1880 – 1881

The logs for this period are not complete and should include up to 1889.

Click on a year to dropdown and see the diary entries:

1880

January 1st	Half holiday this afternoon.
January 5th	Admitted Albert Miller. Very fair attendance this afternoon.
January 12th	Admitted Sarah Jane Cottrell.
January 13th	Very poor school indeed. One register this morning with none present, and only one this afternoon.
February 5th	Admitted Edith Jessie Symes.
February 9th	Re-admitted Annie Acland. Poor attendance.
February 23rd	Much better attendance this morning. Admitted Tom Loaring and re-admitted William Hawker. James and Rosa Thorne leaving the village.
February 24th	We shall deviate from the "Time Table" today, in order to give an examination. Rev D H Spencer has been made acquainted of the same. Re-admitted Fred Barratt. My father dangerously ill, the registers were marked at 1.40 to enable me to leave a little early to go and see him.
February 25th	John Thorne leaving the village to return to Castle Cary.
March 15th	Admitted Albert Beagge and Allen Welch has gone to work.
March 16th	Re-admitted Walter Samways. Fair attendance. Admitted Frederic Boait.
March 26th	No school. "Good Friday".
April 1st	Arithmetic taken before eleven and transcription at 11.30 to enable me to leave to go and see my father who is dangerously ill.
April 2nd	Ellen Warren and Charles Dyke left the village. Very poor attendance.
April 12th	Very poor attendance this morning, especially in upper standards, several away with very frivolous excuses.
April 13th	Walter Samways and Minnie Trenchard left school. Fair attendance.
April 15th	John Rowe gone to work without permission, not having passed 3rd Standard. Ben Paull and Sam Dening gone to work in the same way.
April 19th	Attendance not very good. Sam J Dening came to school this morning.
April 22nd	Gave an examination in Arithmetic to Standards III, IV, V & VI form 11 to 12 with very fair results. Standard I very backward, Dening not being adapted for teaching is unable to make any progress with them.
April 26th	Job Long and Emily Cleal gone to work. Fair attendance. Fred Barratt's name left of the register for continual absence.
April 27th	George Hodder is gone to work. Attendance a little better.
May 3rd	Admitted Mary Loaring in classroom. Attendance not good.
May 5th	Henry Dyke gone to work. Very poor attendance, several children gone to Chard fair. Mary Hodder absent from eleven o'clock with my permission.
May 7th	Left Annie Cottrell's name off the Register for continual absence. The irregular attendance is a great drawback to the school. The Bye-laws have not had the slightest effect, simply because they are not worked.
May 14th	School closes today for the usual WHITSUN VACATION.
May 25th	Admitted James and John Bragge from WhiteGate.
May 28th	Dening leaves school today. Have a rather thin attendance with is a great drawback so near on the examination. John Cook commenced.
May 31st	Admitted Charles Loud from Marshwood. This is the end of the school year.
June 28th	Admitted Ernest Hawker and re-admitted James Rowe. Only fair attendance today.
June 29th	Punished Henry Cleal for playing truant. He is often away from the same cause. The girls and boys are not able to leave for recreation at the same time, as the school closets are being painted, and all are obliged to use the outer ones for a day or two.
June 30th	Girls occupied play ground today but not offices. The well is finished. Fair attendance.
July 1st	John Francis and Sam: John Dening have gone to work.
July 6th	Punished William Singleton at his mother's request for playing truant.
July 12th	Admitted Ernest Reed, aged 3 years and a half.
July 19th	The following children's names struck off the registers for continual absence without excuse - Sarah Phelps, Emily Cleal, and Ann Langord - Henrietta Hutchings gone to service. Admitted Henry Rowe. Attendance not good today, especially in upper standards.
July 22nd	Holiday - Church Choir gone to Weston Super Mare - Teachers belonging to Choir necessitated an Holiday.
July 23rd	Copy of Summary of the Inspector's Report: There is some good work done in this school, notably the Reading throughout, and the spelling of the younger childre, but the upper classes are weak in Arithmetic, and the first Standard broke down "in Notation". M Hodder has passed fairly. Master: Jesse Symes, Certificated Teacher of the Second Class. Assistant Teacher of Infants and Sewing: Amelia Symes Pupil Teacher: Mary Hodder - Second Year.
July 28th	Mr Marsh (attendance officer) called today. He only took names of children whom I have mentioned to him several times before - not half of the irregular ones. Several of the upper Standards away. John Cook improves in teaching, but William Sirl does not. Children seem to be getting into their fresh work.
August 13th	School closes today for the Harvest Vacation of four weeks.
September 20th	Re-opened school having closed five weeks on account of its not being finished repairing. Fair school over 100 in attendance. Teachers in their places at the proper time.
October 5th	A night school is to be opened this evening at 7 o'clock. Fair attendance although wet weather.
October 19th	No school this afternoon as the Winsham Club divided their funds in the schoolroom.
October 20th	Very poor attendance indeed, a fall of snow is probably the cause. Mr Marsh did not call for names of absentees as he promised he would.
October 21st	The following children'ts names have been struck off the Registers for continual absence: John Bragge, Edward Spencer, Georgina Spencer, James Bragge, Sarah Phelps, Elizabeth Brown, Elizabeth Golsworth and Mary Cross.
October 22nd	Admitted Benjamin, George and Mary Meech and Matilda and Mary Cook on Monday last (21st) from Laymore.
November 1st	Admitted Ernest Loud. Attendance not very good. The following children's names left of the registers for continual absence, Henry Aplin, and Mary Spurdell.
November 2nd	Attendance very much better this morning. Mary Spurdell came on again.
November 5th	Ernest Hawker and Ernest Reed left the village.
November 6th	Bessy Chick away from home. Julia and Ellen Way are leaving the village. Tom Loaring Way is also leaving.
November 15th	Elizabeth Spencer leaves the village for Plymouth today. The following have been cancelled from the Registers for continual absence. Fred Aplin, Mary Jane Jennings, Jessie Vile, and Mary White, and Flora and Ann Rowe and Alic Larcombe. Admitted William Snell Larcombe, Simeon Trenchard and James Golsworthy.
November 30th	Admitted Jane Cook. Very good attendance.
December 1st	William and Fred Singleton have been playing truant. Their mother brought them to school today. Fair attendance. Mr Marsh called today.
December 7th	Very fair attendance. Find it very inconvenient in not having but two "black boards" for the whole school for such a length of time. Forsey has them to repair, and has not completed them. He has had them over 3 months.
December 16th	Attendance not so good. A great many children come very late. William and Fred Singleton are playing truant.
December 17th	Very poor attendance through the bad weather.
December 23rd	Attendance small, usual routines. SCHOOL CLOSES TODAY FOR XMAS VACATION (Mr Symes has written that the school closes for the Harvest vacation!)

