Illustrated Guide to Sheffield
Pawson & Brailsford - 1862
EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS.
COLLEGIATE SCHOOL.
This institution is situated at Collegiate-crescent, Broomhall Park.
It belongs to a company of proprietors, having been established to pro-
vide a thoroughly sound education for the youth of the upper classes, preparatory to the University course or to commercial pursuits. It cost
nearly £10,000, the school house, which is a handsome building in the
Tudor style, having been erected in 1835. There are 8l acres of
pleasure grounds, tastefully laid out, and a commodious residence for
the principal and for the reception of boarders. The building is situated
in the best and most picturesque part of the suburbs, and is quite out-
side the smoke and bustle of the town. In connection with this institution is being organized a School of Practical Science, for the training
of young men, so as to fit them for manufacturing pursuits. The principal is the Rev. G. B. Atkinson, M.A.
GRAMMAR SCHOOL.
This institution was founded in 1608 by Thomas Smith, an attorney
at Crowland, in Lincolnshire, but no doubt a native of Sheffield, who
bequeathed £80 a year to the town " as long as the world shall endure," for the maintenance of " two sufficient learned men to teach and
bring up the young children there with godliness and learning." In
the following year the bequest seems to have come into force; and
King James, on the petition of the inhabitants, granted a charter incorporating the Vicar and twelve of the principal inhabitants governors
to carry out the undertaking. The estates belonging to the school
have increased in value, and now produce about £200 a year. The
present building is a stone structure in St. George's-square. It was
erected by subscription in 1824, and replaced a building in Townhead-
street, which was constructed in 1648, partly from the ruins of Shef-
field Castle. In the original charter it is styled " The Free Grammar
School of King James ;" but it has been found that the endowment
is not large enough to admit of gratuitous instruction. The benefit
which the inhabitants receive from the school is that the masters are
required to teach from thirty-five to forty boys at half the ordinary
charge. These boys are nominated by the governors. The Rev. P.
Bowen, M.A., is head master. The school is free to all religious denominations.
WESLEY COLLEGE.
This is a handsome building devoted to educational uses, and belonging to the Wesleyan body. It is situated in the Glossop-road. It is the property of a company of shareholders, and is a most prosperous undertaking. It was opened in 1838, and cost about £14,500, including the land, the grounds surrounding the building being very spacious.
There is accommodation for about 250 boarders. The Rev. Dr. Waddy
is governor and chaplain.
SCHOOL OF ART
This is an institution which has grown rapidly, yet with sound prosperity. The history of the Sheffield School of Art is peculiarly interesting. The idea of establishing a " School of Design" (as these institutions were then entitled) was first mooted in Sheffield in 1841. A
public meeting was called, but it was attended only by three individuals.
Of this meeting, humble as it was, a record remains not to be surpassed
for interest in the history of modern art in this country. Everybody remembers poor Haydon the historical painter; his disgust at the success of Barnum's Tom Thumb, while his own historical paintings next
door were almost unvisited; his growing despair; and his ultimate
suicide. It happened that when the meeting was called in 1841,
Haydon was in Sheffield, and, having a deep desire for the spread of
his beloved art, he was one of the three persons who attended for the
purpose of establishing the school. The other two were Dr. Harwood
and Mr. H. P. Parker. During the progress of the " meeting" Haydon
amused himself by drawing a pen-and-ink sketch of the persons present. This drawing has been framed, and may be seen at the institution. Underneath the sketch are the following words in Haydon's writing, showing a latent humour in the painter's mind the existence
of which would hardly have been suspected:-"Public meeting at
Sheffield, to establish a School of Design, October 13, 1841. Symptoms of great enthusiasm. Sketched by 13. R. Haydon." Accompanying the sketch, also in Haydon's handwriting, is a transcript of the resolutions passed. An extract from these we give, on account of
its proving so remarkably prophetic of the future of the institution:-
" That notwithstanding the neglect of the leading men of the town in
not meeting, it is the duty of those who are assembled, amounting to
three, to persevere till the great object be accomplished, aware from
history that much greater revolutions have been accomplished and
begun by much more incompetent means."
Miserable as this first attempt was, subsequent efforts were successful; and a school was opened in 1843, in Victoria-street, Glossop-road. It grew and prospered, and larger premises were taken in
Arundel-street. Still these were inconvenient and unsightly, and an
effort was set on foot to raise a structure which would be a credit to
the town. The foundation stone of the present building was laid by
Dr. Branson on the 24th October, 1865, and it was opened in January,
1857. It is in Arundel-street, opposite the end of Surrey-street, is
one of the most handsome and commodious education&l structures in
the town, and is scarcely equalled by any other School of Art in the
kingdom. The architects were Messrs. Manning and Mew, of London,
and the total cost was about £7,000. The building covers about 900
yards of land. It was erected in a most enterprizing spirit, being
adapted not merely to supply the existing wants of the town, but to
afford room for every possible expansion during many years to come.
