General

Linton School celebrates its centenary this year and we have previously looked back over the school’s eventful first year which coincided with the General Strike of 1926.

Now we have moved forward to the 1930’s and the build up to World War II.  Selected entries from the school log book read as follows:

May 12^th 1937 – (coronation of King George VI) The following programme of events was followed today.

10am – 12 noon: Broadcast of Coronation procession and service listened to by children in school hall.

1pm: Procession of children, boy scouts etc. round village.

1.30pm: Children’s sports on the Welfare Field, followed by tea in the Welfare Institute.

Children under 5 received Coronation mugs.

June 12^th 1937 – A combined sundial/birdbath was handed over by Mrs Gustard of the Women’s Institute as a Coronation memorial.

June 23^rd 1937 – The headmaster was absent today, attending a conference on Air Raid Precautions in Ashington.

Nov. 11^th 1937 – A short Armistice Service was held in the school hall this morning, which was open to the public. A fair number attended.

Jan. 28^th 1938 – Mr Tait left today to accompany the East Northumberland Schools football team which plays Manchester Boys tomorrow, in the fifth round of the English Schools’ Shield. Two boys from this school, Joshua Gray and Ronald Mitchell travelled to play on the team.

June 16^th 1938 – School will be closed tomorrow to allow a party going to the Glasgow Exhibition. 30 scholars and 7 adults will be travelling. (June 20^th – This was an enjoyable day with excellent weather).

July 1938 – the first indication of tensions in Europe cause by Hitler’s Germany is shown by the following memorandum concerning air raid precautions which is inserted into the school log book at this point.

Sept. 27^th 1938 – The children of the school were fitted with respirators today.

March 1^st 1939 – Joshua Gray travelled to London to play in an International Trial match, North v. South.

May 17^th 1939 – a party of children took part in the North of England Musical Tournament. Infants and juniors were successful for the third year in succession, winning trophies and banners.

Aug. 31^st 1939 – Instructions were transmitted by wireless that the school should be ready to receive children being evacuated from Newcastle and Gateshead tomorrow. Ordinary timetable was abandoned.

Sept. 1^st 1939 – A party of approximately 73 children, 3 teachers and 6 helpers arrived at noon from St. Lawrence’s Roman Catholic School in Newcastle. They were given a warm drink and assigned to billets in Linton, Ellington Village and Ellington Colliery.

Sept. 2^nd 1939 – A further party of mothers and children arrived and all were assigned to billets.

Sept. 6^th 1939 – A party of 120 children, headmaster Mr. Nichols and staff arrived from St. Columba’s Roman Catholic School in Wallsend. They were also found accommodation in Linton, Ellington Village and Ellington Colliery.

Sept. 11^th 1939 – School reopened today on a ‘two shift’ system. Linton children were accommodated between 9am and 12:30pm and evacuated children from 1:30pm until 5pm. An evening play centre was also instituted from 6-8pm with a rota of home and visiting teachers being arranged to supervise.

Sept. 15^th 1939 – Mr. Nichols, the head of St. Columba’s was compelled to leave this afternoon, suffering from a nervous breakdown.

Sept 18^th 1939 – The second week of the two shift system which was switched around, the evacuated children attending in the morning this week.

Sept. 20^th 1939 – The Roman Catholic Bishop of Newcastle & Hexham, Dr. MacCormack visited school this morning and expressed his keen appreciation of the way the children from Newcastle and Wallsend are being provided for.

Oct. 17^th 1939 – The air raid siren at the colliery sounded at 1:57pm today. Children who live in Linton were dispersed to their homes, while those who live at a distance were taken down into the cellar until the all clear signal was given at 3:25pm. School was abandoned for the day.

Nov. 8^th 1939 – A further party of 34 children and 3 staff were evacuated from Tynemouth and arrived today. 20 were found billets in Linton and 14 over at Ellington Village.

Dec. 18^th – 20^th 1939 – Christmas parties held for all local and evacuated children.

Jan. 3^rd 1940 – School opened after the Christmas holidays with 101 present out of 121 in the County school and 38 of 60 evacuees.

Jan. 8^th 1940 – More evacuees have returned home, so that there are now 56 in the school.

It is interesting to note that the school log book details that over 220 children were evacuated to Linton in 1939, but by 8^th January1940, that number was down to 56. No other comments were made regarding the reasons for children returning to Tyneside, and by October 1940, only 17 evacuated children remained at the school.

However, with lower numbers of evacuees, the school days then seemed to settle down to a little more like normality with very few mentions of the War (apart from air raid warnings), indeed the next few entries for the January and February of 1940 were all about the weather and the massive snowfalls of that winter.

This particular log book continues with entries regarding noteworthy events up until 1953 and can be viewed in our search room – Ref. CES 176/1/2

Linton School in 1962.  Photo Ref.  CES/176/5/17

Linton School celebrates its centenary this year and we looked back over the school’s eventful first year which unfortunately coincided with the General Strike of 1926 “in defence of miners’ wages and hours”. The General Strike took place from 4 to 12 May 1926 but the miners maintained their resistance for several more months.

Selected entries from the school log book read as follows:

May 1^st – The school was formally opened by Mr C. Williams, Director of Education for Northumberland, in the presence of a large and representative gathering.

May 3^rd – The school was opened to the children. 159 being present.

May 7^th – The piano arrived today.

May 14^th – School closed for the weekend. The average attendance is currently 93%.

May 28^th – Mr E. Chester, correspondent, visited the school this afternoon and paid the teachers at closing time.

June 2^nd – Inquiries made, showed that the necessity of feeding some of the children was becoming urgent, About 40-50 children admitted not getting sufficient food.

