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1889 Section 16 Beyond Control Gem Street Industrial School 1889
- Thread starter AMW
- Start date
this link might help you
discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk
If you'd like details of the school itself there's more information below extracted from Birmingham Libraries: Rewriting the Book site :
"The Birmingham Industrial School, Gem Street, opened in 1850 to cater for the children of indigent parents, orphans, and neglected children. Children whose parents were considered to be able to pay the fees for parochial schools were not admitted. The school consisted of three departments: the first was a day school for children above seven years of age; the second was industrial classes for children over seven; and the third was an asylum for deserted and orphan children. The day school taught reading, writing and arithmetic, and gave biblical instruction, although lessons were sometimes varied to include English history, geography, and singing. The industrial school taught skills in subjects such as tailoring, shoemaking, or needlework. Children were provided with meals as wages for their work. The asylum was originally designed to accommodate 15-20 boys and the same number of girls, and orphaned or deserted children could be committed there for a payment of £8 per annum. The number of boarders rose rapidly, and by the mid-1850s expansion of the sleeping quarters was already necessary.
The school was funded largely by subscriptions and donations, along with the board and lodging payments for asylum residents, and the income from the children’s labour. In 1858 the school began to take in a large number of children of soldiers killed during the Crimean War, who were paid for by the Patriotic Fund Committee. By 1864, however, income from this source was beginning to decline, and the school began to suffer financial difficulties; this led to the decision of the governors, in 1868, to certify the school under the Industrial Schools Act 1866. This meant that children between the ages of seven and 14 could be placed in the school by magistrates if they were vagrants, if they were under 12 and had committed an offence normally punishable by prison, or were beyond the control of their parents. The maintenance of each child was then paid for by the state, although the school continued to rely on donations and subscriptions for further expenditure.
As time went on the school added different types of work to raise money. One activity which brought in considerable income was selling firewood, where the children chopped wood into sticks and then tied them into bundles to be sold. By the 1870s around 200,000 bundles of firewood were being sold annually. Boys also worked in local factories while still living at the school. They were allowed to keep a proportion of their wages, with the rest being paid to the school. Girls were trained to enter domestic service.
By 1873 there was an increasing view that girls and boys should not be accommodated in the same industrial schools, and this, along with the overcrowded state of the Gem Street premises, prompted the governors to seek separate accommodation for the girls. Accordingly, in December 1873, the girls were removed to a board school at Sparkhill, and from then on the Birmingham Industrial School took only boys. The school by this time was licensed to accommodate 152 children.
In the 1890s further subjects were added to the school curriculum, including geography, technical drawing and woodwork, and the governors had purchased a site in Harborne which was used largely for recreation. By this time the yearly inspection reports had become critical of the Gem Street site, describing it as "dingy and institutional" and blaming the poor accommodation for regular outbreaks of sickness. The inspectors urged the governors to relocate the school to the Harborne site and so, in 1901, work began on a new school building. In December 1902 the school relocated to Harborne and became known as the Birmingham Industrial School (Harborne), or sometimes Harborne Industrial School. The premises in Gem Street were sold to the Birmingham School Board. The new school initially covered seven acres, including two and a half acres of garden and a large playing field, and over the next several years adjoining plots of land were bought.
By 1904 the subjects taught were singing, mental arithmetic, recitation, geography, and composition, along with a course of lessons in natural science and use of history readers. Industrial training was given in drawing and manual instruction, shoemaking, tailoring, and gardening, while wood chopping had been abandoned. Boys did physical training in the gym and swimming pool, and there was a school band.
The school was renamed Ansell School in 1925, following the death of Joseph Ansell, JP, who had been chairman of the school governors from 1907 to 1923. Following the 1933 Children and Young Persons Act the school became a junior approved school, providing education and industrial training to boys over the age of 10 who were committed there by magistrates. In 1933 the school was renamed again, becoming Tennal School. (The school's own centenary publication states that the name change came in 1938, but this is contradicted by evidence within the collection, which includes headed writing paper with the name of Tennal School from 1933.) The school was divided into four houses named after former governors - Ansell, Gilbey, Knox and Yorke".