Going in at the front door in Arundel-street, the visitor finds himself
in a spacious entrance hall, leading into the lobby, on the right
which is the geometrical-room (26 feet by 19), for the study of architec-
ture, engineering, &c.; and on the left is the Council-room (13 feet
by 19). Further on he comes to the lecture-room; and, occupying the
entire range at the back, he finds the elementary class room (70 feet
by 39 feet, and 21 feet high). In the middle of the lobby there is a
handsome staircase, leading to a passage, at one end of which is a
room (45 feet by 25) running along the whole front of the building,
and used for the ladies' classes. At the other end are the painting-
room (35 feet by 27) and the sculpture gallery (69 feet by 89). The
latter room contains an excellent collection of casts from celebrated
works. Besides the above, which are the principal apartments, there
are a number of other rooms, such as the head master's, the modelling-
room, studios, &c. The exterior appearance is striking and handsome.
It is a mixture of the Byzantine and Romanesque styles. There are
alternate layers of red and black brick, with columns, &c., of stone.
The condition of the school as an educational institution fully corres-
ponds with the structure. The general position of the institution is
in the very first rank of the schools of art throughout the kingdom.
The head muster under whom it has been brought to this state of ex-
cellence is Mr. Young Mitchell.
THE PEOPLE'S COLLEGE.
This institution is one of the most interesting educational establishments in the town, or, indeed in the kingdom, because it is genuinely
and entirely what its name purports-a " People's College." It is for
the use of the working classes, and it is fully self-supporting, the
members neither asking nor accepting pecuniary aid. The following
account of the origin and early progress of the college is abridged from
an article in the " Working Men's College Magazine," written by Mr.
Rowbotham, president of the Sheffield College:-" The People's College at Sheffield originated seventeen years ago with the Rev. R. S.
Bayley, an Independent minister then residing in the town. He considered that Mechanics' Institutions generally had fallen far short in their efforts at popular education, and that the time was come when studies of a higher range, and more likely to be really useful, ought to be placed within the reach of the youth of the middle and working
classes. To carry out his views he proposed to establish classes embracing Latin, Greek, French, and German, mathematics, English literature in its various branches, logic, elocution, and drawing, in addition to the more elementary subjects that commonly formed the curriculum of night schools. The classes were opened August 11th,
1842; the times of meeting were before and after the hours of labour.
The morning classes met from half-past six to half-past seven; the
evening from half-past seven to half-past nine. The greatest novelty
was the admission of women to the classes. The result was good, an
increased degree of decorum and self-respect being exhibited by both
sexes. The principal portion of the work in the classes fell upon Mr.
Bayley. The class-room, for the first year and a half, was a ghastly,
whitewashed, unplastered garret, in George-street. The morning classes
in winter were especially uninviting, and it required considerable devotion to study to travel through snow at half-past six in the morning,
before breakfast, to find a room probably without fire, or one but newly
lighted. But there was no trial that the principal himself did not wil-
lingly endure, and no morning, however rough and uncomfortable, but
found him in attendance. In December, 1843, the college removed to
better rooms in Orchard-street. Here the same labours were renewed,
and attended for several years with success; but from a succession of
untoward circumstances, the members began gradually to fall off, till at
length, in September,1848, on Mr. Bayley leaving Sheffield for London,
the college was all but extinct. A few young men-sixteen in number,
many of them under age-felt that with them rested the question of the
continuance of the institution. A public meeting was held in the
rooms of the institution, Mr. Wilson Overend in the chair, when a full
statement of the objects of the future People's College, and the plans
whereby they were to be secured, was read on behalf of the committee
by the president, Mr. Thomas Rowbotham, and resolutions of approval
were passed: and thus the institution was fairly launched upon its
future career. It was stated at the meeting that the committee did not
possess a single book and had not a single farthing to invest in furniture. Indeed to outside observers things looked so hopeless that Mr.
