East Stockwith - opening a new school

Articles about new Methodist Day and Sunday Schools often appeared in local newspapers in the 19th century. The extract below was noted by me when trawling through copies of one of England’s oldest surviving local newpapers – “The Lincoln, Rutland and Stamford Mercury” – many years ago in the Lincoln Local Studies Library. 

From “The Lincoln, Rutland and Stamford Mercury – 16th July 1847 

EAST STOCKWITH – OPENING A NEW SCHOOL 

“The 8th July was a day which it is believed and hoped will long be remembered by the parents and rising generation of East Stockwith with the opening of a new Day School under the auspices and patronage of the dissenters. A sermon was preached in the afternoon by the Rev J Hindson, Superintendent Wesleyan Methodist Minister. At 5 o’clock a large number of friends took an excellent tea in the schoolroom. After tea, the company retired to the Wesleyan Chapel where several animated and effective addresses were delivered by T Farmer, Esq., chairman, and the Revs Hindson, Sanderson and Jackson. The proceeds of the tea, with the collection amounted to upwards of £10. The school has been established in consequence of the arbitrary conduct of an inflated person in the parish.

This establishment of a joint Wesleyan-Primitive Methodist School in rivalry with the Church of England School has not improved relations in the parish.

Some months ago, a school was established by the Rev H C Barker in connexion with the new church of which he lately become the incumbent and a schoolmaster was imported from Gainsborough to rear the tender thought of the rising generation at Stockwith. For some time, the parties who had promoted the school had reason to congratulate themselves on the prospect of success, until an unfortunate dispute between the Master and the Clerk of the church occurred, which caused a rupture between the former and the reverend incumbent. The result was, that the Master after a long apostacy, re-entered the ranks of the Wesleyans, who have appointed him Master of their rival school.” 

It is also worth noting that the population of East Stockwith in the 1851 Census was only 350.

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In his book “Methodist Records for Family Historians” published by The Family History Partnership [2014] ISBN 978 1 906280 44 4, Richard states that “Newspapers are a rich source of information about Methodist activities in local chapels and circuits. There may be reports about Sunday services and weekday meetings, Chapel Anniversaries, Sunday School Anniversaries, Chapel and Sunday School Outings, Boys’ Brigade and Girls’ Brigade activities, Choir Concerts, Circuit Rallies – especially the annual celebration of Wesley Day on May 24th and pen portraits of prominent local worthies some of whom were Methodists.”

For a comprehensive index of holdings of Local Newpapers see “Local Newspapers 1750-1920 in England, Wales, Channel Islands and IOM- a select Location List” [Third edition] by Jeremy Gibson et al, published by The Family History Partnership [2011] ISBN 978 1 906280 31 4.