School notes from 1863 until 1974

1/6/1863 - Scarlet fever abated, attendance now good

13/6/1863 - Smallpox now back again in the village

29/6/1863 - attendance dropping due to:-
Pea Picking
Wet Weather
Employed in fields

15/4/1863 - Attendance rather poor, Several boys now employed in the fields. 2 boys marked absent as they only spent 1.5hrs in school

2/5/1864- "Holy Thursday" being Bures Fair, children kept at home by parents

2/6/1864 - Attendance rather poor , Alphamstone Fair

3/6/1864 - Attendance rather poor, Lamarsh Fair. Hay making

27/6/1864 - admitted pupil from Dame School

26/10/ 1864 - Attendance rather poor
Gone to Sudbury to see a Circus
Nayland Fair
Vegetable Show at Sudbury
Gleaning Corn
Steam barge on the River

26/4/1864- In the afternoon the entire school was addresses by the Master upon taking Gods name in vain. He told the story of a boy in Brighton who was struck blind by the Almighty for Blasphemy and playing on a Sunday

29/51865 - Summer work at Mr Mannings brickyard, various boys missing

6/10/1865 - Rev Stanworth commented there was too much ink in the ink wells

28/9/1866 - sent out bills to parents

4/2/1867 - good attendance because lots of parents having no work

18/3/1867 - many boys away scaring birds

25/6/1867 - School thin in numbers due Haymaking

12/2/1868 - boys away gardening

10/6/1868 - Four boys sent home to wash their faces and comb there hair

18/6/1868 - attendance thin as several boys gone to see the Sudbury Races

11/5/1874 - Lots of children working at the Brickfields

10/9/1874 - George and William Cansdale not allowed too return to school until fees paid

17/7/1874 - Flax pulling has commenced, attendance now very low

31/8/1874 - Gleaning not yet done at Bures Hamlet

27/6/1874 - The factory Inspector calls to make enquiries why so many boys are working at he Brickfields

1879 - Floods still high. Harvest did not start until the 28th August

1880 - Smallpox in the village, used as an excuse by parents to keep children at home

1881 - Severe floods in Bures

1881 -Mr Pile, Master with teachers Chas Crook and H Gilby
Average attendance 84
Current illnesses:- Smallpox, Scarlet Fever, Measles, TB, Diptheria and Influenza
Bitter weather with some pupils walking 2.5m to school with chilblains.

1882 - Gleaning

1883 - Severe outbreak of Measles, school closed for one month
Scarletina - even the Master was stricken down with this illness

1885 - Outbreak of Diphtheria
30 - 40 boys missing for pea picking

1886 - Menagerie in the village

1889 - School closed for 5 weeks on medical advice ( reason unknown)
May - severe flooding

1890 - Turniping

16/5/1890 - Work in the fields caused a falling of numbers, down to 69

20/6/1890- School dismissed for a week to be given for peak picking instead of Whitsun holiday

28/9/1891 - School reopened this morning due to an extra weeks holiday given because the backwardness of the harvest

16/12/1891 - School closed 2 weeks due outbreak of Scarletina

1893 - Royal Wedding, Duke of York (later George V of the United Kingdom), and Princess Mary of Teck

1894 - New playground wall built.

4/5/1898 - Willie Webber accidentally drowned in the river last night

8/2/1907 - Mention of an Assistant being paid £65 per annum

13/1/08 - Request to the Sec for education for 25 leaflets pointing out the dangers of smoking to the boys.

8/9/1914 - Mr R Gillis (teacher) resigned today to join the army for foreign service

29/1/1915 - Coal has run very low

8/2/1915 - Fuel economy drive commenced

30/9/1915 - School closed on Oct 1st to enable the greater number of boys (48 in total) to gather apples and pears from the large orchard. The fruit would have been spoilt as the owner is away and the large shortage of labour

18/10/1915 - School insured for£2000 against air-raids

26/5/1916 - Most of the children brought a penny to school for the prisoners of war

19/11/1916 - Coal has finally run out

26/10/1917- Bad attendance caused by the children being offered 6/- per bushel to collect sweet chestnuts, Several children away this Thursday and Friday for this purpose

21/1/1918 - School closed for 12 weeks due to diphtheria outbreak. 4 deaths and 40 infections

27/9/1918 - The older scholars gathered nearly 1 cwt of blackberries under the Government Scheme, but in their own time. The blackberries were then dispatched by train to a jam making factory in London.
Received a letter from the Min of Ag thanking the Headteacher and the scholars for this contribution including the pulling of 40 acres of Flax in the district

30/9/1918 - School granted 14 tons of coal plus 10,000 cuft of gas for the coming winter

13/5/1921 - Elsie Morris appointed Monitor from August at £8 per year

16/11/1923 - The Headmaster teaching 75 children on his own
The upper school has been divided into three classes, upper and lower church children and then the Dissenters

3/3/1932 - Mr Creek from Stoke by Nayland Primary installed as Head Teacher

1933 - Because of Mr Creek, Bures would become the woodwork centre for Nayland, Assington, Stoke and Bures

28/9/1938 - Gas Masks fitted. Snr boys constructed Air Raid Shelter

6/10/1939 - Mother of 2 evacuees came to remove them and those of her neighbours as they would be safer at home

10/5/1940 - Bank Holiday cancelled as a consequence of the invasion of Holland and Belgium

11/5/1940 - Instruction given on how to use Wireless from the Board of |Education in reception areas.

14/6/1940 - Arch Dept taking measurements for Air Raid Protection

15/7/1940 - Windows treated with anti-splinter solution and wire netting

12/9/1940 - When Air Raid warning given at night children allowed to start at 10am

6/11/1940 - Caretaker Mrs Willingham seriously injured by bomb blast along Nayland Rd,

8/11/1940 - Mrs Willingham died today

18/4/1941 - School closed for one week holiday deferred from Easter to allow elder children with the potato planting

12/10/1942 - Fires not to be lit until temperature drops to 50F

1952 - Miss Christine Harriss who had been at the School since 1908 asked for an extension to her service of 48 yrs. An extension was granted but within a few weeks she died on Oct 20th 1952

1953 - Staff room and cycle sheds added

1972 - 1982 Mrs Howard Head Teacher, she may have taken over from Mr Creek ( listed HT since 1933)

School Closures

30/8/1887- School Closed Military Funeral at cemetery

11/6/1896 - School closed, marriage of the Vicars daughter

2/8/1895 - School closed, local cricket match

1/5/1895 - School closed, rooms required for entertainment

17/5/1898 - Funeral of husband of infants mistress

13/9/1907 - Horticultural Show

22/7/1910 - Band of Hope outing

12/6/1910 - Choral Service at Wormingford

8/7/1910 - Sunday School treat

18/6/1909 - Half day holiday as 25 girls taking part in Colchester Pageant

?10/1908 - School required for Rummage Sale

29/11/1934 - Wedding of the Duke of Kent and Princess Marina

This material originated from notes written by Mrs Howard, Head teacher 1972 -1982
Acknowledgment to Marion Howard ( daughter)for allowing use of this material
Additional material taken from the SCC RO