Overend and his brother earnestly asked the committee to estimate the probable expenses of the first year, that they might subscribe a portion,
and beg the rest. Although the generosity of this offer was perfectly
appreciated, it was nevertheless respectfully declined. A principle had
been laid down, and it was abided by. On the day following the
public meeting the classes were opened. Before the end of the month
there were nearly two hundred students in the classes. Such faith had
the committee in the success of the scheme, that in less than six
months they had incurred liabilities of upwards £200. Extensive
alterations were made, and the whole of the rooms were properly fitted
up with new furniture. At the end of the first forty-seven weeks it was
found that there had been 580 students on the books: 426 of these
were young men; and the rest, 104, women; the average attendance
had been 185, and the amount received for fees had been £208 1s. 8d."
Since that time the institution has gone on in an unpretending but
very successful manner. It still occupies the building in Orchard-
street; but more commodious rooms are needed. It is greatly to the
credit of those who have the management of the college that they have
not only paid their way, but have a small sum in hand as a nucleus for
a building fund.
MECHANICS INSTITUTE.
This institution has a handsome stone building at the junction of
Surrey-street and Tudor-street; but it is to a large extent devoted to
other uses. The institution was established in 1832, and was for
many years in a flourishing condition. In 1847-8 the building referred to was constructed, at a cost of about £7,000. From this time the institution languished, partly because the building was too ambitious and costly, and partly because, the lower rooms being devoted to the use of a club, the upper rooms which are set apart for the students were found to be inconvenient. The building consists of three storeys. The lowest is rented by the Corporation, and is used for the Free Library. On the second storey there is a handsome lecture hall. The rooms at the top are still used for the students of the
Mechanics' Institute, and many useful classes are held. Mr. T. Dunn
is president, Mr. J. Brown (the Mayor), vice-president, and Mr. Edwin
Round honorary secretary.
CHURCH OF ENGLAND EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTE.
This institution is entitled to emphatic mention, ranking as it does
amongst the first of the kind in the country. Conscious of the
want of an instrument of instruction for the working population after
business hours, to be conducted upon Church principles, a number of
gentlemen set on foot, in the year 1840, ~ The Church of England
Instruction Society," for the use of which a suite of rooms were opened
in Carver-street. Chiefly by the voluntary aid of unpaid teachers, the
good work was carried on, but with comparatively little success, till 1856,
when the institution took quite a new start under the auspices of the
Rev. James Moorhouse and others of the clergy and laity, who willingly
came forward to render assistance to the old staff of teachers who had
borne the burden for many years. The constitution of the society
was modified, and its operations largely extended; and the modest
" instruction society" expanded into the more ambitious " educational
institute"-a title amply justified by the results which have been
realized. One immediate effect of this new impetus was a want of
greater space, to meet which supplementary accommodation .was procured at St. Peter's and St. James'~ national schools, New Queen-
street. A public subscription was set on foot for a new and more com-
modious building, and proceeded with alacrity, the popularity of the
institution being proved by the facility with which the requisite funds
were subscribed. The result was the erection of the handsome and
very commodious edifice in St. James's-street, from designs by Messrs.
Flockton and Son. The building was opened-free from debt-in the
year 1860. A considerable sum was required for furnishing, and this
was obtained by the proceeds of a bazaar.
Unlike most undertakings of the same nature, it may without exag-
geration be said of this institution that it fully answers the expectation of it~ promoters. Its success is unequivocal. The subjects taught comprehend the Hebrew, Latin, German and French languages; natural theology and religions of the world, and other Biblical and
sacred subjects; English literature; reading with the poets, and critical
papers by the students; Shaksperian readings; Euclid; book-keeping;
singing, geography, English grammar, dictation and composition;
shorthand writing; reading, writing, arithmetic, &c. There are nearly
a hundred teachers on the list at the present time, all of them, with
the exception of the modern language master, giving their services
gratuitously. Amongst the teachers are to be found seventeen clergymen, men of science, and members of liberal professions. An educational institution, indeed, which includes amongst its voluntary instructors a senior wrangler of the University of Cambridge may well be considered a great boon to young persons who are striving to emancipate themselves from the thraldom of ignorance. Here, as at the
People's College, the practice of combining young persons of both sexes
in the same classes has been found to work satisfactorily. Shortly
after the opening of the new structure the admission book exhibited a
total of 512 students, and the class rooms being now quite full it became necessary to announce publicly that no more could be admitted.
The recent and still prevailing commercial depression, with its atten-
dant poverty, combined with a change in the mode of payment of the
class fees (causing a larger amount to be paid at one time than heretofore), has resulted in a diminution of the numbers, but there is every reason to believe that when trade revives there will again be as many students as the building can hold. The Rev. Canon Sale, D.D., is president. The Rev. T. Smith and Mr. Henry Pawson are the honorary
secretaries.
YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION.
