Picture below is Group 1 of pupils at Ringstead School in 1900 with Mr Thomas Johnson the Headmaster.
Stanly Mayes-fr-2nd from right
Albert Edward Mayes-front right
Top right Margaret Thatcher's Father -Alfred Roberts
Next but one to Alfred My Grand father-Edward Teddie Abbott-Jessie Roberts M thatcher's Aunty- 4th girl from right.
Girl next to teacher-Gertie Elizabeth Mayes-Later in life she married Married Footman Henry (Harry)Bradley who lived up Carlow street(seen on horse carriage below) who worked for Buckingham palace .Anyone who know more names to on this photo please email me on the form on the first page of this website.
Read below how the school was wrote about from the Mercury Newspaper In November 1867
click the left Arrow to start story..
click the left Arrow to start story..
Teachers over time.
Mr Banister Mrs Wilki Mrs Cunningham
Mr Harding Mrs Martha Mrs Childs
Mr Johnson Mrs Hodgett
Mr Robinson Mrs Petit
Mr Crewe Mrs Bull
Mr Coates Mrs Higham
Mr Lawrence Mrs Packam
Mr Davis Mrs French
Mr Rockley Mrs Edwards
Mr Carr Miss Cheadle
Mr James Mrs Springs
Mrs Burgess Mrs Leigh
Mr James Mrs Harvey
Mr Childs Mrs Palmer
Mr Newcome Mrs Mayes
Mr Orchard Mrs Hare
Mr Mayes Miss Archer
Mr Baish Mrs Philips
The first teacher's name entry on the School records was a 20 year old William Harding and William was teaching first at the Temperance Hall School , this was built in 1861 and then just a few more years later he was to be Headmaster at the new Ringstead C of E School in Church Street when this was first built in 1867.School classes did take place at the Baptist/Wesleyan chapel prior to the Temperance haThe school took 18 months to build and was opened by the Lord Bishop of the Diocese in 1867. It consisted then of a long school room with convenient rooms off-shooting the main hall and a masters resident containing one living room one kitchen and three bedrooms at a cost of £900.It did have further extensions in the years of 1874 and 1894.It was built of the then called Raunds stone and in a Gothic style and in character of the church next door to where it stan
The roof was constructed of oak stained timber and then varnished, but the partition wall were of built concrete which in the 19th century concrete was a much cheaper substitute to brick.The Architects are Messers -Wadmore, Cosford and Baker of Northampton and the costs of the school was £950.The Headmaster seen on the photo is a Mr Thomas Johnson. Also the young lady next to Mr Johnson is Gertie Mayes who later was a maid to the Royal Family but also married Henry Bradley(mostly known as Harry)who lived in Ringstead and he too worked for the Royal Family as a footman. His photograph is at the foot of this chapter.In 1894 Ringstead school had one Alfred Roberts attending school and the father of Margaret Thatcher.Ringstead man Alfred Roberts (18 April 1892 – 10 February 1970). Roberts was born in Ringstead, Northamptonshire. He was the fifth of seven children. His father was Benjamin Ebenezer Roberts (1857–1925), from a Ringstead family, and his mother was Ellen Smith (1857–1935), whose own mother, Catherine Sullivan, was born at Kenmare in Ireland.[1] Ellen’s eldest two known siblings were also born in Ireland and her twin brothers in England in 1852.His sister Jessie Roberts attended Ringstead school at the same time as Alfred.Her father was a specialist grocer, the owner of two shops, where Margaret, her sister Muriel and their mother often worked. Alfred Roberts was the dominant influence in Margaret’s early life. A largely self-taught, intensely serious man, he was a locally venerated Methodist lay-preacher; he was also highly political.Margaret Hilda Roberts was born on October 13 1925 at Grantham, Lincolnshire, the second child of Alfred and Beatrice Roberts. Her father at first was a boot & shoe worker and later became a specialist grocer. Margaret visited Ringstead in her school holidays from Oundle and even as a young girl the local kids hated her as she was a bully and tried to form gangs in the village
.
