Conception Bay Schools

We have to acknowledge, with thanks, from the Rev. W. Pilot, B.A., the Report of the Public Schools of Newfoundland, under Church of England Boards, for the year ended 31st De- cember, 1887. We extract there from the following with reference to the schools in the districts of Bay Roberts and Spaniards Bay –

DISTRICT OF BAY ROBERTS.

It gives me pleasure again to state that, as rule, the Schools in this District are among the best under my superintendence. The School property, with the exception of the Schoolroom at Spaniard’s Bay Big Pond, is most eligible ar in excellent condition, but I regret to add that the Board is embarrassed by a heavy debt contracted in their construction.
Coley’s Point-Eighty children here passed excellent examination. The first class read well and intelligently; worked difficult sums in arithmetic, had made a good start in algebra, and worked on the blackboard three or four problems of Euclid. This is almost the only School where children have been presented for examination in this last named subject. In other subjects, as geography and grammar, much intelli- gence was shown. Two members of the Board were present during the examination, and prizes which had been then competed for were distributed to the successful competitors. On a subsequent day I examined Mr. Barnes, the Teacher, for his First Grade. The Board of Examiners have not yet pronounced upon his papers.

Bay Roberts, West. The Teacher, Mr. Kent, from whom I was led to expect substantial results, suddenly left the School about two months before the examination. His place had been supplied by a worthy and intelligent successor, who had just begun work at the time of my visit. I saw the ground work laid for a prosperous School, and subsequent reports have confirmed my opinion in this particular.

Bay Roberts, Central- A capital School with an enthusiastic Master. The children were under excellent discipline and acquitted themselves much to my liking in all subjects from the low- est to the first class Mensuration had been taught to about twelve pupils, who found readily the area of figures of various forms and dimensions. Mr Bancroft has also successfully con- ducted a class in navigation. Three of his pupils were found competent last year to become Masters of Bankers, and others of Labrador craft. I strongly recommend that some remuneration be made him to encourage a study fraught with Increasing importance to the community.

French’s Cove-Present 21 out of 23 on the register. The winter attendance is about sixty; children had not returned from School after their arrival from Labrador at the time of my Visit. Some good points observable, but the work was unequal in the several small classes.

Spaniards Bay Pond-Present 47 out of 53 registered. Much punctuality in attendance; progress fair since my former visit; local pronunciation very prevalent. Teacher attentive.

Country Path-A fair School both in numbers and attainments. Teacher since left to take School in District of Carbonear

DISTRICT OF SPANIARD’S BAY.

Spaniards Bay.-Present 30 out of 46 registered. Matters were much improved since my last report. The School-room has been furuish- ed with back board, maps and desks, and a few other necessary apparatus; and the children, the boys particularly, were under better discipline. In School work the results were but fair in reading. spelling and arithmetic. The writing was better, while only a beginning had been made in geography and English grammar.

Bishop’s Cove-A C.C C. School, under an attentive and painstaking Teacher. The tone of the twenty-five children pleased me much, as well in their seemly behaviour as in usual studies. The School premises were partially destroyed by fire in the early part of the year, and as repairs had not been effected, they had a very depressing appearance. I trust that arrangements now under consideration may result in a new School being erected in a more eligible and convenient situation.

Tilton.–Matters had much improved here. I was more pleased with my last than with any previous visit. Thirty-four present, out of 48 on the register. did fairly well in all subjects. The room is too small for the increasing import- ance of the place, and being used for Divine Service, is crowded with seats not required for purposes of the School. The premises require repairs.

New Harbor Road-This School, lately erected, supplies a long-felt need for this locality It is healthily and conveniently situated, and only requires some necessary furniture to make the work of teaching and learning pleasant and enticing The day of my visit was a very wet one, and only twenty five out of sixty-eight registered were in School; but I saw enough of the Teacher’s five months’ work upon these to as sure me that neither had been idle or inattentive, and that there is prospect of much good to the children of this formerly neglected locality.

The Bishop Cove School is not in the community of Bishop’s Cove, that school would be in the District of Upper Island Cove, the school was located on Bishop’s Cove Shore Road, colloquially known as Shore Road.

It is always interesting to read old school reports, one gets an idea of how hard it was to deliver an education to chidren who as in a previous post had to go to the Labrador to help fish, who had to look after younger siblings, who had to cease attending school in the spring to plant vegetables and in the fall to get them out of the ground. Then one has to consider the condition of the buildings, the quality of the teacher and more. An earlier post references children walking barefoot in the snow to attend snow, would these children, over fifty years later endure those hardships to learn.

The District of Bay Roberts was left in this post as a compare and contrast between the two communities and their schools.

A New School

HOUSE OF
ASSEMBLY.
MONDAY, February 10 1862

The house met at three o’clock.

