Great Snoring and Little Snoring in Norfolk England: Education

Places: Great Snoring Schools

Great & Little Snoring of course had educational facilities.

.Kelly's directory of 1854 refers to a National School in Great Snoring and the earlier directory of 1845, whilst not mentioning the school, notes Benjamin Bray as schoolmaster in the village.

Great Snoring's Village School sat next to St Mary's Church. It existed for over a century but is now a private home after being converted in the late 1980s and then redeveloped by the current owners seven years ago.

Great Snoring 'School next to the Church' is pictured to the left.

1811-1859 National Schools

National Schools were founded by members of the Church of England who formed the National Society after 1811 to provide the children of the poor with an Anglican education.

Some sources claim that National Schools were formed in reaction to British Schools that provided a non-conformist education. (Records of individual schools are held in the National Society Archives and may include further records on Great Snoring).

Cottage School in The Street

In The Street in Great Snoring there are two linked cottages with a raised area behind a brick wall. There my relative George Southgate lived at one time. These two cottages, according to the previous rector Mr Roseveare (who left in 1902) were once used for a school. (See photo right)

Previous to the building of the school next to the Church in 1859, boy and girls were taught on weekdays and Sundays at these cottages by Christopher Mallett and his wife, from 1848 onwards. (Also, at the back of these cottages the Methodist meetings were originally held.)

Orpah Dye until her death in 1844 took very young children in her cottage in the Street to teach them writing. Rector Roseveare wrote that until 1840's there was no education for boys, but girls were taught in two cottages "one to the north of the Church, now occupied by Robt. Gent ie adjoining Rose Cottage, the other, now occupied by James Dawson, opposite Manor Farm".

In 1848 Christopher and Catherine Mallett were appointed to teach "at houses now occupied by George Southgate and George Marsh". Annie Styman was appointed to teach in 1906.

There is much more information about Great Snoring School in the booklet "Great Snoring in the Thirties" which is viewable on this website. SEE THE LINK HERE.

Schoolmasters

Benjamin Bray was listed as a teacher in the 1845 town directory. Born in Great Snoring in 1828, he was the son of William Bray, a farmer. Benjamin would have been just 17 when teaching in Great Snoring. By 1851, he had moved to King's Lynn where he remained as a teacher at the National School in St Margaret's parish until 1881.

1845 - Benjamin Bray, Schoolmaster.
1859 - Great Snoring School was a mixed school built in 1859 for 100 pupils. Boys from the workhouse went to the school, whilst the girls went to Thursford. (Kellys 1892/6)
The teachers at the purpose-built school were:
1851 - Christopher Mallett born in Blakeney, Norfolk in 1829 and was the son of a tailor. In 1851, Christopher lodged with Benjamin Bray's family in Great Snoring and in 1853 Christopher married Benjamin's sister Catherine Leeder Bray who later served as School Mistress. Christopher is buried in the village churchyard with a splendid gravestone. The Mallet's cottage on the High Street served as the Post Office.
1883 - Parochial mixed school, almost entirely supported by the Rector; Harry Green, master.
1892 - Harry Green (1860-1923 born in March, Cambridgeshire)

Photo above is of Harry Green at his son's wedding.

Harry Stanley Green, the son of Henry Green (known as 'Jack') was born in Gt Snoring to Henry and his wife (my relative) Elizabeth SOUTHGATE. Harry married Olive Bushell in May 1920. Those who acted as witnesses to the marriage were Esther Bushell (Olive's sister) and William Barrow. On the wedding photo seen to the right, some others are identified. Please let me know if you have additional information.

MY PERSONAL MOMENT OF ENLIGHTENMENT

At the risk or boring you I'll tell you what happened when I wrote this page. Halfway through I shouted "UNCLE HARRY!!" That must have worried the neighbours. But it took me back many years to when my mother was alive, and she became Type2 diabetic. She was very concerned because "Uncle Harry lost both his legs, and he was a diabetic" . But she never told me who her Uncle Harry was!

Later on when I started compiling my family tree I searched in vain for a Harold, Henry or anybody related to my mother who could have been that person - so it remained a mystery.

Today I know who it is - the son of the Schoolmaster: Harry Stanley GREEN. How is he related to my mother? She was a SOUTHGATE of Gt. Snoring, and her father William's Grandfather was Charles Southgate, the Miller.

Charles's brother William Southgate and his bride Matilda Tuck were the parents of Elizabeth Southgate who married Harry Green (senior)! Their child of course was Henry Stanley Green of the same generation as my mother's father. My mother therefore saw him as her Uncle Harry. He died in 1961 at the age of 69. Mystery solved!

Harry Stanley GREEN
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Birth: 12 Dec 1892, Gt Snoring
Death: 29 Dec 1961, Norwich
Occ: Bank Manager and Corn Merchant

Known as Jack to family and friends. After surviving military service in World War I, he went into banking which saw him move to Beckenham in Kent, before being transferred to Norwich in the early 1920's. Harry lost his job in the Bank in 1936 and later started a corn merchant business in Norwich. He was a diabetic. (see above)

Spouse: Olive Winifred BUSHELL
Birth: 10 Sep 1894, Gt Snoring
Death: 24 Oct 1983, Stevenage
Father: William Charles BUSHELL (1865-1951)
Mother: Ann Leah SOUTHGATE-HARRISON (1867-1949)
Marr: 25 May 1920, Gt Snoring

Harry Stanley married local Snoring girl, Olive Winifred Bushell, on 25 May 1920 in Great Snoring Parish Church. The Bushell family came from an agricultural machinery background, although they were latterly farmers. Harry Green and Elizabeth Southgate both attended the wedding.

Children: John Douglas GREEN (1921-1991)
Phillip GREEN (1924-1968)