Held at North Yorkshire Record Office at Northallerton

Catalogue Reference HBB6/1/2/1-3

1897

28^th March Very unsettled weather this week causing much irregularity.  C & N Foster absent nearly all week suffering from severe colds.  Thos. Beresford absent on account of distance and weather.  E Metcalfe same reason and A Banks suffering from a cut finger.

9^th April Severe colds prevalent among the children.  From this cause C & N Foster, H & J Turnbull, have been very irregular this week.  S A Metcalf absent all week, reason “wanted at home.”  They live at Higher Greenfield out of distance.

23^rd April Attendance not very good, average only 12.  N Metcalf, Mary Metcalf, Robt Banks, Jno Turnbull (infant), Eliz A Lambert, S A Metcalf absent all week, no reason assigned. Deborah Turnbull present one half day only.  Reason for absence given as “illness”.  Margt Metcalf and L Metcalf came only on Friday owing to mother’s absence from home.

30^th April Several children absent all week and several irregular.  Deborah Turnbull reason assigned illness.  H Turnbull, S A Metcalf, A A Atkinson absent all week through home duties.  Two of these are half timers.   John Turnbull an infant under 5 absent all week.

14^th May Attendance rather low this week caused by lambing time.  Deborah Turnbull absent all week reason illness.  Jno Turnbull (infant under 5) absent all week, reason “does not want to come”.

21^st May Several absent all week owing to sickness and others irregular.  All week Deborah Turnbull, Nellie and Christopher Foster.  Irregular on that account R Banks, Thos Beresford, Eliz A Parker.  A few absent owing to Hawes Poultry Show.  S A Metcalf absent owing to home duties.  She resides at Higher Greenfield and is much over the distance.

28^th May Deborah Turnbull returned to school on Wednesday having been absent since Easter owing to sickness.

9^th July Very poor attendance owing to bad weather and much sickness.  E A Parker and G Foster both absent all week through sickness.

27^th August Very fair attendance for a start.  Nellie & Christopher Foster and Elizbth Lloyd absent all week, all away from home.  S A Metcalf, M Metcalf and L Metcalf of Higher Greenfield absent all week out of distance.  A A Atkinson also absent, over age.

8^th September Robert Lloyd ceased his duties as master of this school on this day.

4^th October Robt George King reopened the school this morning.  Maud King was present this morning. 

5 October Dorothy Beresford will continue with the needlework until Christmas.  Mrs King superintending the same.

29^th October Nellie Foster absent all week.

2th November Gertrude L King took Infants in reading.

4^th November C Foster present, marked absent in mistake.

8^th November Laura King absent sick.

10^th November Tom Beresford and R Banks absent without leave.

13^th November Nellie Foster absent with doctor’s certification.

18^th November Wet morning Greenfield children absent.

24^th November Tom Beresford absent visiting with his mother.  Nellie Foster still absent.

26^th November Mr Jno Turnbull has been attending to the stove and we can all feel the decided improvement.

29^th November The children from Greenfield absent, snow on the moor.  Tom Beresford absent.

30^th November Eliz. A Parker, Eliz. Foster and John Parker have attended everytime this quarter.

7^th December Alice Ann Atkinson and Isabella Allison leave Oughtershaw this week, they will be struck off the register.

30^th December Dorothy Beresford resigns charge of the Needlework.  Mrs King will teach Needlework in the future.

1898

7^th January Examination shows decided improvement in all classes.  E A Lambert spelling only fair, others very good.

11^th February Two girls in standard 11 were taught compound addition Bessie King and Annie Banks.

18^th February E A Lambert is most backward in spelling.  Deborah Turnbull slow in arithmetic.

14^th March Tom and Edward Metcalfe returned to school today.

30^th March Tom Beresford absent.

31^st March Master resigns.

15^th April H Turnbull aged 13 years left.

21^st April Mrs King attends twice a week for Needlework and this branch of work is much improved.  Mrs King praises E A Lambert and A Foster for Needlework.

28^th April Christopher Foster removed to Skipton.

29^th April Eva King absent sick.  Metcalfs from Greenfield absent.  E A Parker and R Foster at home.

2^nd May Eva King absent sick.  Tom Beresford the most irregular boy in school.  Only 21 on register now.

13^th May Admitted Minnie Jane Foster an infant today.

1^st June The master has withdrawn his resignation.

7^th June E A Parker, E A Lambert, Deborah Turnbull all present marked absent in error.