Mr. Hayward presented a petition from the Rev’ds Bertram Jones, Julian Moreton, and others, which was received and read, setting forth that in the important settlement of Spaniard’s Bay, the Colonial Church and School Society has maintained a School for a long course of years, to the great and manifest benefit of the settlement and that the school is still continued in useful operation, and numbers at the present time 150 pupils; that the school buildings, rected more than 32 years since, are now in a state of great dilapidation, and in immediate need of renewal or extensive repair, and particularly that the school room is so small and confined as to be very hurtful to the health of the teacher and pupils, and a hindrance to the proper discipline and conduct of the school; that the teacher’s dwelling is in close connection with the school-room, being under the same roof, and pervaded by its impure air, to the detriment of his health and that of his family; that it is proposed to build a separate dwelling for the teacher, and to comprise the whole of the existing building in the school-room, in aid of which a grant has been obtained from the School Society; that from the known poverty of the people of the settlement, but little aid can be expected from them; and praying for a grant towards defraying the expense of such an erection.

The first school in Spaniard’s Bay was constructed in 1830/1831. A simple little school house with an attached residence for the teacher and his family. This school was also used as a church until 1842. Its location was on School House Hill, presently Church Hill, one hundred and forty years of educating young minds took place on that hill.

The first school had grossly outlived its usefulness, decades of storms battering it in its height. Years of use and various epidemics had made it unsafe to use.

It would be replaced during this decade under the leadership of Rev Julian Moreton, a native of Greenspond. He was only in Spaniard’s Bay a short period of time but reinvigorated the complacency that had crept into the mindset of the inhabitants.

Early Education in Spaniard’s Bay

Public education in Newfoundland since the early 19th century, has been shaped by two factors: religion and the economy.

The economy was based on a single industry, the fishery; the Protestant and Catholic churches, from 1843 onwards, dominated the educational system.

The Newfoundland School Society was established in June 1823. Some of the rules and regulations created by the N.S.S. were that the Schools must be managed by Masters and Mistresses of the United Church of England and Ireland and conducted on Dr. Bell’s system. They believed that through their schools “we shall discharge the claims of kindred and of philanthropy, and most effectually teach them to understand and rightly appreciate their connection with, and interest in the moral, as well as national greatness of their Mother Country”. The N.S.S. wanted to make the poor intelligent, grow into happy and useful people, intend that all the children of the schools should receive instruction in the Holy scriptures, one or more days/week instructed in the church catechism, and the attendance of the children be at the parents discretion.

The first N.S.S. school opened in St John’s in September 1824 with an enrolment of 75. Just two years later a larger building was needed to accommodate the 450 students; there was a staff of three teachers and a female monitor. The children were taught reading, writing, arithmetic, sewing, knitting and net-making. By 1829 there were 8 principal schools, located in the larger settlements, ran by society teachers, recruited and trained in England; and there were 15 branch schools in smaller communities. A year later in 1830, the Society operated 28 day schools with 1513 children around the Island, along with 18 Sunday schools and 10 adult evening schools for religious instruction. By 1836, its 46 schools were located as far north as Twillingate, along the south coast, and up the west shore to St. George’s Bay.

Schools in Newfoundland, especially in outport settlements, faced many problems and obstacles. The success of the schools was influenced by the conditions within the settlement, and these conditions often affected student attendance, payments, learning, and so forth. For example, conditions which affected the population were such things as illnesses (or epidemics) such as the flu, fever, whooping cough, smallpox, measles, etc. The weather also posed problems, severe snowstorms in the winter months often closed schools for days; and if the weather was too cold, children could not make it to school or could not keep the school in fuel for heat. The fishery affected the school and its attendance greatly. During the fishing season, children were often needed to help out in the fishery and could not attend school. Also, in smaller settlements, the teacher was allowed to attend the fishery in order to supplement their low teaching salaries; therefore, closing the school during that season. A failure in the fishery also had severe consequences as parents could not pay subscriptions to the school. Poverty also led to a lack of clothes and shoes which meant children could not be sent to school. The N.S.S., unlike other schools, tried their best to counter these obstacles. For example, the N.S.S. would send shipments of clothes and shoes from England to Newfoundland to give to poverty-stricken families so their children could continue to attend school.

N.S.S. schools were very successful and encountered very high enrolment numbers. They were able to educate so many children because they adopted the Dr. Bell System of teaching. This system originated in Madras, India in 1787, and it allowed older pupils to teach the younger children the lessons they had already mastered; this was very efficient as more children could be taught by one teacher. The Dr. Bell System provided tangible evidence that children were benefiting from this education as they were able to teach other children the lessons they had learned. Therefore, parents were much more interested in supporting and sending their children to these schools because of the quality of the education. The high student enrolment proved that the N.S.S. enjoyed much success in its short existence on the island.

Spaniard’s Bay school became an independent branch institution in 1829 with the erection of its first institution with an accompanying family dwelling for the teacher. Prior to this time, students would travel from Spaniard’s Bay to Harbour Grace for instruction.