She visited her Uncle John Roberts the organ builder and he even taught her a few chords on the piano.Early on Alfred Roberts’ bad eyesight meant he could not enter the family trade of shoemaking. He left school at thirteen in order to help support his family and is listed in the 1911 census as living as a boarder in Oundle, Northamptonshire, and working as a grocer’s assistant. He later moved to Grantham, Lincolnshire.Roberts is seen in first picture standing at the rear squinting his eyes he stands first on the right aged 8.Blonde hair.
The first maypole dancing existed in the village many years before the school in Ringstead as information handed down with photographs of the maypole being taken around different parts of the village and even in some gardens of respected villagers in the late 19th century .It has been a recorded practice in many parts of Europe throughout the medieval times but locally records can show it was in the village far back as the 17th century and traditionally the first day of May, although in some countries it is recorded as being on Midsummers Day.One occasion a day before Mayday a young Mr Ken Bull aged 12 in the 1930s was instructed by the Head Teacher with a friend to go to Raunds to borrow their maypole at the Raunds junior school.Teachers got worried when they set of early in the morning and were not back by school day end. What they actually did was to meet up with friends and play around the streets and completely forgot about the time. Needless to say the boys were punished with what ever the school had to offer with punishment then
In 1908 when the bells of the church were lowered to be repaired School Teacher Mr Johnson took all the school children over to the church to let the children see for themselves the bells of St Marys and to let each child sit in the largest bell and the following day the bells were taken by horse and cart to Loughborough to be repaired a whole days journey..Today (2014) the school is as busy as ever and over the years had extensions and even used portable classrooms.Laura Buckley is the Head Teacher and has a staff of 11 others to keep Ringstead school in good shape.On November the 13th 2017 the 150th Anniversary will be taking place at the school with a visit from the Bishop of Peterborough. Records from Thrapston petty sessions court and the Mercury & Herald, state, that in January 1893 there was a snowball fight between 30 school children and other children of the village. Albert Crew was the Deputy Headmaster at the school. At this point please remember parents had to pay the school for children to attend. It was a yearly tradition of snowball fights, but on the occasion in January 1893 the snowball fight got out of control. There was an incident where children of the village were throwing snow not only outside but also inside the school classrooms; reminiscent of a St Trinians movie scene I'm thinking at this point.It is noted that there was bad water stain damage to the large maps on the walls of one classroom caused by the snow. Four boys, Jack Lawford, Leonard Smith, Oliver Rowlett and Ernest Wittering were charged with wilfully damaging a map. School Master Albert Crew at Ringstead was charged with assaulting a parent of one of the other boys from the school, William Archer. However, after consultation of solicitors this charge was dropped. During the hour and half of the school village snow fight there was much snow that ended up in the school which took many hours to dry out to a normal state. It is also noted that 250 people from Ringstead village went to Thapston court proceedings which lasted two hours. How they fitted in more than 50 in the public gallery astounds me, the road outside must of been very busy indeed but resulted in each parent of the boys involved in the snow fight being fined the sum of 9 shillings.Its worth noting that in 1888 parents were fined 1 shilling for not sending their children to school as in two cases which were heard at Thrapston Court the parents of Fanny Attley and Annie Watts. For any wrongful doing in the school a child would receive school punishment which would be four strokes of the birch. In 1887 to 1903. any child from 12 years of age who broke the law outside the school and who was summoned to go before Thrapston magistrate and found guilty was heavily fined or sent away for hard labour
The Ringstead Animal pound was situated in the field next door to the School, many of you older villagers will remember a large hollow just inside a gateway next to the school, (where the school parking is now) in the field next next to the school and that's where a pond was for the animals to drink from and used from 1860 to 1900.Ringstead School Events pre 1940.1867-School opens-with three teachers1874-School extension1893 –Snow fight at School goes to Court1894-.School extension1893-School Master was charged for assault on pupil.1897-School punishment was 4 stokes of the birch1891-Epidemic of Measles School gets shut down two weeks1892-Ringstead School was highlighted at House of Commons for parents not wanting their children to be taught Religious education1893-Epidemic of Measles School gets shut down two weeks second time..1904-T.W. Johnson Head Teacher gets awarded The Langham Efficiency Prize of £4.00 (£430 today)1927-T.W. Johnson retires after 34 years service at Ringstead school and moves to Stimpson Avenue School Northampton but receives £4.00 for his service. (over £200 in 2015)1928-First open day for parents.1928-First recorded school Mayday-Kathleen Saunders was May Queen, following year it was May Gates (nee Pentelow)1938-'The Ringstead Dispute' headlines the newspapers (No bus for Children to go Raunds School)1939- School children now received a allowance for bus fare it was announced.1953- Mayday resumes after the war years.Head Master Charles Burges 1927-1933It was reported in the newspapers Ringstead’s one-time Head Master Charles Burges was very keen to let his son drive his car one day on a trip from Thrapston where he lived to Kettering, only trouble was Charles' son was only 15 years old and under the proper legal age. After pulling into a layby one mile away from Thrapston he let the boy take over driving. Upon reaching Cranford bad bends the boy crashed the car into another vehicle. There was only minor damage but there was soon a police officer on the scene. It ended up with Charles having to make a appearance at Thrapston magistrates court some 2 weeks later and charged with Aiding and Abetting then was fined £10.00 and the young boy of 15 years of age was fined £3.00. It was reported in the Mercury and Herald
.
