Catholic schools in Digbeth area 1870-1880s

[Luscinia]

Hi Everyone,
I am trying to trace the lives of my ancestors who moved from Ireland and lived in Digbeth and Little Ann Street in the 1870s and 1880s. In the 1881 census return, the children are described at 'scholars' and I would be very interested to know which schools they could have attended and if there are any records from that time still archived somewhere.
They all seemed to be working from early teens so I presume primary was the only education most of them received.
I have found a St Anne's School for Boys and St Catherine's on Windmill Street but I am not sure which of these, if either, they would have attended.
All help and advice gratefully received!
Pauline

 

[pjmburns]

It is extremely unlikely that there are school records anywhere.
Even today the requirement for schools to keep records is quite short.

 

[MWS]

In 1881 it was only mandatory for children aged from 5 to 10 to go to school. So if they were older than that 'scholar' may not necessarily mean that they were attending school.

 

[pjmburns]

Just a thought - if the children were born in Birmingham and baptised you might find that record on FMP and it would give you an idea which Church (and possibly school) they attended.

 

[Luscinia]

Good thinking! One family were baptised at St Michael's Moor Street and the other family at St Chad's. Neither of which seemed to have schools.

 

[Luscinia]

In 1881 it was only mandatory for children aged from 5 to 10 to go to school. So if they were older than that 'scholar' may not necessarily mean that they were attending school.

Thanks for thinking of that. In 1881 census the children were 12, 10, 8 and 6 and all described as Scholars. The 12 year old was a girl and the others all boys.

 

[pjmburns]

I am fairly sure St Chad's had a school but I need to check when it opened.

Looks as if it opened before 1870

 

[MWS]

Would the church schools just be Sunday Schools?

Would the children not have just got to a 'normal' school, maybe in addition to Sunday school?

There is school for boys, girls and infants on Chapel House St.

 

[pjmburns]

Some started like that but St Chad's definitely day school by 1870s (maybe earlier)

 

[pjmburns]

Would the church schools just be Sunday Schools?

Would the children not have just got to a 'normal' school, maybe in addition to Sunday school?

There is school for boys, girls and infants on Chapel House St.

double checked;

British History Online (i've removed all the footnote numbers to make it easier to read).

ST. CHAD'S R.C. SCHOOL, Shadwell Street and Brearley Street.A Sunday sch. for R.C children of Birm. was established 1809 in its master's house in Livery St. Schoolroom (accom. 95) built 'at St. Chad's' 1814, and a room over it (accom. 148) was added 1816 to provide separate B and G schs. Day sch. opened 1823. Until 1834, when St. Peter's R.C. Sch. opened, this sch. served both churches

St. Anne's R.C. Sch. was probably opened 1849 by the Oratorians In 1856 it was at 38, Alcester St. Received state grants from 1851. In 1857 it comprised or included an industrial sch. with 25 inmates.