Buckden - a Huntingdonshire Village

EDUCATION IN BUCKDEN 170 CHAPTER 13/ EDUCATION IN BUCKDEN Susan B. Edgington Although primarily known as an academic and author specialising in medieval history, Dr Edgington also has a strong interest in local history. She was the founder Chairman of Buckden Local History Society and wrote Buckden: a short history (1980). Her other publications include Gendering the Crusades (2001) and Albert of Aachen (2007). The Charity School chooling in Buckden was well established two centuries before the Elementary Education Act of 1870 made its provision statutory. In 1661, a prominent member of the community, Robert Rayment, died and in his will instructed his heirs thus: yearely and every yeare forever as long as the world indures pay or cause to be payd unto the Minister and Churchwardens of Buckden aforesayd for the tyme being the like summe of tenn pounds of lawfull money of England to be payd halfe yearely the first payment to be and begin six monthes after the expiracon of the first three yeare aforemenconed to be payd to such a teacher or scholemaster as shall be approved by the major part of the Jury commonly called the twenty men wch teacher or scholemaster shall yearely ingage to learne the English tongue unto such Inhabitants children both male and female as shall be poore and unable to pay for their Childrens scholeing. And that the same teachger shall learne such poore children of Bugden aforesayd in the same towne the grounds and principles of true religion according to the Church of England as the same is established by our gracious and pious prince King Charles the Second. And I desire and intreate the Minister of Buckden from tyme to tyme to see and examine such Children and to see that such teacher or scholemaster doe and performe his duty. Robert Rayment’s meticulous arrangements were not made in vain. A schoolmaster was appointed in 1665 and receipts for the money were recorded twice a year in the Churchwardens’ Account Book until it ended in 1774. The list of teachers includes five members of the Burder family, in three generations. For three short periods the teacher was a woman, and for three year the vicar did the job himself, either because a suitable candidate was not available or to supplement his stipend. Most remarkably, for two years (1706-7) the post was held by a woman who was unable to sign her own name. It is worth noting that Rayment’s faith in posterity was not misplaced: his charity still exists today (albeit no longer in his name) and is used by the school to buy books and by the Church Sunday School. Following the good example of Robert Rayment there was Bishop Green, who died in 1779 and is thought to be buried in the parish church: John Green, Lord Bishop of Lincoln, who had in his lifetime given a house and garden in Buckden for the residence of the master of the parish school, by his will dated 17 August 1778, gave to the ministers and churchwardens of Buckden £200 in trust[…]the dividends or interests of which should be yearly paid to the schoolmaster of that parish. In teaching the poor children to read and write, such Schoolmaster[…]to be removable for any misbehaviour. (Report of the Charity Commissioners, 1836) Thus at the end of the eighteenth century there was already in Buckden a parish school with a paid schoolmaster and a school-house. This was to be the nucleus for growth in the nineteenth century. The report goes on to explain that the monies: are paid to a schoolmaster appointed by the Minister and Churchwardens, who resides in the house given by the Bishop, which, and the parish schoolroom, are kept in repair by the Parish. The duty of the master is to instruct 30 boys, the children of settled parishioners in Buckden, gratis, and the boys are S