Mr Banister Mrs Wilki Mrs Cunningham
Mr Harding Mrs Martha Mrs Childs
Mr Johnson Mrs Hodgett
Mr Robinson Mrs Petit
Mr Crewe Mrs Bull
Mr Coates Mrs Higham
Mr Lawrence Mrs Packam
Mr Davis Mrs French
Mr Rockley Mrs Edwards
Mr Carr Miss Cheadle
Mr James Mrs Springs
Mrs Burgess Mrs Leigh
Mr James Mrs Harvey
Mr Childs Mrs Palmer
Mr Newcome Mrs Mayes
Mr Orchard Mrs Hare
Mr Mayes Miss Archer
Mr Baish Mrs Philips
The first teacher's name entry on the School records was a 20 year old William Harding and William was teaching first at the Temperance Hall School , this was built in 1861 and then just a few more years later he was to be Headmaster at the new Ringstead C of E School in Church Street when this was first built in 1867.School classes did take place at the Baptist/Wesleyan chapel prior to the Temperance haThe school took 18 months to build and was opened by the Lord Bishop of the Diocese in 1867. It consisted then of a long school room with convenient rooms off-shooting the main hall and a masters resident containing one living room one kitchen and three bedrooms at a cost of £900.It did have further extensions in the years of 1874 and 1894.It was built of the then called Raunds stone and in a Gothic style and in character of the church next door to where it stan
The roof was constructed of oak stained timber and then varnished, but the partition wall were of built concrete which in the 19th century concrete was a much cheaper substitute to brick.The Architects are Messers -Wadmore, Cosford and Baker of Northampton and the costs of the school was £950.The Headmaster seen on the photo is a Mr Thomas Johnson. Also the young lady next to Mr Johnson is Gertie Mayes who later was a maid to the Royal Family but also married Henry Bradley(mostly known as Harry)who lived in Ringstead and he too worked for the Royal Family as a footman. His photograph is at the foot of this chapter.In 1894 Ringstead school had one Alfred Roberts attending school and the father of Margaret Thatcher.Ringstead man Alfred Roberts (18 April 1892 – 10 February 1970). Roberts was born in Ringstead, Northamptonshire. He was the fifth of seven children. His father was Benjamin Ebenezer Roberts (1857–1925), from a Ringstead family, and his mother was Ellen Smith (1857–1935), whose own mother, Catherine Sullivan, was born at Kenmare in Ireland.[1] Ellen’s eldest two known siblings were also born in Ireland and her twin brothers in England in 1852.His sister Jessie Roberts attended Ringstead school at the same time as Alfred.Her father was a specialist grocer, the owner of two shops, where Margaret, her sister Muriel and their mother often worked. Alfred Roberts was the dominant influence in Margaret’s early life. A largely self-taught, intensely serious man, he was a locally venerated Methodist lay-preacher; he was also highly political.Margaret Hilda Roberts was born on October 13 1925 at Grantham, Lincolnshire, the second child of Alfred and Beatrice Roberts. Her father at first was a boot & shoe worker and later became a specialist grocer. Margaret visited Ringstead in her school holidays from Oundle and even as a young girl the local kids hated her as she was a bully and tried to form gangs in the village
.