The rooms of this society are in Norfolk-row. The object of it, as
its name indicates, is to bring young men together for the purpose of
imparting to them education of a religious tone. In this direction it
has done considerable good. The society has assisted materially in
advancing the Early Closing Movement. There are classes and a
reading room attached to the association; but its chief feature is a
series of lectures every winter in the Music Hall, which are always
numerously attended. Mr. Ald. Fawcett is president. Mr. Adam
Wood and Mr. Wm. G. Snowden are the honorary secretaries.
NATIONAL SCHOOLS, &c.
There is a good supply of National Schools in the town, conveniently distributed so that no quarter is unsupplied, and the working man, in whatever part he lives, has a choice of schools within an easy distance to which he may send his children. The oldest of these
schools are those which are situated in Carver-street, and were built in
1812, and opened the year following, soon after the formation of the
National Society. In most of them large numbers of children are receiving a sound education adapted to their position in life, under the
surveillance of the Education Committee of Privy Council, whose reports generally give a favourable account of the state and progress of
the schools in the town. Indeed we believe that the Sheffield National
Schools, as compared with those in Yorkshire generally, stand well in
the list both for the excellence of their arrangements and the education
given in them. In a late report presented to the Privy Council Committee by her Majesty's Inspector for Yorkshire, in which he has
arranged all the large towns in four classes of merit, we find that out
of the 23 schools of which the first-class consists, seven are in Sheffield. Leeds claims six. Thus, according to the judgment of her Majesty's Inspector, Sheffield stands at the head of all the large towns in Yorkshire for its number of first-class National Schools. There
are also in the town Lancasterian and other schools conducted with
vigour on the voluntary principle.
Sheffield possesses a large number of Sunday schools. There are
belonging to the Church of England Sunday School Union 21 school,s
485 teachers, and 5,500 children, besides several schools which have
not joined the union. In the Wesleyan body there are 34 schools,
having 1,096 teachers and 5,694 children. The Sheffield Sunday
School Union (comprising the Dissenting bodies) has 41 schools, with
1,708 teachers and 12,776 scholars.
BOYS' AND GIRLS' CHARITY SCHOOLS.
The Boys' and Girls' Charity Schools are kindred institutions,
situated in the opposite sides of the Parish Church, the first being
at the bottom of East-parade and the latter of St. James's-row. The
school for boys was erected in 1710 and rebuilt in 1825-6. It affords
support and education to 100 destitute boys, the cost being defrayed out of endowments and subscriptions. The other school, which
was built in 1786, supports in a similar manner sixty girls.
GIRLS INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL.
This is an unpretending institution, but little known. It is, however, quietly producing valuable results. It has been established mainly through the instrumentality of the Rev. W. Wilkinson. Premises are rented at Broadfield, Heeley. The institution is in the
nature of a charity as well as a school, the girls being entirely maintained for 2~. 6d. a week over twelve years of age. They are also taken under that age occasionally, but at 3s. 6d. a week. Nothing which can be of use to them, either as domestic servants, or in their own homes should they become wives, is neglected. They are taught washing, cooking, baking, sewing, house-cleaning-in fact, everything that can be required. Besides the matron, a schoolmistress, two laundresses, and a washerwoman, are employed to instruct the girls. A number of ladies also assist in the instruction of the inmates. Each
girl is brought up in habits of saving, by having small sums of money
allowed her for marks for good conduct. It may be added by way of
explanation, in the words of the committee, that " this school is not to
be looked upon in the light of a reformatory, as its object is not to reclaim the vicious, but to qualify virtuous, well-conducted girls for respectable situations."
ROMAN CATHOLIC REFORMATORY.
The Girls' Reformatory School for the North of England is situated
at Howard ~ill, Steel-bank, and was opened in August, 1861. It is
under the management of the Sisters of charity of St. Vincent of Paul.
At the time of the report being printed there were eight inmates. As
its name indicates, the institution is intended for the reclamation of
children who have fallen into crime, and who belong to Roman Catholic
parents.
RAGGED SCHOOLS
These schools are in Peacroft, where there is a commodious structure, built in 18S6, at a cost of £1,000. They were originally established in 1848. They are in a prosperous condition. The last annual report states that there are nearly 600 scholars in daily attendance. The average attendance at the evening classes is about 120;
their ages varying from 10 to 20. These scholars do not attend any
day school, but are most of them engaged in some sort of employment.
A teacher from the School of Art attends (gratuitously) one evening in
the week, to give instruction in elementary drawing. Bread is distributed, and clothing is supplied at a cheap rate.
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