The Dean School

The school is built on high ground several feet above the road, of stone probably cut from the old quarry opposite. It is a four-roomed building, and when we first knew it was occupied by John Hindley amd his wife and their paralytic son. It is now tenanted by Thomas Clark and his wife, an aged couple who have lived there over half a century. Over the front entrance is a slab with this inscription, evidently cut by one not very skilful in the dividing of words:-

JOHN : STIRRVP : BVILT : THIS : SCOOLE-
HOVSE : VPON : HIS : OWN : COST : AND : CHA-
RGES : AND : GAVE : THE : VSE : OF : FIFTY : POV
ND : FOR : EVER : IVNE : THE : 6 : 1677:-

And on the southern gable is a bible quotation showing the builder was acquainted with the writings of Solomon:-

Behold that which I have feen ; it is good & comely for one to eat & drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that hee taketh vnder the fun all ye dayes of his life which god Giveth him for it is his portion.

I S
16 77

In Bishop Gastrell's "Notitia Cestriensis" we find this entry:- An. 1646, John Stirrup built a School here upon a small parcel of Barren Land, and soon after dying, left ye Int. of 50L to a Master, in ye hands of Mr. Legh of Lime. Nothing else belongs to it. The Town choose ye Master.

Compared with the year on the building, which appears in both inscriptions, there is a discrepancy here of 31 years, but probably 1677 is correct. How long the building was used as a school we have not been able to ascertain. Possiblly, when the free school near the church was founded by Peter Legh in 1699, the Dean scholars would be transferred to it. This arrangement would continue down to the demolition of the old school about 1840, and the departure of the Rev. J. Sedgwick to his living at Crook, when the old Cockpit School was taken for these, and other scholars. Mr. Armitage was thirteen years at this school, he was five years at the National Schools, and then (in 1865) removed to the little school he had built in Rob-lane, which found accomodation for 35 scholars, ten of whom were free.

To the best of our recollection, the following are the names of these scholars, many of whom are dead and some of whom have gained distinction in various walks of life:-
Thomas Appleton Peter Edwardson H. Mannington
Henry Atty William Ellison John Hy. Mussell
William Bate Thomas Fairclough Thomas Ormand
Charles S Bennie John Fazakerley Robert Richie
James Blundell John Hall Alfred Roberts
John Henry Bond John F. Hall Robert Roberts
Robert Chorley William H. Hindley Thomas Roscoe
George Christie John Holdgate John Twiss
John Clarke Thomas Howard Henry Weddell
Charles Clifford John E. Jones John Weddell
R. Eckersley Charles Kelly M. H. Wilson
George Edwards John Henry Lane

In 1875 Mr. Armitage died, and the school in Rob-lane fell into abeyance and was ultimately turned into a cottage. For some two years nothing seems to have been done in the matter of appointing a new master, so a public meeting was held in the Town Hall to consider the question. This meeting appears to have had little effect, and soon afterwards the following letter appeared in the local papers:-

DEAN SCHOOL, NEWTON-IN-MAKERFIELD.

SIR-The question is frequently asked, and with justifiable reasons, What steps are being taken in the reformation of the Dean School?

Several months ago an influential and well-attended meeting was held in the Town Hall, Newton, a report of which appeared in the local papers. For several weeks it has been currently rumoured that the Committee of Gentleman appointed to carry out the Trust, in conjunction with Lord of the Manor, William j. Legh, Esq., M.P., have some grand and comprehensive proposal to carry out, which will embrace the reinstatement and working out of another good old trust in this district, which has for many years been lying dormant or nearly so. Should this rumour turn out to be correct, the committee will receive every credit for it, and their long apparent inaction will be overlooked. But why should there be so much secrecy about it? Surely ere this their plans are sufficiently matured to enable them to be submitted, and so satisfy the parishioners, who are anxiously awaiting a settlement of this question.

The death of Mr. George Armitage. the last Master of the Dean School, took place at the latter part of the year 1875, and since that time not a single child has been benefited by receiving education from the Dean School Trust ; the intention of the donor, therefore, since that period has been completely lost, and I fear that the value of many similar gifts in this country are entirely lost by apathy and carelessness. Trusting that some active and wise steps will shortly be taken to get this matter placed on a useful and satisfactory bases.
-YOURS, &c.,
PRO BONO PUBLICO

A petition was also forwarded to the Lord of the Manor, as patron of the Trust, as follows:-

