Other Windsor Schools

Maids Acre (Garfield Place off Russell Street)

In 1819 The National School was founded, its purpose was to enable large numbers of poor children to be taught cheaply. In order to do this older children, known as Monitors were used to cascade information, this is known as the Monitorial System.

On October 18^th, 1819 “a meeting held in the Vestry Room decided that a boy and a girl be sent from the Central School to assist in forming the National School.” This refers to the Central School in Baldwin’s Gardens, Battersea, for 600 boys and 400 girls, used for teacher training; and the boy or girl were probably older monitors who would be used to the “Madras” System, and who doubtless came to Windsor to introduce it.

The cost amounting to £1,200. Sir Herbert Taylor and Charles Knight were the original trustees.

The first stone was laid on 20th October, 1819 by Major-General Sir Herbert Taylor and Edward Hawke Locker.

On 24th December, 1819 “a committee meeting, held at the town hall, formulated plans for the conduct of the new school. Mr Knight was asked to print these in his next issue of the Windsor Paper.”

Fifteen years earlier a National School had been established at Eton, founded through the efforts of a friend of the younger Charles Knight, Antony Porny, a French master at the College.

On 10th January, 1820, a Mr. Marks and a Mrs. Pullen were temporarily appointed respectively to posts of Headmaster and Headmistress, until Mr. And Mrs. Stevenson of Sunninghill should be free to take up permanent appointments.

The Ladies’ School for Girls closed in 1820 and the income from its charities were transferred to the new school.

By December 1820 there were 180 boys and 125 girls in the school; and in April 1821, £100 was received from the National Society which reduced a debt to £112. By December 1823, the number on roll had risen to 238 boys and 167 girls.

This school was not so rich in investments as the others, but had some £300; and parts of certain other Charities (including the Ladies’ School already referred to) were applied to its upkeep. The interest from these funds was applied to the support of the new schools when this amalgamated with the “Charity” School in 1859.

The school was a Church School but not a Charity School, scholars would have been required to pay one or Two pence per week. Other subscribers were sort through advertising in the Windsor & Eton Express, voluntary contributions and collections after an annual sermon at the Windsor Parish Church. The children attending were mainly from poorer families although not the poorest slum dwellings.

??????????????????????????????????????????????????? was made to the National School by deed poll dated 19^th June, 1822 by The Rev. George Champagne, a Canon of St. Georges. He transferred a sum of £233 6s. 8d. Old South Sea Annuities to the Dean and Canons, the dividend from which were to be paid yearly to the Vicar of Windsor who was to “purchase clothes or books to be distributed in equal shares among such 14 boys and girls belonging to and receiving their Education at the National School at Windsor founded in the year 1819 and then kept in Peascod Street at Windsor.” Details follow as to how the scholars were to be examined. The stock has since been transferred to other securities, but as many boys and girls know, the Champagne Bibles are still presented every year, on the result of an examination in Religious knowledge.

The 1833 government survey shows the pupil numbers to be 216 male 171 female;

a lending Library is attached to this school.

In the Robson Directory of 1838 The National and Ladies School address is shown as in Peascod Street.

But by the eighteen-fifties the trustees agreed the need to amalgamate The National School with The Free School into one large new building. By order of the Court of Chancery, dated 25th May 1859, the real estate of the Free School, together with over £5,000 in investments, was transferred to Official Trustees, and a committee of Management appointed. The Trustees sold the Free School building using the proceeds for the new building on Maids’ Acre, adjoining Bachelors’ Acre. The rent of The National School building, situated off Clewer Lane, was to be applied for the same purpose, until the lease ran out.

The building of the new school proceeded without delay, the Maids’ Acre site was conveyed to the trustees in September 1861 and the old Royal Free School building sold in 1862 to become a Masonic hall, as it remains today.

The new school was to be called the Windsor Royal Free and Industrial School and was to be open to children of between seven and sixteen years of age, to include thirty-five boys and thirty-five girls as Free Scholars, ‘who would be fully clothed as heretofore, and should receive a free education.

Harrod & Co Directory 1876 190 scholars

W Wittington, master

Slater’s Directory 1852

Alfred John Christie, Master

Mary Ann Brother, Mistress