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Land for a School at Lacey Green 1875

Schoolmistress in census of 30th March 1851

Report from Joan West

The conveyancing document, although typically verbose, leaves in no doubt the intended purpose and restrictions of the land now occupied by St Johns School.

It also indicates that 'for many years', on what was a smaller plot than is apparent today, other buildings were already in existence for schooling. The enabling Act would have been passed in 1842 (5th year of reign) to give some idea of how long we might have had a school.

Copy of the conveyancing document:

I, Charles Brown ,of Lacey Green in the Parish of Princes Risborough in the County of Buckingham:

Gentleman,
under the authority of an Act passed in the fifth year of the reign of Her Majesty Queen Victoria entitled

"An Act To Afford Further Facilities For The Conveyance And Endowment Of Sites For Schools"

and of the Act of the eighth year of the reign of her present Majesty explaining the same, do hereby freely and voluntarily and without valuable consideration, grant and convey unto the Minister and churchwardens of the Ecclesiastical District of St. John the Evangelist at Lacey Green in the parish of Princes Risborough aforesaid and their successors:

all that piece or parcel of ground situate and being at Lacey Green in the Parish of Princes Risborough aforesaid, containing eleven poles or thereabouts be the same more or less and measuring in length adjoining the High Road there twenty-one and a half yards or thereabouts and in depth sixteen yards or thereabouts as the same is now fenced out and divided from other land of the said Charles Brown and which piece of land intended to be hereby conveyed was many years ago given by the said Charles Brown for the purposes hereinafter mentioned and on which piece of land schools and other buildings have for some years been created and built together with all easements, appurts. and heredities corporal and incorporal belonging thereto or therewith and all my estate right title and interest in or to the same premises to hold the same unto and to the use of the said minister and churchwardens and their successors for the purposes of the said act and upon trust, subject nevertheless to the proviso hereinafter contained, to permit the said premises and all buildings thereon erected or to be erected to be for ever hereafter appropriated and used as and for a school for the education of children and adults or children only of the labouring, manufacturing and other poorer class in the district aforesaid and as a residence for the teacher or teachers of the said school and for no others purpose.

And it is hereby declared that the said school shall always be in union with and conducted according to the principles and in furtherance of the acts and assigns of the Incorporated National Society for promoting the Education of the poor in the principles of the established church throughout England and Wales - Provided always and it is hereby declared that the said Minister and churchwardens and their successors shall and may from time to time and at any time hereafter with the consent and at the request of the National Society for promoting the education of the poor in the principles of established church throughout England and Wales, otherwise grant or convey for educational purposes but not otherwise, to the body corporate or person the whole of the estate or interest hereby vested in their ,or any smaller, interest in the said school in such manner and upon such terms as the said society shall as aforesaid direct and subject to the declaration aforesaid, the said school and the funds and endowments thereof and the selection appointment and dismissal of the school teachers and their assistants shall be in all respects under the management and control of a committee to consist of the Minister for the time being of the said Ecclesiastical District,the chosen Curate or Curates if the said Minister shall appoint him or them to be a Member or Members of the said committee, the churchwardens of the said District.

If members of the Established church and subscribers of not less than ten shillings annually to funds of the said school and of three other persons being members of the established church and subscribers of not less than ten shillings annually to the funds of the said school and any vacancy which may occur in the said committee by death ,resignation or otherwise of any of the aforesaid other persons, shall be filled up by the nomination on the part of the continuing or surviving member of another person or persons being bone-fide in member or members of the Established Church and qualified as aforesaid.

Provided always that the religions instruction to be given in the said school and the entire central and management of any Sunday school held in the school premises shall be vested in the said Minister for the time being or in his absence in the officiating Minister.

And in case any dispute or difference shall arise on any matter respecting the religious instruction given in the said school an appeal may be made to the Bishop of the Diocese whose decision in writing upon the matter in dispute shall be final and conclusive and binding upon all parties.

In witness whereof, I the said Charles Brown have hereunto set my hand and seal this third day of February in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and seventy five.

Signed Sealed and Delivered by the above named Charles Brown in the presence of Thos: Parrott, Aylesbury, Bucks, Solicitor.

Schoolmistress in census of 30th March 1851

Report from Joan West

One person caught my attention in the 1851 census (the first complete census in Lacey Green) and this was Mary Ann Floyd, schoolmistress. After that there was no trace of her.

It is widely believed that Ann Floyd was the first teacher because she had lived into her nineties and her grandson, Harry Floyd, remembered her well. She spoke as if she was the first. So who was Mary Ann Floyd and what became of her?

The Household Census Entry In 1851

At the time there were 24 "scholars" aged from 4 to 10 years.

John Floyd`s grandfather was a yeoman, farming Kiln Farm and working the associated brickworks. He also called himself a shopkeeper. When John was born in 1820 his father also was listed as farmer, so as an agricultural labourer John probably worked for his father or grandfather. It was usual for members of the family to work together.

John and the children were all born in Lacey Green but Mary Ann came from Thorncombe in Devon. She could well have come to Lacey Green in service to one of the wealthier families that moved here, but we have yet to find this out. Her maiden name was Cook.

Although she disappeared out of local records she was mentioned in the book "A Chiltern Village School". In the foreword I quoted this as "one last mystery to be unravelled" As a result I received a letter, sent to Roger Ward who had the book on his stand at the Eastleigh Leisure Centre (Hampshire), which he forwarded to me and I quote:

I am delighted to be the unraveller! Mary Ann Floyd, the schoolteacher was my great grandmother. Her son Albert Joseph, of course being my grandfather. My mother Annie Floyd, born 1890, died 1980, knew very little about the Floyds, as after Mary Ann`s early death, John Floyd made a second marriage.

The family history as far as my mother knew was thus. Mary Ann came from the Lyme Regis area, which we now know was Thorncombe. After my grandfather was born, she had another child, when this child was six weeks old, she of course wanted to introduce the infant to her family. It was winter time. Goodness knows how they travelled. Sadly they both developed pneumonia and died.

Her family name was Cook. I have never managed to trace them, because I have always concentrated on Lyme Regis, but Thorncombe offers a new lead. I take the liberty of sending the information to you (Roger Ward) as my only contact and ask if you would kindly pass it on to Joan West.

Roger Ward did just that. Thank you Roger.

N.B. The "unraveller" was Susan Little from Ohio,U.S.A. It`s a small world, full of surprises for the local historian!

School Extension 2009

Photographs of School Link Building taken 15 Jan 2010

1. Approaching new main entrance
2. Exterior of corridor
3. Exterior from Sports Club side
4. Original entrance from Sports Club side
5. From inside new main entrance doors
6. From inside new main entrance doors towards the Middle School
7. What Room ?
8. Teachers' Workroom
9. Teachers' Workroom
10. Teachers' Workroom
11. Corridor to Staffroom
12. Group Room
13. Corridor from First School to new main entrance
14. Head Teacher's Room
15. Reception Office from Reception
16. Reception
17. Reception Office
18. Reception Office
19. Disabled toilet with shower
20. Disabled toilet with shower
21. Year 2 classroom
22. Year 2 classroom
23. Year 2 classroom

First School = years 1 & 2, Middle School = years 3, 4, 5 & 6

Click on picture for larger version

To see how the building work progressed click on Building Progress 2009

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