June 3^rd – The parents of 59 children applied to have their children fed under the 1921 Act. These claims were investigated thoroughly by the Managers at a meeting in the school hall from 2-4pm when all the parents concerned were interviewed.

June 8^th – Commander F.B Kemp, Superintendent of the Welfare activities of Ashington Coal Co. visited the school and granted permission to use the playing fields for organised games.

June 22^nd – 135 children were fed at school today.

June 24^th – A large number of children asked permission to leave school early to attend motor racing on the sands at Druridge Bay, as this was Race Thursday.

June 25th – 150 children were fed at school today.

July 2^nd – The average attendance this week is 95.7%.

July 9^th – The Colliery Welfare Club held a sports day at the Recreation Ground for the school.

July 13^th – The School Medical Officer visited and examined children for evidence of malnutrition through the strike. Only about a dozen showed evidence of flabbiness or underdevelopment.

Sept. 20^th – The attendance was affected today (32 children absent) because of severe rain and thunder storms. Many of the children are very poorly shod and clothed because of the long, continued strike.

Sept. 27^th 151 out of 164 children present. Whooping cough and ringworm are the main reasons for absence.

Oct. 4^th – 8^th – Half yearly examinations. [No results are given]

Nov. 3^rd – There was no fuel and no fires on today.

Nov. 4^th – Some coal has been obtained. Frequent exercises have to be indulged in to keep warm.

Nov. 12^th – No coal and consequently no fires on at school today. It was not a cold day, so not unduly uncomfortable. The average attendance this week is to 83.7%.

Nov. 15^th – Still no coal, school was very cold. Writing was almost impossible in the morning. Frequent breaks for exercise to get warmth was the order.

Nov. 16^th – Still no fires.

Nov 17^th – No fires again and cold in the morning.

Nov. 18^th – Very cold today. The children were asked to be allowed to bring coal from home and about 30 children brought a pailful of coal each. The school was comfortable by midday.

It seems incredible that in a pit village, there was no coal for the school, however it’s quite heartwarming to note that the parents of the children all chipped in with a donation of coal so that the kids could keep warm and continue their education.

As you can see, the footnote to the story is that a lorry load of coal was delivered to the school on November 23^rd.

This particular log book continues with entries regarding noteworthy events up until 1953 and can be viewed in our search room [Ref. CES 176/1/2]

Linton School in 1962.  Photo Ref.  CES/176/5/17

The traditional image of Christmas Day in the workhouse is of inmates sitting down to beef and plum pudding. Reports in local newspapers confirmed this but also highlighted that there were many more treats and gifts provided by local shop keepers and wealthy patrons.  

The Morpeth Herald reported that Christmas 1864 was a very happy one in Morpeth workhouse. A Christmas tree was exhibited for the entertainment of the children and was laden with oranges, apples and sweetmeats of various kinds. After they had feasted on the pretty vision of the tree, the fruits were distributed to the excited infants. Mr Robert Oliver, baker of the town, proudly presented each inmate with a piece of his ’monster loaf’.

The Hexham Courant reported on workhouses in Hexham, Rothbury and Haltwhistle. In 1877, the children of Hexham workhouse enjoyed a treat of tea and oranges provided by the Waddilove family of the parish. The festivities took place in the boys school room which was decorated in a neat and tasteful manner with holly, evergreens and Chinese lanterns. On Christmas Day, the Hexham inmates received an unexpected treat after lunch. The band of the Hexham Rifle Corps, on their way back from a performance, entered the workhouse yard. To the great delight of inmates, they played a selection of music ending with Auld Lang Syne. The following year, it was agreed by the Hexham Guardians to give the inmates a tea on New Years Day instead of beer with their Christmas Dinner. This was readily welcomed by all. 

The Morpeth Herald reported that Alnwick workhouse enjoyed a happy Christmas in 1888. There was the usual dinner of beef and plum pudding, but residents were also given sweets. Smokers were gifted tobacco and those who didn’t smoke received tea and sugar. All children received sweetmeats and oranges. In the evening, all inmates were treated to tea with fruit and cakes which was followed by musical entertainment. The children received toys, cakes and buns and all the older inmates were given a glass of punch at the close of the evening. 

In 1889, residents of Haltwhistle workhouse were reported to have received their usual Christmas breakfast treat of fruit loaf, cheese, tea and coffee. Dinner was the usual beef and plum pudding then after the meal, there was entertainment in the dining room which had been beautifully decorated for the occasion. Inmates were treated to a performance of Little Red Riding Hood by Miss Saint’s Sunday School class. After the show there was singing and dancing then a tea similar to breakfast finished off the lovely day. 

In December 1903, there was a lovely treat for the younger members of Alnwick workhouse. Her Grace the Duchess of Northumberland gave an afternoon tea and gifted a Christmas tree to the children. The tea took place in St. Michael’s Guild Room in Alnwick and 25 children were present under the supervision of the Matron and the School Superintendent. They had a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon and received gifts of sweets and toys. Her Grace the Duchess of Northumberland, Lady Margaret and Lady Victoria were present during the festivities. 

In 1904, to go with the beef and plum pudding, Alnwick inmates also feasted on mutton, pork and mince pies. Half a barrel of ale was supplied by the Alnwick Brewery Company and Messrs T. Dixon & Son, Confectioners, supplied all the children with sweets. The Duke’s forester sent evergreens for the adornment of the dining hall. Mrs Bosanquet of Rock Hall sent a Christmas letter conveying seasonal greetings and words of encouragement and hope for the future. Lady Margaret and Lady Victoria Percy gave presents of cake, tobacco and flowers.