road and changed its name, first to Sutton High School and then Sutton High Sports College, being situated by a leisure centre and Sherdley Park. As of January 2009, it had 1317 students and in September 2010 is expected to re-brand itself yet again as Sutton Academy, sponsored by St.Helens College and Edge Hill University.
Class 2A at Robins Lane Junior School in 1947 contributed by Ken Whittaker
Although Sutton National Schools have now closed and its buildings demolished, the relocation of the Secondary School enabled the creation of a new, enlarged primary school in Robins Lane and the building of Sutton Oak Primary in Ellamsbridge Road. Modern-day education in Sutton also includes St.Theresa's Catholic Primary, Eaves Primary and a new St.Annes & Blessed Dominic School. Appropriately Henry Vallancey's first site for his trailblazing Sutton National Schools project in New Street / Workhouse Lane is once again in use as Sherdley Primary School.
The teaching staff at Robins Lane Secondary Modern girls school in 1951 - contributed by Kathleen Fehrman
Back (L-R): Miss Ivy 'History' Ashton (Mrs.Swift from '52), Miss Burgess, Mrs. Eden, Miss Newsham, Mrs. Bates,
Florence Parr, ?, Beryl Chisnall (secretary). Front row (L-R) Miss Enid 'Music' Ashton, Miss Savage, Mrs.Martin,
Miss Doris Gee (headmistress), Miss Nichol, Mrs.Skidmore, Miss Harrison
Thanks to all contributors to this page - Clog Clatters of Old Sutton courtesy Sutton Historic Society
Next: Part 10) Mineworking in Sutton; Research Sources
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