13^th June Tom Beresford is the most irregular in school.  Laura King absent – under doctor – returns in afternoon.  Elizabeth Foster has attended everytime since new master opened the school on 4^th October 1897.  Maud E King absent twice sick in same period.

17^th June Deborah Turnbull absent sick.  Lizzie Banks absent.

1^st July Tom Beresford absent 7 times sick.  E Banks absent sore eyes.

30^th August Doctor’s certificate states Tom Beresford is unfit to attend school at present.

14^th September The Fosters come in just after I closed the register.

23^rd September Maggie Metcalf absent, Tom Beresford still absent.

27^th September Greenfield children absent, Hawes Fair.  Robert Banks absent.  Deborah Turnbull away at Nelson Lancs.

4^th November Two boys, Robert Banks and Tom Beresford still absent.

7^th November Elizabeth Lambert came on Monday, now absent sick.

9^th December Greenfield girls, 3, will now stay at Oughtershaw.

16^th December Lizie Lloyd has been readmitted for a few days.

1899

1^st January Eva Mary King aged 14 is approved monitress from this date.

 9^th January Maggie & Lily Metcalfe were marked absent by mistake.  They did not attend at all this week.

26^th January T Beresford still absent.  The Metcalfes, Greenfield absent sick.

27^th January Maggie & Lily Metcalfe absent sick.

30^th January Maggie & Lily Metcalfe arrived today.  First appearance except one day since Christmas.

31^st January We have only 7 boys and 16 girls on the register.

Approximate Schedule

2  V1 Eva Mary King (Monitress) Eliz. Ann Parker

4  V   E A Lambert L A King R Banks M Metcalfe

3  1V Deborah Turnbull R Foster Jno Parker

3 111 M King (occasional 1V) E Foster A Banks

3 11  R Parker (7) Mary Metcalfe  C Banks

2  1 A A Foster E Metcalfe

5       Infants

6th February Although heavy snowfall the children attended.  Only T Metcalfe of Greenfield absent.

5^th March Funeral of Mary Lodge an old scholar.

7^th March E Parker present.

13^th March Only Annie Cicely, Lizzie Banks and Alice Beresford have clean shoes today apart from my own family.

27^th March School closed for epidemic – every child sick – Influenza, every parent ill.

15^th April School reopened on the 12^th.

21^st April Richard Foster and Robt. Banks absent.  Minnie Foster sick.

27^th April Robt. Banks appeared this morning.

5^th May E A Lambert and Robt. Banks attended irregularly.  They are both 13 years of age and at that age parents think education is completed sufficiently and efficient enough to count sheep and lambs etc.  There are several young men that cannot read in this part of the parish.  Still the parents don’t feel the need for education or else it must be selfishness on their part and a saving of labour.

12^th May Although 23 on the registers average only 19.6.   E A Lambert absent all week.  As HMI stated in report 1898 this is a difficult school for attendance.  Having only 5 children from the hamlet of Oughtershaw, a wet day affects all but these five.  Therefore attendance considering

the district has been excellent but still grant must suffer.  7 children coming a distance in wet weather though strong and healthy though not so sharp and intellectual after an exhausting drag of two or even three miles.

16^th May Hawes Poultry Show.  D Turnbull and E A Lambert and Greenfield children absent.

6^th June The master’s daughter G L King has had several pupils for music.  Eliz. Foster has progressed well and is now able to play one or two hymns in school.  She is only 8.  Maggie Metcalfe can also accompany on harmonica.

12^th June Elizabeth Ann Butler left school, she has reached the 7^th standard and her conduct has been very good.  She is a strong useful girl for home and has been a credit to our school.  Elizabeth Ann Lambert just 13 has left school, her education is only fair.  She is what we should call a fair standard V1 but weak in spelling.  This latter subject is sufficient to claim another 12 months at school but she is 13. 

26^th June Admitted Isabella Allison and Isabella Turnbull.   Miss Woodd visited the school and awarded prizes:  1^st Maud E King 399, Eliz Foster & ———-, Annie Banks 397, Eva King & R Parker 388, John Turnbull 386, Laura G King 385, John Parker 378, A A Foster 377, Mary Metcalfe —.  All the others are below 350.

19^th September Roland Parker and Mary Ellen Foster admitted today.  Hannah Beresford and Isabella Turnbull entered in admission register also.

25^th September Robert Banks returned to school on the 25^th.

19^th October Only two pairs of clean shoes in school today – Annie and Elizabeth Banks.