Published in Windlesora 18 (2000)
© WLHG
The origins of St Peter’s School go back to the eighteenth century when in 1725, Dr La Croze, the vicar of Old Windsor left money to build ‘“‘a little convenient dwelling for a master who shall teach the children”. This house adjacent to the Penny Royal Almshouses seems to have been the first village school.
The next documented contribution to education was the drawing up of the will of Lady Onslow, of the Priory, leaving £500 ‘for the instruction, particularly teaching to read, of so many of the poor children of the parish as her executors should think proper subjects of such instruction”. This money became available when Lady Onslow died in 1812. In 1799 Mrs Hammarsley bequeathed £1000 for the setting up of a school. However, this money was not readily available.
In 1809 Princess Elizabeth, George III’s daughter, established the Jubilee School of Industry (to celebrate King George III’s Golden Jubilee), wherein ten girls were to be boarded and clothed and with six others, taught ‘needlework, spinning and such employments as would qualify them for situations as servants”. This school was supported by regular contributions from the Queen, Princesses Augusta, Elizabeth and Mary, Viscount Ashbrook (of Beaumont) and other gentry. Those on the subscribers list could nominate a girl to join the school provided she had attained the age of nine years.
When girls were admitted to the school, they were required to bring 2 combs, 1 brush, 2 pairs of shoes, 4 shifts, 4 pairs of worsted stockings, 4 pocket handkerchiefs, 2 pockets, 2 night-caps, | skirt, 1 pair of patterns (heavy shoes) and a box with a lock and key to hold them, a dark brown stuff (woollen) gown, 2 flannel coats and a pair of stays (corsets). In some cases a few of the items might be provided by the school.
The girls were expected to behave well. “Those not tractable can be dismissed”, and in 1888 Elizabeth Moore was expelled for “improper behaviour”.
The needlework produced by the girls was sold, and girls might receive some pocket money, but it was never a commercial concern.
When a girl left after six years, if she had “conducted herself properly” she was entitled to be given, by the school: 4 shifts, 4 pairs of worsted stockings, 2 pairs of shoes, 2 pockets, 4 pocket handkerchiefs, 2 coloured neck handkerchiefs, 4 white neck handkerchiefs, 2 night-caps, 3 day-caps, 2 checked aprons, 2 white aprons, 1 woollen apron, 1 stuff gown, 1 cotton gown, 1 flannel petticoat, 1 stuff petticoat, a pair of stays, cloak and gloves, the last years’ school gown and bonnet, a Bible and a Prayer book.
In 1825 the Rev. Gossett, Vicar of Old Windsor, realised there was a need to extend schooling in the village. He wrote to HRH Princess Elizabeth, explaining the situation, and the old Jubilee School closed to be replaced by a new school on a new site next to the Penny Royal Almshouses in 1826. It seems to have incorporated the original boys’ school and the school supported by Lady Onslow’s bequest. It was known as the Jubilee and Onslow School of Industry.
In 1813 the school which started as Dr La Croze’s School and was supported by Lady Onslow had become a National School and received funding from the National Society for Promoting the Education of the Poor in the Principles of the Established Church.
In 1815 the school claimed the money left by Mrs Ann Hammarsley, but this was refused on the grounds that the girls were not being taught the full syllabus intended by the testatrix – in particular baking and brewing. Eventually, in 1843 a compromise was reached and the money came to the school on the understanding that the children should be taught the “National” curriculum; reading, writing and arithmetic in the mornings and vocational subjects such as baking and needlework for the girls and gardening and woodwork for the boys in the afternoons.
The school was housed in a miscellaneous collection of buildings including the two cottages provided by Lady Onslow in 1813 which had been repaired and extended in 1818 to form two schools (boys and girls) side by side. In 1858 the schools were rebuilt at a cost of £749.7s. 1d.
In 1870 an infant school was built and the mistress’ house was enlarged at a cost of £432.3s.6d. In 1876 there were extensive repairs and improvements and in 1879 the schoolmaster’s house was rebuilt.