TO W. J. LEGH, ESQ, M.P.,
PATRON OF THE NEWTON ENDOWED SCHOOL.,
DEAN MOOR
SIR,- we, the undersigned householders who reside in this Township, beg very respectfully to address you on the subject of the Dean School. The death of the late schoolmaster, Mr. Arrmitage, requires the Trustees, as we believe, to make fresh arrangements for the working of the Trust. For many years the school was carried on as a separate Foundation, unattached to any particular denomination ; and we are glad to know that it has conferred very valuable benefits to "poor and necessitous" children belonging not only to members of the Church of England but also members of the Free Churches in the Township. We have heard, however, that it is the wish of some that the separate and independent position which the trust has hitherto maintained should be altered, and that it should, in future, be worked in some way in connection with the National Schools of Newton village. Our special purpose in thus addressing you is to assure you of our deeply-rooted conviction that any such alterations as that would be unfair not only to the members of the Church of England in Earlestown but also to the Nonconformists throughout the Township ; and we would also venture to express the hope that you would use the infuential position which you sustain to this Public Trust so as to keep it in connection with a separate school, and, if possible, to make it a more important and useful Foundation. And we further beg leave to express our strong opinion that no change whatever be made in the character of this Public Trust without calling in the proper authority, namely, the Endowed School Commissions, to determine impartially what changes should be made in the interests of the whole Township.

This petition, which was numerously signed by Newton rate-payers, was favourably received and acknowledged by Mr.Legh, who promised his assistance. Another delay took place ; then, chiefly through the action of Mr. P.M. Campbell and Mr. William Urquhart, the Trustees began to move in the matter. During this controversy, Mr Campbell, acting on behalf of the ratepayers, and on the advice of his lawyers, drew rent of the Dean School-house, amounting to £16; but, on hearing that the Trustees were acting in consonance with the wishes of the ratepayers, the money was paid into the Trustees' account at the bank:-

Newton-le-Willows,
22nd October,
1878

TO THE PATRON AND TRUSTEES
OF THE DEAN MOOR SCHOOL, NEWTON,
PER REV. H. MONK
DEAR SIR, - Having heard that active steps are being taken to carry out the express wishes of the Ratepayers and inhabitants of Newton interested in the Dean Moor School Trust, we have now no further reason for withholding the money received from the tenant of the school-house, and have therefore transferred it to your account in Parr's Bank in Warrington for the purposes of the Trust. But, in doing so, we have no intention of receding from the position which we have taken up in respect to this matter, for those whom we represent feel very strongly upon the subject, thinking that they have a justifiable cause of complaint against the Trustees for not exerting themselves in their interests sooner ; but, after the public explanation that was given, they rely upon the faith and integrity of the Trustees to bring the matter to a speedy conclusion ; and they respectfully urge that diligence be used to carry the intention of the donor into effect, and they hope that it will be settled upon a firm and satisfactory basis. - We are, dear Sir, yours respectfully,
(signed), P.M. CAMPBELL

The schemes of 1879 and 1880 were the outcome of this agitation, which finally resulted in the scheme of 1896. Mr. Campbell and Mr. Urquhart had therefore the satisfaction of bringing about this excellent arrangement, and they had also the satisfaction of paying their own lawyers' bill of £2 16s 4d.

DEAN SCHOOL EXHIBITION CHARITY

New Scheme for the administration of the above Charity in the Township of Newton-in-Makerfield, and with it of the Lowton Endowed School and the Free Grammar School of the ancient parish of Winwick. - The combined income of these charitable trusts anounts to about £120 a year, according to the schedule appended to the scheme, such income arising chiefly from the interest on investments of £2,400 or thereabouts in new consols; a gift of L. & N. W. Ry. stock by Colonel McCorquodale to the amount of £100, bringing in £4 per annum ; and rent or rentcharges on land at Newton or elsewhere. The scheme sets out a body of ten representatives and two co-optative governors to administer these funds. Colonel McCorquodale is named as one of the co-optative governors, and ten representative governors are to be appointed thus: Four by the Newton Urban District Council; two by Lowton ratepayers; one by Winwick ratepayers; and one each by the County Council, the Victoria University Council, and the heir of Sir Peter Legh, of Lyme, respectively.

The original object of the Dean School Trust was that the Master should, for the rents of the properties comprised therein, yearly teach and instruct in English any number of poor and necessitous children of the township, not exceeding ten. Under present arrangements, the income is now expended

In maintaining exhibitions of such yearly value as the trustees fix, tenable for not more than two years at the Owens College, Manchester, or at such institutions as are mentioned in the 29th clause, to be awarded to boys not less than ten years of age, who are and have for not less than three years been scholars in some public elementary school or schools in the township of Newton-in-Makerfield, and have received from the managers of the school or schools a certificate of good conduct, regularity, and progress. All the exhibitions provide for the payment of tuition fees, books, and railway travelling expenses, and are awarded in open competition.

GROSS YEARLY INCOME
Land at Newton - tenant, Joseph Berry..................£2210 0
Land and house in Rob-lane - tenant, Thomas Clark.................. 8 0 0
Land - tenants, Richard Evans & Co.................. 10 0 0
Rent charge issuing out of Crow Lane House.................. 3 0 0

All text copyright John Lane and Peter Mayor Campbell
Layout copyright © 2003 John Rouse.

Created January 2003. Last updated: Jan 2003

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