REFORMATORIES AND INDUSTRIAL SCHOOLS | The National Archives
The official archive of the UK government. Our vision is to lead and transform information management, guarantee the survival of today's information for tomorrow and bring history to life for everyone.
discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk
If you'd like details of the school itself there's more information below extracted from Birmingham Libraries: Rewriting the Book site :
"The Birmingham Industrial School, Gem Street, opened in 1850 to cater for the children of indigent parents, orphans, and neglected children. Children whose parents were considered to be able to pay the fees for parochial schools were not admitted. The school consisted of three departments: the first was a day school for children above seven years of age; the second was industrial classes for children over seven; and the third was an asylum for deserted and orphan children. The day school taught reading, writing and arithmetic, and gave biblical instruction, although lessons were sometimes varied to include English history, geography, and singing. The industrial school taught skills in subjects such as tailoring, shoemaking, or needlework. Children were provided with meals as wages for their work. The asylum was originally designed to accommodate 15-20 boys and the same number of girls, and orphaned or deserted children could be committed there for a payment of £8 per annum. The number of boarders rose rapidly, and by the mid-1850s expansion of the sleeping quarters was already necessary.
The school was funded largely by subscriptions and donations, along with the board and lodging payments for asylum residents, and the income from the children’s labour. In 1858 the school began to take in a large number of children of soldiers killed during the Crimean War, who were paid for by the Patriotic Fund Committee. By 1864, however, income from this source was beginning to decline, and the school began to suffer financial difficulties; this led to the decision of the governors, in 1868, to certify the school under the Industrial Schools Act 1866. This meant that children between the ages of seven and 14 could be placed in the school by magistrates if they were vagrants, if they were under 12 and had committed an offence normally punishable by prison, or were beyond the control of their parents. The maintenance of each child was then paid for by the state, although the school continued to rely on donations and subscriptions for further expenditure.
As time went on the school added different types of work to raise money. One activity which brought in considerable income was selling firewood, where the children chopped wood into sticks and then tied them into bundles to be sold. By the 1870s around 200,000 bundles of firewood were being sold annually. Boys also worked in local factories while still living at the school. They were allowed to keep a proportion of their wages, with the rest being paid to the school. Girls were trained to enter domestic service.
By 1873 there was an increasing view that girls and boys should not be accommodated in the same industrial schools, and this, along with the overcrowded state of the Gem Street premises, prompted the governors to seek separate accommodation for the girls. Accordingly, in December 1873, the girls were removed to a board school at Sparkhill, and from then on the Birmingham Industrial School took only boys. The school by this time was licensed to accommodate 152 children.
In the 1890s further subjects were added to the school curriculum, including geography, technical drawing and woodwork, and the governors had purchased a site in Harborne which was used largely for recreation. By this time the yearly inspection reports had become critical of the Gem Street site, describing it as "dingy and institutional" and blaming the poor accommodation for regular outbreaks of sickness. The inspectors urged the governors to relocate the school to the Harborne site and so, in 1901, work began on a new school building. In December 1902 the school relocated to Harborne and became known as the Birmingham Industrial School (Harborne), or sometimes Harborne Industrial School. The premises in Gem Street were sold to the Birmingham School Board. The new school initially covered seven acres, including two and a half acres of garden and a large playing field, and over the next several years adjoining plots of land were bought.
By 1904 the subjects taught were singing, mental arithmetic, recitation, geography, and composition, along with a course of lessons in natural science and use of history readers. Industrial training was given in drawing and manual instruction, shoemaking, tailoring, and gardening, while wood chopping had been abandoned. Boys did physical training in the gym and swimming pool, and there was a school band.
The school was renamed Ansell School in 1925, following the death of Joseph Ansell, JP, who had been chairman of the school governors from 1907 to 1923. Following the 1933 Children and Young Persons Act the school became a junior approved school, providing education and industrial training to boys over the age of 10 who were committed there by magistrates. In 1933 the school was renamed again, becoming Tennal School. (The school's own centenary publication states that the name change came in 1938, but this is contradicted by evidence within the collection, which includes headed writing paper with the name of Tennal School from 1933.) The school was divided into four houses named after former governors - Ansell, Gilbey, Knox and Yorke".