In 1876 the Elementary Education Act was passed and this made education compulsory for all children aged 5-10. The supposition was that children would remain at school until they were 14. However, if children over 10 could be shown to be “beneficially and necessarily” employed they could, provided they had passed the government standard 4 exam, reduce their time at school to 150 attendances (75 days) per annum.
Education was not free, although the fees could be paid by the Guardians of the Poor if families could not afford them. The school’s accounts for 1877 are interesting:
| Income: | |
| Hammarsley bequest | £89 0s 10d |
| Onslow bequest | £23 2s 6d |
| Voluntary Annual Subscriptions (76-77) | £52 16s 0d |
| Voluntary Annual Subscriptions (77-78) | £42 13s 0d |
| School Pence 1877 | £39 4s 11d |
| Government Grant | £82 19s 0d |
| School Fees: | ||
| Children of Tradesmen | 2 eldest 4d | rest 2d |
| Children of Gardeners, Servants etc. | Eldest 3d | rest 2d |
| Children of Labourers | 2 eldest 2d | rest 1d |
| Headmaster’ s Salary Grant | £75 per annum plus a house, garden, fuel and drawing |
| Mistress’ Salary | £55 per annum plus a furnished apartment, garden, fuel and £1 for lights and travel |
There were 44 boys, 52 girls and 62 infants, a total of 158
The inspector’s report for 1877 shows:
| Boys School | Standard work and geography fairly good |
| History- poor | |
| Behaviour- good | |
| Girls School | Fairly good (remembering Mistress’ drawbacks) |
| Needlework – fair | |
| Reading and behaviour – admirable | |
| Infants | Very fair taken all round. |
The school was at this time known as the Hammarsley, Onslow and National School. In 1899 it became a mixed school and was known as the Onslow and Hammarsley School and designated an elementary school.
The names of the masters and mistresses of the school are recorded from 1840 and in some cases they were married couples. Many of them served for only a few years and not all were satisfactory. For example, following an inspection in 1864 it was resolved “to get a Master and Mistress of higher tone and attainments, and to cause Mr and Mrs Massey to resign”. On another occasion a master who ill-treated boys was dismissed “on account of a general absence of kindness and sympathy”. Some staff did not like Old Windsor – Miss Moore, appointed in February 1893, resigned in March “finding the country dull” and her replacement only stayed a week!
However, in 1901 Mr John Wilkes, who had been head from 1882, was succeeded by Mr William Ellis, who stayed until he retired in 1944 and epitomised Old Windsor School for many villagers. He was succeeded by Mr John Hunter, the last head to live in the school house, which was later converted into the office and staff rooms. In 1960 new classrooms and the hall were built.
The school enjoys extensive playing fields which were bought from Queen’s College, Oxford in 1911. Three acres were purchased for £300. In 1935 Queens College gave additional land for the erection of extra buildings, but they were not provided at that time.
In 1977 the school became St Peter’s Middle School, taking children aged 9 to 13, and new buildings were added at the back and the old-school classroom demolished. Recently the popularity of the school and a need for extra school places has resulted in considerable extra building work providing a new library, computer room, art and music studios, extra classrooms, an improved entrance and a medical room.
Margaret Gilson
(Web editor note February 2024:
1. The wealthy benefactors were: Mrs Hammarsley (or Hammersley), the wife of Hugh Hammersley. He acquired a house called Woodside in 1752 upon his marriage to Ann Clark (Wikipedia). Woodside is a significant property with gardens and park on Crimp Hill near Old Windsor. Hammersley rebuilt the house in 1755 and it is now owned by Sir Elton John. Also bequeathing monies, was Mary, the Dowager Lady Onslow, who lived in another noted Old Windsor property, The Priory, following the death of her husband, a peer and politician, Richard Onslow, 3rd Baron Onslow, in 1776.
2. The signature on the drawing of the school in 1999, is probably Gilson.)
Windsor Local History Group 