Haskayne School registers

[jillstatton]

Have Haskayne School Admission Registers been transcribed or does anyone have access to them?

I understand that the earliest recorded teacher was Catherine MAWDSLEY, followed by her daughter, Eliza YATES, in the 1850's.
Hence I assume that registers exist from this period? Are they held locally or been lodged where?

I am seeking scholastic records for three different periods as follows:

1859-1868
CULSHAW Peter, born 1854, died 1868
CULSHAW John, born 1856, died 1866
CULSHAW James, born 1858

1885-1901
CULSHAW John, born 1881
CULSHAW William John, born 1884
CULSHAW Mary (Polly), born 1886
CULSHAW Annie, born 1891 - possibly also surnamed BOLTON

1900-1910
BOLTON James, born 1896
BOLTON Harry, born 1896
BOLTON Thomas, born 1898
BOLTON Edward, born 1900

Any help much appreciated.

Jill Statton, Adelaide, South Australia

[Hilary]

If they have been lodged anywhere it will either have been at Lancashire Record Office or possibly Crosby Library. The most likely thing is that they will be still with the school.

I don't know what you expect of the records but cchools keep an Admission register which will list the child's name date of birth date of entry possibly an address but in a rural area more likely to just be the name of the village especially in earlier days, sometines the father is listed and then date of leaving. Older registers do sometime list which grade the child has reached. the school also keeps a log book which records the life of the school. there are generally view mentions of children in this unless they did something amazing or sadly died. A punishment was also ket in which records of corporal punishment were made.

Hilary
Ed Officer

[MaryA]

I don't know if Haskayne had it's own school at those dates, or perhaps it would have come under Halsall since an extract from Page 5 of the Ormskirk Advertiser dated 3rd September 1891 announces the opening of the Haskayne school by a Winifred H Scarisbrick.

There are a couple of sites for local schools - http://www.downholland.lancsngfl.ac.uk/ and http://www.stthomaslydiate.co.uk/ it might be useful to contact them and make your enquiry direct. I believe the St Thomas school might be a little too far away from your interest.

[Hilary]

Just to say that generally schools do not have the time to respond to Family History enquiries.

Halsall St Cuthbert's School according to their website has a history dating back to 1593

Something else to remember is that education in England and Wales was not compulksory annd free until 1891 so many of our ancestors received little or no education.

Hilary
Ed Officer

[Hilary]

I have found the website that records a school in Haskayne before the school that Mary mentioned. If any records exist I would expect them to be at the school or at Lancashire Record Office. However to access them could be difficult.

Hilary
Ed Officer

[MaryA]

Lancashire Record Office don't hold any for Haskayne, Downholland or Halsall.

[graleystives]

From The History of Downholland on www.downhollandpc.org.uk


Exactly when Haskayne School was founded and by whom is unclear, but the datestone for 1802 on the old buildings - now private residences next to the school - confirm that it was in existence long before the Education Act of 1870. It is probable that there had been a `dame's' school in the village since the 1750s or perhaps it was an outpost of the school held in Halsall Church. Certainly the Church of England have controlled it since the nineteenth century. Despite being Roman Catholics, the Scarisbrick family, as lords of the manor, contributed generously towards the funding of the present school building; in fact there are two shields on the wall of the School, one reads 'Erected by the Marquis and Count de Casteja AD 1890'. In the early days the children had to pay a small amount to their teacher towards her stipend and for the slates and chalks that was provided for them. The earliest recorded teachers are Catherine Mawdsley and her daughter Eliza Yates, who followed her mother into the post of headmistress in the 1850s.


The site also mentions a book called 'The Village School Haskayne' by Dr Mona Duggan. She is the local historian. I believe she lectured in history at Lancaster University and is a local resident.

[jillstatton]

Thank you all. My initial enquiry regarding Haskayne School stemmed from the History of Downholland which graleystives has quoted in full. Having taken this on face value, I assumed that the school registers were thus still extant. The school dates from 1802, long before compulsory education in 1870.

Working down the list provided by the Education Officer, Lancashire Record Office replied that they did not hold them; Crosby Library responded that their library did not cover the area.

I was unsure, from the school website, that the school was indeed the same. I take it that it is, but in different premises? Now that the search has been narrowed down, I will endeavour to discover more from the school.

A further question - because school records were not legally bound to be deposited, is it likely that they could be in private hands?

[MaryA]

Lancashire Record Office don't hold any for Haskayne, Downholland or Halsall.

I had telephoned the Lancashire Record Office on your behalf to ensure the accuracy of my response above.

Yes they could be in private hands, although officially they maybe shouldn't be, if somebody had taken them into safe keeping without a record having been noted of where they had gone.

[Hilary]

There is no compulsion for any school admission and log books to be deposited anywhere as they are not classed as public records and belong to the school. Some local authorities completed ones to be deposited when a school closes. However this is a fairly recent development probably during the last 30 years or so and depends on the local authority.

Many old records may have simply been binned when a school closed or was rebuilt or been taken home and forgotten about. For instance I know of one local school that when it closed and was being demolished someone walking past took some books out of the skip and one of them was the admission register for the school.

Another local school recently found a pile of admission registers in a cupboard. The oldest of these started in 1862 and belonged to the school that was replaced by the school they were found in.

Haskayne school may still have it's old registers as it is an old foundation but there is no guarantee that they have neither is there any guarantee that they will have anyone available to answer family history questions.

Hilary
Ed Officer

[graleystives]

There are quite a few email addresses on the www.downhollandpc.org.uk website.
Maybe you could email someone and ask about the records. It is a small place and I am sure, for example, the parish council, could either help or put you in touch with someone who could help.
I work for a Foundation School and we have our records.