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Thanks so much for this Viv. I really appreciate it.this link might help you
REFORMATORIES AND INDUSTRIAL SCHOOLS | The National Archives
The official archive of the UK government. Our vision is to lead and transform information management, guarantee the survival of today's information for tomorrow and bring history to life for everyone.
If you'd like details of the school itself there's more information below extracted from Birmingham Libraries: Rewriting the Book site :
"The Birmingham Industrial School, Gem Street, opened in 1850 to cater for the children of indigent parents, orphans, and neglected children. Children whose parents were considered to be able to pay the fees for parochial schools were not admitted. The school consisted of three departments: the first was a day school for children above seven years of age; the second was industrial classes for children over seven; and the third was an asylum for deserted and orphan children. The day school taught reading, writing and arithmetic, and gave biblical instruction, although lessons were sometimes varied to include English history, geography, and singing. The industrial school taught skills in subjects such as tailoring, shoemaking, or needlework. Children were provided with meals as wages for their work. The asylum was originally designed to accommodate 15-20 boys and the same number of girls, and orphaned or deserted children could be committed there for a payment of £8 per annum. The number of boarders rose rapidly, and by the mid-1850s expansion of the sleeping quarters was already necessary.
The school was funded largely by subscriptions and donations, along with the board and lodging payments for asylum residents, and the income from the children’s labour. In 1858 the school began to take in a large number of children of soldiers killed during the Crimean War, who were paid for by the Patriotic Fund Committee. By 1864, however, income from this source was beginning to decline, and the school began to suffer financial difficulties; this led to the decision of the governors, in 1868, to certify the school under the Industrial Schools Act 1866. This meant that children between the ages of seven and 14 could be placed in the school by magistrates if they were vagrants, if they were under 12 and had committed an offence normally punishable by prison, or were beyond the control of their parents. The maintenance of each child was then paid for by the state, although the school continued to rely on donations and subscriptions for further expenditure.
As time went on the school added different types of work to raise money. One activity which brought in considerable income was selling firewood, where the children chopped wood into sticks and then tied them into bundles to be sold. By the 1870s around 200,000 bundles of firewood were being sold annually. Boys also worked in local factories while still living at the school. They were allowed to keep a proportion of their wages, with the rest being paid to the school. Girls were trained to enter domestic service.
By 1873 there was an increasing view that girls and boys should not be accommodated in the same industrial schools, and this, along with the overcrowded state of the Gem Street premises, prompted the governors to seek separate accommodation for the girls. Accordingly, in December 1873, the girls were removed to a board school at Sparkhill, and from then on the Birmingham Industrial School took only boys. The school by this time was licensed to accommodate 152 children.
In the 1890s further subjects were added to the school curriculum, including geography, technical drawing and woodwork, and the governors had purchased a site in Harborne which was used largely for recreation. By this time the yearly inspection reports had become critical of the Gem Street site, describing it as "dingy and institutional" and blaming the poor accommodation for regular outbreaks of sickness. The inspectors urged the governors to relocate the school to the Harborne site and so, in 1901, work began on a new school building. In December 1902 the school relocated to Harborne and became known as the Birmingham Industrial School (Harborne), or sometimes Harborne Industrial School. The premises in Gem Street were sold to the Birmingham School Board. The new school initially covered seven acres, including two and a half acres of garden and a large playing field, and over the next several years adjoining plots of land were bought.
By 1904 the subjects taught were singing, mental arithmetic, recitation, geography, and composition, along with a course of lessons in natural science and use of history readers. Industrial training was given in drawing and manual instruction, shoemaking, tailoring, and gardening, while wood chopping had been abandoned. Boys did physical training in the gym and swimming pool, and there was a school band.
The school was renamed Ansell School in 1925, following the death of Joseph Ansell, JP, who had been chairman of the school governors from 1907 to 1923. Following the 1933 Children and Young Persons Act the school became a junior approved school, providing education and industrial training to boys over the age of 10 who were committed there by magistrates. In 1933 the school was renamed again, becoming Tennal School. (The school's own centenary publication states that the name change came in 1938, but this is contradicted by evidence within the collection, which includes headed writing paper with the name of Tennal School from 1933.) The school was divided into four houses named after former governors - Ansell, Gilbey, Knox and Yorke".
Best wishes
Alison