1881

January 1st	My duties cease today, also Mrs Symes Signed Jesse Symes. J H Cook in charge of infants
January 12th	Mr Nash, assistant curate of the parish visited the school. Not many children present.
January 18th	A fearful snowstorm prevailing. Only seven children present; it being impossible for those who lived any distance to come.
January 19th	Snowstorm sill prevailing with undiminished fury. The snow in the streets being from three to four feet. The great depth prevented people moving from their homes. School obliged to close from Tuesday morning to the end of the week.
January 24th - 29th	School closed on account of the severity of the weather.
January 31st	Very small attendance.
February 3rd	Raining and blowing the whole of the day. Few children present. Sent a list of absences to the attendance officer for the district on Feb 2nd.
February 21st	Largest number of children present since the Christmas holidays. Fine but cold weather. Re-admitted Ellen Warren, M J Jennings, Annie Barratt, Harry Cleal and Fred Cleal. Also admitted Willie Warren.
March 7th	Another wet and windy day. Usual effect upon attendance. Admitted William and George Spiller.
March 15th	Largest number of children present since Xmas, viz 130.
March 21st	S J Cook again absent through illness. Mary Hodder in charge of infants. Good attendance. Admitted Alf. Ed. Andrews and Frank Hussey.
March 29th	Received the announcement of the Diocesan Inspection from Mr Spencer who read the notice in both departments of the school.
April 6th	Rev D H Spencer and Mrs Spencer visited the School. Re-admitted John Cottrell.
April 8th	Attendance not so good this week as formerly. 105 present this afternoon. One of the infants met with an accident in the playground, his toe having been badly cut by the pump cover which fell on it.
April 15th	Good Friday. No school.
April 25th	Wet. Not many children present. Standard III answered fairly in Geography of England. The Revd Nash visited the school during the afternoon. First class of Infants answered very fairly in mental arithmetic. Admitted Mary Spiller and Lucy Maud Mary Brass and also G Peadon.
May 4th	A lot of children absent owing to chard Fair being held this day. Work going on as usual. Admitted Thomas Wheaton.
May 9th	Good attendance. Admitted Matthew Cole. Work going on as usual. Number present 131.
May 24th	Not a good attendance although the weather is everything that could be desired. Admitted Tom Cottrell.
May 30th	Attendance still poor, many children absent who have to be presented for exam. Admitted Ellen Hutchings. No boys present above Std III.
May 31st	Received notice of H.M. Inspector's visit. Infants geography and needlework to be examined on Thursday June 16th and the remainder of the work on Tuesday June 28th. School Year ends today.
June 1st	Attendance not up to the mark, Standard II did their arithmetic poorly. Admitted Artur Wheaton.
June 6th - 13th	WHITSUNTIDE HOLIDAY
June 13th	Poor attendance in the morning, better in the afternoon. Admitted Tom Loaring Way.
June 14th	Better attendance. Admitted Matilda and Jane Cook.
June 16th	Geography Books - Art.19c3 for 1882 - Nelson's Series - H Hughes. Examination of the Infants' Geography and Needlework by Rev H Hughes, H.M. Inspector of Schools.
June 20th	Not a good attendance this morning, better in the afternoon. Admitted Chas. Cottrell, Mary Meech, Kate Boait, Ed. El. Perham and Fred Collard. Std I did their sums very fairly.
July 4th	Fine weather. Not a good attendance. Began working children in fresh stds. Re-admitted Mary Francis.
July 18th	Copy of Summary of the Inspector's Report: The School has passed a very fair Examination on the whole. There are signs of careful teaching, but some of the children are backward. I should like to see the Infants rather better trained. H.M. Inspector is unable to approve S J Hook under Article 32(c)3 J H Cook: Grammar and Arithmetic M Hodder has passed fairly Master: Walter Northcombe, Certificated Teacher of the Second Class Pupil Teachers: Mary Hodder, third year John Henry Cook, first year
July 25th	Very fair attendance, still there are a lot of children absent without leave. Admitted Bernard and Mary Perham, Bayles Burrows and Edith Lacey.
August 1st	Good attendance although rain came on in the afternoon. Admitted George Swaffield and Anne Rowe.
August 3rd	I examined Std II in Arithmetic but was not at all pleased with the result. Not a good attendance in the afternoon probably owing to Chard Fair which takes place this day. Admitted Fanny Rowe.
August 8th	Good attendance in the morning but poor in the afternoon owing to a downpour of rain which lasted the whole afternoon. Admitted B Meech.
August 12th - September 9th	HARVEST HOLIDAY