She visited her Uncle John Roberts the organ builder and he even taught her a few chords on the piano.Early on Alfred Roberts’ bad eyesight meant he could not enter the family trade of shoemaking. He left school at thirteen in order to help support his family and is listed in the 1911 census as living as a boarder in Oundle, Northamptonshire, and working as a grocer’s assistant. He later moved to Grantham, Lincolnshire.Roberts is seen in first picture standing at the rear squinting his eyes he stands first on the right aged 8.Blonde hair.
The first maypole dancing existed in the village many years before the school in Ringstead as information handed down with photographs of the maypole being taken around different parts of the village and even in some gardens of respected villagers in the late 19th century .It has been a recorded practice in many parts of Europe throughout the medieval times but locally records can show it was in the village far back as the 17th century and traditionally the first day of May, although in some countries it is recorded as being on Midsummers Day.One occasion a day before Mayday a young Mr Ken Bull aged 12 in the 1930s was instructed by the Head Teacher with a friend to go to Raunds to borrow their maypole at the Raunds junior school.Teachers got worried when they set of early in the morning and were not back by school day end. What they actually did was to meet up with friends and play around the streets and completely forgot about the time. Needless to say the boys were punished with what ever the school had to offer with punishment then
In 1908 when the bells of the church were lowered to be repaired School Teacher Mr Johnson took all the school children over to the church to let the children see for themselves the bells of St Marys and to let each child sit in the largest bell and the following day the bells were taken by horse and cart to Loughborough to be repaired a whole days journey..Today (2014) the school is as busy as ever and over the years had extensions and even used portable classrooms.Laura Buckley is the Head Teacher and has a staff of 11 others to keep Ringstead school in good shape.On November the 13th 2017 the 150th Anniversary will be taking place at the school with a visit from the Bishop of Peterborough. Records from Thrapston petty sessions court and the Mercury & Herald, state, that in January 1893 there was a snowball fight between 30 school children and other children of the village. Albert Crew was the Deputy Headmaster at the school. At this point please remember parents had to pay the school for children to attend. It was a yearly tradition of snowball fights, but on the occasion in January 1893 the snowball fight got out of control. There was an incident where children of the village were throwing snow not only outside but also inside the school classrooms; reminiscent of a St Trinians movie scene I'm thinking at this point.It is noted that there was bad water stain damage to the large maps on the walls of one classroom caused by the snow. Four boys, Jack Lawford, Leonard Smith, Oliver Rowlett and Ernest Wittering were charged with wilfully damaging a map. School Master Albert Crew at Ringstead was charged with assaulting a parent of one of the other boys from the school, William Archer. However, after consultation of solicitors this charge was dropped. During the hour and half of the school village snow fight there was much snow that ended up in the school which took many hours to dry out to a normal state. It is also noted that 250 people from Ringstead village went to Thapston court proceedings which lasted two hours. How they fitted in more than 50 in the public gallery astounds me, the road outside must of been very busy indeed but resulted in each parent of the boys involved in the snow fight being fined the sum of 9 shillings.Its worth noting that in 1888 parents were fined 1 shilling for not sending their children to school as in two cases which were heard at Thrapston Court the parents of Fanny Attley and Annie Watts. For any wrongful doing in the school a child would receive school punishment which would be four strokes of the birch. In 1887 to 1903. any child from 12 years of age who broke the law outside the school and who was summoned to go before Thrapston magistrate and found guilty was heavily fined or sent away for hard labour
The Ringstead Animal pound was situated in the field next door to the School, many of you older villagers will remember a large hollow just inside a gateway next to the school, (where the school parking is now) in the field next next to the school and that's where a pond was for the animals to drink from and used from 1860 to 1900.Ringstead School Events pre 1940.1867-School opens-with three teachers1874-School extension1893 –Snow fight at School goes to Court1894-.School extension1893-School Master was charged for assault on pupil.1897-School punishment was 4 stokes of the birch1891-Epidemic of Measles School gets shut down two weeks1892-Ringstead School was highlighted at House of Commons for parents not wanting their children to be taught Religious education1893-Epidemic of Measles School gets shut down two weeks second time..1904-T.W. Johnson Head Teacher gets awarded The Langham Efficiency Prize of £4.00 (£430 today)1927-T.W. Johnson retires after 34 years service at Ringstead school and moves to Stimpson Avenue School Northampton but receives £4.00 for his service. (over £200 in 2015)1928-First open day for parents.1928-First recorded school Mayday-Kathleen Saunders was May Queen, following year it was May Gates (nee Pentelow)1938-'The Ringstead Dispute' headlines the newspapers (No bus for Children to go Raunds School)1939- School children now received a allowance for bus fare it was announced.1953- Mayday resumes after the war years.Head Master Charles Burges 1927-1933It was reported in the newspapers Ringstead’s one-time Head Master Charles Burges was very keen to let his son drive his car one day on a trip from Thrapston where he lived to Kettering, only trouble was Charles' son was only 15 years old and under the proper legal age. After pulling into a layby one mile away from Thrapston he let the boy take over driving. Upon reaching Cranford bad bends the boy crashed the car into another vehicle. There was only minor damage but there was soon a police officer on the scene. It ended up with Charles having to make a appearance at Thrapston magistrates court some 2 weeks later and charged with Aiding and Abetting then was fined £10.00 and the young boy of 15 years of age was fined £3.00. It was reported in the Mercury and Herald
.
