Welsh Journals

BERRIEW ROAD SCHOOL, WELSHPOOL, 1821-1967 REV. OWEN THOMAS, M.A. Just over 60 years ago, in the summer of 1907, when the Headmistress of Belan School was unwell, Mrs. Thomas, the Headmistress of Berriew Road Girls' School, would send one of her young lady teachers to take charge at Belan. One of these young ladies was Miss M. Barker, who succeeded Mrs. Thomas in 1908, and remained as Head of Berriew Road Girls' School until 1936. The young teachers would walk to Belan. Then, in spite of June, the weather deteriorated. So Mrs. Thomas, instead of sending the teacher to Belan, sent her next door to the Boys' School, and asked the Headmaster, Mr. Hubert Tole, to send Mr. Rowley Sayce to Belan. As Mrs. Thomas put in her Log Book: "Mrs. Jones, Belan, being ill, Rowley Sayce took her School, and I have lent Miss Evans to Mr. Tole for the week, as it has been such bad weather for a girl to walk to Belan and take duties, whereas Rowley could ride his bicycle." Rowley, or Roderick, is Mr. R. U. Sayce, a familiar figure in Town. After a wide ranging and distinguished academic career he now lives in retirement in Church Street, known affectionately as "Professor". He was Editor of these Collections from 1930- 1966. The National Society, or, to give it its full title, The National Society for Promoting the Education of the Poor in the Principles of the Established Church throughout England and Wales, was founded in 1811, by Joshua Watson, a layman who devoted his life to the work of the Church. By 18 15, there were 100,000 children in National Schools. In 1821, National Schools for Boys and Girls were established in Welshpool. By 1876, there were 13,000 Church Schools under the National Society. Although the Christian Church has been in the field of Education since the seventh century, the State in this country began to take an interest in Education as recently as 1832, when a Whig Government voted an annual grant for Education of £ 20,000. The first Education Act was not until 1870.