from CHAPTER TWO:

THE BEGINNINGS OF EDUCATION IN CODSALL AND BILBROOK



The first mention that we have regarding education in Codsall comes in the Victoria County History, where we learn that in the 1480s Sir John Giffard went to school at Codsall Church. Perhaps he was taught by the curate either as a private pupil or in a small class.
    In 1688 William Tonks, an unlicensed schoolmaster, was in Codsall and may have taught in the village. Then in 1720, Mrs Dorothy Derby left £20 in her will, the interest of which was to be used to enable poor children to read the Bible. This was just six years after the death of Queen Anne and the accession of George I. The Jacobite Rebellion had taken place five years previously and it was 11 years since Abraham Darby had taken over the blast furnaces at Coalbrookdale, so the Industrial Revolution had yet to begin. It is interesting to speculate about how much these events touched the lives of people living in the village at this time, as they went about their work as farmers and agri-cultural labourers. It was certainly a very much smaller place then. In 1641 the poll-tax assessment listed 105 people in Codsall and 53 in Oaken.
    In 1730 Margaret Somerford made a similar bequest to that of Dorothy Derby, but it appears that it was not until 1787 that the income from this bequest, 16s 8d, was used to pay a schoolmistress who taught four poor children to read. The Rev John Hellman had also left money to the parish. This was used to purchase a cottage and some land. The cottage was burnt down about 1790 and was later rebuilt by the parish and used as a Poor House. The annual rent was £6 10s. Out of this amount £3 0s 0d was used to pay a schoolmaster to teach six poor children to read.


CODSALL HOUSE
In 1815 a private school opened in Codsall House under the management of Thomas Richmond and his wife Mary. They had started the school in Albrighton in 1800 but for  some reason decided, 15 years later, to move to Codsall. The school was mainly intended for Roman Catholic pupils and was principally a boarding school for girls, although some day-girls were accepted. In 1819 Richmond tried advertising for boys of between 5-10 years old to become pupils.
    French influence must have been very strong in the establishment. Richmond was the author of a French grammar and had translated devotional works from French. In 1823 the school had 35 pupils and 31 in 1833. The following year the school was sold to a Mrs Perry and her two daughters. Sometime between 1835 and 1841 it passed into the care of two sisters, Maryann and Emma Fair-banks. The 1851 census seems to suggest that Marjorie Richards and her sister Emma were in charge of 12 pupils aged between 12 and 18 years of age. By 1861 the school had closed.


THE NATIONAL SCHOOL
The National School in Codsall was opened in 1818, within a year it had 129 pupils on  roll. The property, which was grouped with parish property, was to be found near the top of Church Road. The occupier of the building was given as John Cliff, but what part he played we do not know.
    It was built with money raised by subscription and existed on this and the money paid by the scholars. It also received about £4 from the Derby and Somerford charities. This money was used to pay for the education of eight poor children. In 1833 there were 45 boys and 66 girls attending the