Above is 1953 Coronation year and as there was a gap in May Queens during the WW2 Mayday returned in 1953 and on this photo is of the 5 central girls who are=left to right at rear Deena Davies Brabara Cradock, Eilaine Kitchener, Front Hillary Pallet,
Marilyn Watts, Anne Tomlin. Others standing behind in no order Prevous May Queen Mary Turney, Susan Smith, Francis Hackney, Diana Bull, Pam Bicknell, Molly Weekly, Shelia Gray, Nigel Webster, Philip French,=child top right against window is Ivor Stokes.
Below.
1928 Headmaster Mr Bannister seen here on the right with the football group,My own uncle William Archer is standing 2nd boy in from Mr Bannister on the right.
Marilyn Watts, Anne Tomlin. Others standing behind in no order Prevous May Queen Mary Turney, Susan Smith, Francis Hackney, Diana Bull, Pam Bicknell, Molly Weekly, Shelia Gray, Nigel Webster, Philip French,=child top right against window is Ivor Stokes.
Below.
1928 Headmaster Mr Bannister seen here on the right with the football group,My own uncle William Archer is standing 2nd boy in from Mr Bannister on the right.
1927-Ringstead School with Stanley Attley in centre of picture.
This Item below are stories from the last part of the 19th century which happen at Ringstead school. From Rushden Heritage
Pictured above on 1937 Coronation Day is Ringstead man Harry Bradley on the left saluting the Royal Family. Harry is the husband of Gertie Mayes, pictured below with Headmaster Thomas Johnson. stopped at Ringstead school for 33 years before moving on to Northampton junior school. Gertie also worked for the household at Buckingham palace.
J.L.Carr's Stay at Ringstead School
J.L.Carr came to Northamptonshire in 1951 and was to due to start teaching at Highfield School Kettering but it was only half- built . Meanwhile The School Board sent him to Ringstead to be Head Teacher until work was completed. Travelling from Kettering to Ringstead wasn’t quite as straight forward as it seemed. A bus ran bus from Kettering to Cranford but not Ringstead, so he arranged to have his bicycle hidden in a old barn just outside Cranford.
He cycled from that point to Ringstead school every day for some months before renting out a house in Spencer Street. During his cycle ride upon getting to the hill just before Ringstead mill, he would pause as people had told him at that point he would be able to see church 8 church spires. Mr Carr could only ever see 6 of them.
In the early 1950s Molly Larwence was first full time teacher then went part time she tells me.In 1953 The staff consisted of 3 teachers Mrs Pettit, Mrs Perry . Mr Carr was covering for Mr Johny Coates who was the Headmaster, but was recovering from a heart attack.
Mr Carr’s favourite pastime was writing and painting with oil. He painted some very good work and even spent his spare time once standing outside in the playground painting just what he could see of the village. Soon his time was up in the village and was sent on to be Headmaster at Highfield School Kettering but some years later, many in fact, in 1983 when a new family moved in to the same house where Mr Carr had lived they came across a painting tucked down in the corner of the closet, it was the very painting that he had done of the view of Ringstead from the playground in 1954.