For a small outport community in the early 19^th Century building a church or a school would be quite the undertaking. Newfoundland has a limited opening for construction, when weather permits construction most of the men would be engaged in the inshore fishery, this left women and children to bear most of the assistance in ensuring it could be done. “…women and children gather rocks and materials for building the chimney, while others served masons with bricks and mortar.”

The first teacher in Spaniard’s Bay was Joseph Griffin who in 1831 gave a very pleasing account of the eagerness and of course, willingness of the children of the community to benefit and improve themselves through obtaining an education.

The children of the community are quite eager to learn. This is exemplified by them walking at least half a mile for instruction through heavy falls of snow, some of the children do this without the benefit of shoes or stockings. They will even attend the Evening school as well as the day school to learn.

Griffin writes “…it would please our friends to see our schoolroom filled on the Sabbath they flock in like bees into a hive before a storm…” By 1832 the day school had 50 children, the evening school 36 and the Sunday School 98.

Throughout the next few years the attendance at the school had been good, particularly with the Sunday School. Most importantly the quality of the students their ability to learn has been improving.

By 1833 there was some disappointment with the daily school not being of the same number as the Sunday School, quite simply because the children do not possess shoes and stockings and the weather has been rather severe.

At this point in the community on Sundays the schoolroom is more often than not filled to capacity due to the attendance of the children and their parents. Mr. Griffin has on many times been forced to ask the parents to return later. Their simply reply is that “…that they want to hear the Word of God…” They have had no teacher but him and they are unable to read themselves. They hope to be allowed to remain and listen to what he will be teaching the children.

The construction of the schoolroom has created some interesting side effects. There is a growing desire to have continuing instruction, not just for the children but adults as well. Griffin believes that a decided improvement has occurred in the bay. He has also found that there is a much greater observation of the Lord’s Day. He notes in his school reports that he is the sole provider of religious instruction.

Mr. Willoughby, one of the school’s superintendents spent part of a Sunday in Spaniard’s Bay with Mr. Griffin and became quite satisfied with the order of his school and his manner of conduction services with the adults. Since there is no separate church edifice, no missionary to this area, it is recommended that Mr. Griffin continue to do what he has been doing; reading the church liturgy and printed sermons. Compared to the larger, more populous areas the attendance is small, but the teacher is of a missionary character which makes the post in Spaniard’s Bay as important as any other occupied by the society.

Even the poorest members of Spaniard’s Bay contribute to the School Society some give half or even a full quintal of fish(half quintal is 56lbs, full quintal is 112lbs). Most importantly, they keep the schoolroom supplied with firewood.

February 24^th, 1833 the schoolroom was nearly destroyed by fire. Mr. Griffin had been awoken by the smell of smoke and discovered that the schoolroom stove had ignited the floor and could not put it out due to lack of water. He gave an alarm, received assistance and the fire was extinguished by use of snow being shovelled on it. The floorboards and joists were burned black but nothing that could not be repaired.

The teacher’s salary at this point was £40, 14 shillings which is about $8200 CAD in 2018.

The school children receive fairly regular donations of shoes and clothing from England, in particular Islington, which enable them to attend more regularly, which creates an interest by the parents and adult relatives to attend which results in a noticeably increasing attention to religion and a change of conduct in many individuals.

The school through various donations now has a lending library, books and tracts are regularly dispensed especially to those going on a sealing voyage. The thriving state of the school is such that it now possesses a select number of former scholars and teachers who now provide assistance to Mr. Griffin.

By the late 1830’s the schoolroom has been serving a dual purpose, teaching and a church building, conditions are now such that the people of Spaniard’s Bay are planning to commence with the construction of a church. By the community’s recollection in the last ten years they may have seen a minister twenty times. Bishop Spencer has visited a few times and found the school and schoolmaster very satisfactory. The Spencer was much pleased with the students writing and ciphering(mathematics) and with the girls needlework. His donation of a sovereign($175CAD in 2018) was used to purchase bibles.

The early 1840’s saw an influenza epidemic strike the community, Mrs. Griffin was confined to her bed for a period time, the numbers of children attending school dropped, school was closed for a season.

On June 5^th, 1842 Bishop Aubrey Spencer consecrated the Church of the Holy Trinity, the successor to the school room that the community used for so many years. On the same day the teacher, Joseph Griffin was ordained and installed as the first rector of the mission. He did not abandon his teaching duties. In 1846 he left Spaniard’s Bay and by 1851 arrived in Lakefield Quebec. Rev Griffin was the driving force behind the erection of there and in neighbouring Shrewsbury. His ambition and dedication to education led to the first school in Lakefield and four more in Gore Quebec, all by 1858. Rev Griffin died in St. Andrew’s Quebec and is buried in Lakefield Cemetery.

children, education, news, school, schools

children, education, news, school, schools

children, education, news, school, schools

children, education, news, school, schools