ST. LAWRENCES
The first indication that New Brentford anyway was providing
some education for its poor children comes in 1676 when the
vestry minutes of St Lawrence's chapel record that part of
the church house is to be lett by the chapel wardens do erect
or cause to be set up in the north isle of the church a handsome,
decent seat or pew for Mrs Susan Williams, a schoolmaster and
boarders'.
In 1703 the citizens of Brentford, Ealing and Isleworth led
by Henry Hawley and Christopher Clitherow contributed
towards the provision of a charity school for poor boys
and girls. They were heeding the call of the Society for
the Propagation of Christian Knowledge, founded in 1698
to encourage the provision of charity schools under the
auspices of the Church of England. Parents were invited
to propose their children for admittance, but children
who were unable to spell were not admitted and were sent
to dame schools until they improved. When the trustees of
the school examined the children in1704 they started that,
in general the pupils had made satisfactory progress but
complained about a number attending school 'clean', hardly
surprising in the days when washing facilities were few.
By 1714 contributions to the Brentford School from residents
of Ealing and Isleworth had tailed off since Ealing had
opened its own school and Isleworth was planning to do
likewise. Subscriptions from Brentford residents alone were
insufficient to maintain the school and Mr Austin Gwynn, the
master resigned. A letter from one of the trustees tells us
that. 'The school would scarce have survived had it not been
for Mr Le Hunt, ye minister, who before he could prove any
assistance from other people did himself advance pretty
considerably towards ye cloathing and teaching ten of the
poorest boys in the town.'He allotted part of his own home
to the school but this was replaced in1718 by a schoolroom
for 20 boys in the Butts, and in 1725 land was purchased for
a house and garden for the master.
St George's
Day schools were not the total solution to the problems of
educating the poor since many children were unable to attend
they had to work to supplement the family income. This led
to the creation of the Sunday school movement, pioneered in
1780 by Robert Raikes. Charles Sturgess, the vicar of St Mary's
Ealing and the indefatigable Mrs Sarah Trimmer of Brentford
were quick to recognise their value. A subscription was opened,
collection boxes were placed at the church doors and the
principal inhabitants urged to contribute. Mrs Trimmer visited
families in Brentford and collected the names of boys and girls
who wished to attend and in 1786 three schools were established,
each with 30 scholars, one for the older boys, two for girls
and younger boys. When Mrs Trimmer opened her Sunday School,
18th June 1786, she confided to her dairy 'It is most interesting
employment to assist in instructing the poor children; to see
their hunger after spiritual food-who would not exert his best
endeavours for their benefit'. The school attracted a great deal
of interested from distinguished people who came to visit and
enquire about its methods, including Queen Charlotte who became
a subscriber and invited Mrs Trimmer to Windsor to advise on
Sunday Schools in that area.
The school building, known as the Green School still stands
at 367 Brentford High St next to the redundant St George's Church.
A plaque records that the school was 'Instituted in the year
1786 for Religious Instruction and Industry, supported by Annual
Subscription and Benefactions and the produce of the children's
work'. The phase concerning the produce of the children's work
reflects another of Mrs Trimmer schemes. She reasoned that
children of lower educational standards, who would inevitably
have to work in manufacture or as domestic servants would have
a better start in life by leaning some domestic skills at day
school in 1787 Mrs Trimmer founded 'School of Industry' where
girls were trained to spin and knit. The idea was that the goods
produced would be sold (half the sale money going to the child
who made the item) and that the school would run at a profit. In
1796 she began a similar school for boys where they were instructed
in spinning coarse thread to make sails for ships. This gives
Brentford the distinction of being probably the first town in
England to offer any system of technical education. Unfortunately
though the schools ran at a loss, as it was impossible to compete
with the growing mechanisation of industry. The boy's school was
closed down in 1807 but the girl's school was still operating in
1834 when it was run by one of Mrs Trimmer's daughters.