I was given this painting by the lady who lived in the Spencer Street house where Mr Carr stayed and it was in a pretty much sorrow state. I framed it and presented it back to the school from where it first had seen the light of day. The Head Teacher, Mrs Laura Buckley accepted the painting and now it sits on the entrance wall being admired by all the children and teachers when they walk into school.
Pictured below is Joseph Lyoyd Carr, known to many as Jim. Mr JL Carr wrote a number of books in his life time. If you type his name into the internet you will see his work.
He cycled from that point to Ringstead school every day for some months before renting out a house in Spencer Street. During his cycle ride upon getting to the hill just before Ringstead mill, he would pause as people had told him at that point he would be able to see church 8 church spires. Mr Carr could only ever see 6 of them.
In the early 1950s Molly Larwence was first full time teacher then went part time she tells me.In 1953 The staff consisted of 3 teachers Mrs Pettit, Mrs Perry . Mr Carr was covering for Mr Johny Coates who was the Headmaster, but was recovering from a heart attack.
Mr Carr’s favourite pastime was writing and painting with oil. He painted some very good work and even spent his spare time once standing outside in the playground painting just what he could see of the village. Soon his time was up in the village and was sent on to be Headmaster at Highfield School Kettering but some years later, many in fact, in 1983 when a new family moved in to the same house where Mr Carr had lived they came across a painting tucked down in the corner of the closet, it was the very painting that he had done of the view of Ringstead from the playground in 1954.
I was given this painting by the lady who lived in the Spencer Street house where Mr Carr stayed and it was in a pretty much sorrow state. I framed it and presented it back to the school from where it first had seen the light of day. The Head Teacher, Mrs Laura Buckley accepted the painting and now it sits on the entrance wall being admired by all the children and teachers when they walk into school.
Pictured below is Joseph Lyoyd Carr, known to many as Jim. Mr JL Carr wrote a number of books in his life time. If you type his name into the internet you will see his work.
Below two late 1800s May Days. First is on the junction of Church Street & Chapel Street ,the other in a private garden inDenford Road.The May Pole would be taken to different parts of the village where dancing would take place.
School Temperance Hall & Village Hall
Built in 1861 and had school classes before the school was built to promote the Temperance Intelligence & Happiness of the people in the village and over the years since its certainly had some happiness had in the hall with many functions from teaching ,dancing, reading, drama, wedding receptions even a mini circus with miniature horses came to the village and put on a show in the hall and its said a Mr Panter from Irthlingborough would drive over in the 1950s to give dance lessons. During wartime the village hall stored sugar and flour which then went on to supply the village and surrounding area.
Certainly before Ringstead School was built there were classes held here for students and the first 20 year old Head Teacher Mr William Harding started here in 1862 before moving to the new Ringstead school in 1867
Over the last fifty years there have been some additions mainly the frontage you can see the photo above, inside there's a stage, a back room a fully fitted kitchen and can be hired out for decent amount hourly rate. It is used by the Scouts, W.I. and other village organisations.
(Click each thumb nail to enlarge)
Main pic 1 is the Evergreen Club
.
Built in 1861 and had school classes before the school was built to promote the Temperance Intelligence & Happiness of the people in the village and over the years since its certainly had some happiness had in the hall with many functions from teaching ,dancing, reading, drama, wedding receptions even a mini circus with miniature horses came to the village and put on a show in the hall and its said a Mr Panter from Irthlingborough would drive over in the 1950s to give dance lessons. During wartime the village hall stored sugar and flour which then went on to supply the village and surrounding area.
Certainly before Ringstead School was built there were classes held here for students and the first 20 year old Head Teacher Mr William Harding started here in 1862 before moving to the new Ringstead school in 1867
Over the last fifty years there have been some additions mainly the frontage you can see the photo above, inside there's a stage, a back room a fully fitted kitchen and can be hired out for decent amount hourly rate. It is used by the Scouts, W.I. and other village organisations.
(Click each thumb nail to enlarge)
Main pic 1 is the Evergreen Club
.
Ringstead School Magazine of Centenary year 1967
Many thanks to Robert whiteman who supplied this.
Many thanks to Robert whiteman who supplied this.