National School 1851 - 1929 - Watling Street, Towcester, Northamptonshire, UK - Blue Plaques on Waymarking.com

The blue plaque scheme in Towcester was created as part of the Millennium Project from the town council. The plaque reads as follows:

'NATIONAL SCHOOL 1851 - 1929
SCHOOL BELL NOW AT MOORFIELD ALMSHOUSES
MILLENNIUM PROJECT'

The website has some further details with thanks:
'Towcester's National School dates from 1849. A site on Watling Street was purchased from the Earl of Pomfret by a committee appointed "for managing the Schools of the Parish of Towcester". The Northampton builder Hall and Briggs built it in Kingsthorpe stone with a tiled roof. It was completed by December 1850 at a cost of £1024 5s 2d.

There were three class rooms for boys, girls and mixed infants. At the front of the building was a low wall with a wicket gate which led to a small paved area. This allowed access to the separate entrances for boys and girls. Segregation of the sexes continued throughout the school, and separate boys and girls toilets and playgrounds were also provided.

The Master and his family were accommodated to the left of the building, with a front parlour, living room and scullery to the rear and upstairs were three bedrooms. Mr James Cornelius Jones (see Note below), who was master from 1864 to 1909, needed this much and more to accommodate himself, his wife, twelve children and a maid. Six of his girls had to be boarded out in Queens Road.

Like most schools of its time it was equipped with a bell tower to summon pupils to school. The bell is now at Moorfields Almshouses. Although the building has undergone a fair amount of structural change it is visually very similar to the original.

Ken Lawton, February 2002.'

Blue Plaque managing agency: Millennium Project - Towcester Town Council Individual Recognized: National School Physical Address: Humbugs 84d, Watling Street East Towcester, Northamptonshire United Kingdom NN12 6BS Web Address: [Web Link]

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