Page three

Preface
Contents
Chapter I
Chapter II
Chapter III
Chapter IV
Chapter V
Chapter VI
Chapter VII
Chapter VIII
Chapter IX
Chapter X
Chapter XI
Chapter XII
Chapter XIII
Appendix

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During our five years' sojourn at Bishop Auckland, my children, Ralph, Catherine, and Alice were born, Catherine died in infancy. In the Spring of 1839, Darlington Monthly Meeting fell in course at Staindrop. Jonathan and Hannah C. Backhouse had just returned from Ireland, and felt much interested in the effort Irish Friends were remaking at the Brookfield Agricultural School for the education of the offspring of those who had lost their membership in our Society by marrying out. J. Backhouse dined with my parents, and finding I had served an apprenticeship to farming, and spent six years in teaching the Schools endowed by Edward Walton at Old Shildon and Bishop Auckland on the Lancasterian system, he thought a kind Providence had been training me to take charge of the institution lie hoped might is established, an l wished me during the summer holidays to visit the Brookfield School, to which I consented. J.B. gave me letters of introduction to J. Richardson, and Dr. Hancock of Lisburn, and Joshua Lamb of Peartree Hill, also to Wm. Shannon the Master. My journey was an interesting one. I set out from Bishop Auckland one bright morning for Carlisle via Newcastle. At the former town I was the guest of Hudson Scott, who kindly showed me the places of interest in the ancient city. Next morning I went by canal boat to Port Carlisle on the Firth of Solway, and next morning went on board the steamer for Belfast. We sailed so near the Scotch coast that we could see the cattle in the fields, and the milk maid with their pails on their heads, and fancied I heard them singing . After passing the town of Annan, we were soon in the middle of the British Channel. We' had on board a number of Irish labourers returning home. Whisky was sold on the steamer, and some of the men got tipsy mid began to fight with their shillelays. The steward had prepared a vegetable soup which he sold to the poor men at one penny a basin. The men treated the steward with whisky and he was so tipsy he could not attend to his business, and the Irishmen helped themselves to his soup. There was great delight when the Emerald Isle came in view. Those that had been fighting, now became good friend's and hugged each other, exclaiming “see the d'ar country.” On leaving we were surrounded by a number of ragged youths offering to carry our luggage, some said they would do it for a penny, others said “I will carry you it, Sir, for nothing” I made my way to the Railway Station, and took the first train for Lisburn; neither J. Richardson nor Dr. Hancock were at home; after the former's sister had given me some refreshment, I started out on foot for Peartree Hill, which I was told was only three miles distant. On complaining of the distance, I was told to remember they were Irish Miles! Richard Lamb was not at home, so I walked on to tile School, and was kindly received by William Shannon and his wife, who did their best to make me comfortable during my stay with them. There were then in the School 17 boys and 10 girls. Wm. Shannon not only gave the young people literary instruction but laboured with the boys on the land teaching them the best way of using the spade and the various tools. He preferred spade culture as far as it was practicable. Sarah Shannon took her part with the girls in every branch of duty in which they were engaged. Milking the cows and attending the dairy, was a very important part of their work, as the family lived chiefly on butter milk and potatoes. The following account taken from a report about the time I was there will give the best idea of the various industries during the year. “In the spring the boys are employed preparing the ground and putting in the several sorts of crops. For a few weeks of this quarter the hours for school are very irregular. In summer they are occupied with weeding and digging between the potato and mangel-wurzel drills, &c., usually about five hours per day. During the harvest the children are only about two hours and a half in the school each morning, the rest of the day is spent in saving the crops. The elder boys reap the corn, and the younger bind it into sheaves and carry them to be stooked, &c. When the harvest is finished the draining is begun, and carried on until the potato digging commences, which is also done by the boys. In winter they thresh the corn; and when the weather is fine they work for about two hours per day, trenching up the land into ridges. The girls are all employed by turn in the different departments of house-Work. They make all their own clothes, the boys’ linen, and knit the stockings, &c. They get their regular hours of School with little exception.” Their day consisted of sixteen hours in the summer, beginning at 5 o'clock a.m., and retiring to rest at 9 o'clock p.m. Al out the time I visited the School, 1839, the average cost was £10 0s. 6d. including clothing and every expense. The bedsteads were like deep long boxes. The beds were filled with straw or chaff. Their dress was made of corduroy for trousers, coarse woollen cloth for jacket and waistcoat, a simple cap and wooden shoes ironed round to work in, and low shoes when in the house. William Shannon and his wife seemed peculiarly fitted for their position, and were no doubt specially gifted of God for the religious and moral training of youth. After remaining about a week I returned by the same route I went. I sent Jonathan Backhouse a report of all I saw, taking exception to nothing but the dietary, to which I thought English parents would object. He sent for me and expressed considerable displeasure with this part of my report, saying, “I should not object to have my children brought up on such diet.” His youngest daughter was in the library, and exclaimed, “no father” ! this brought a smile over the dear old friend's countenance. A few days after this he had an attack of paralysis, and handed my report over to John Pease, who took up the matter in earnest; being on the Committee of the Educational Society, he no doubt had heard Samuel Tuke’s paper read, but did not think that the failure in the attempts that had been made to combine labour with education were such as to prove its impracticability, and knowing that Wm. Thistlethwaite had carried on spade husbandry successfully for three or four years at Penketh, thought it best for me to visit that School and report. It was considered best to go by way of Lancaster. At Staindrop, when about to get on to the Exmouth Stage Coach, a friend advised me to take an overcoat and an umbrella, saying “it always rains on Stainmore.” It was well I took his advice; at Barnard Castle, Bowes, and Spittle, we had fine weather, but after passing the ruins of Maiden Castle the rain came down in torrents. We arrived at Lancaster at 2 o'clock in the morning; after supper and three hours’ rest, I took the train at 6 o'clock a.m. for Warrington, after arriving there I walked on to Penketh School. Wm. Thistlethwaite, the Superintendent, and Maria Whitten, the Housekeeper, gave me a hearty welcome. The outdoor employment was mostly culture by the spade of crops for feeding the milk cows, and vegetables for culinary use, averaging about three hours per day. They aimed at giving a good English education. William Thistlethwaite seemed very successful in. guiding his scholars in the right occupation of their leisure hours, In his report to the Educational Society at Ackworth he says, “a juvenile association has been formed among the scholars who meet weekly; chemical lectures and experiments, a cabinet of minerals, familiar instruction in science, are among the resources for the proper occupation of leisure in the school.” He says “I have found these means more efficacious than any other in turning the current of feeling in the school into a right channel. I mean this to apply to a moral as well as intellectual view of the subject; these studies not being taught in the school, a favour is conferred upon the parties. We tried Botany last summer and were much gratified by the result; we are about to add Entomology.” James Cropper, who had carried on Industrial Schools for orphans at Fearnhead, and who was chiefly instrumental in establishing Penketh School, watched over it with much solicitude, giving Wm. Thistlethwaite his experience and advice in conducting the industrial department of the School. The profit of the labour of the boys and the services of the girls effected a clear saving of £100, or £2 per year for each child.

On my return from Penketh, at the request of John Pease, I visited Rawdon School. Wm. Rothery and his wife received me kindly. I hoped to have found the boys employed in regular farm work; in this I was disappointed, a little gardening seemed the only outdoor occupation of the boys. Their leisure was chiefly occupied with book-binding, and some could bind small books in a respectable manner. On my return, I reported to John Pease the result of my visits to Penketh and Rawdon; highly recommending the system pursued at the former School to be adopted by us in our new institution, both in-door and out-door, also in diet and clothing, of which I gave him all particulars.

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