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The Blue Books - 1846

Schools Listed in the Blue Books – 1847

Report of William Morris, Commissioner’s Assistant, 1847

A Commission of three young English barristers was set up by Parliament to report on the condition of education in Wales and each one was allocated a number of Welsh counties: R. R. W. Lingen for Carmarthenshire, Glamorgan and Pembrokeshire; J. C. Symons for Brecknock, Cardigan and Radnor and H. Vaughan Jones for North Wales.

Not one of the Commissioners was able to speak Welsh but they had eight Welsh-speaking assistants who were able to interview various people concerned with teaching and other aspects of the cultural life of Wales. In addition to being totally unacquainted with the Welsh way of life, traditions and culture, the three were members of the Church of England and therefore unlikely to be sympathetic to the Nonconformists who comprised the greater proportion of the Welsh people.

The eight assistants visited every school in Wales and published their findings in a large report – published in three volumes – entitled the Blue Books. The Report gave full details of most schools, schoolhouses, number of pupils, teachers, ages, salaries and other information about the teachers. Many prominent Welshmen defended Welsh education and referred to the report as “Brad Y Llyfrau Gleision” “Treachery of the Blue Books”. The report was published 1 April 1847 and called the Blue Books because the Government used blue covers.

Since most of the Commissioners did not speak Welsh and most children did not speak or understand English the report was critical of Welsh education. The Welsh language was virtually banned from Welsh Schools, which in turn led to a strained relationship between the Anglican Church, and the Nonconformists.

Following the publication of the Blue Books the Nonconformists, who mistrusted the English establishment, were reluctant to accept state funding.

Schools Listed in the Blue Books – 1847

Infants School, Prospect Place

Union Workhouse School

Private Day Schools

Mrs Barber’s Seaside

Miss Brabyn’s Seaside

Miss Constable’s Seaside

Mr & Mrs Evans’ Wern

Mr Esau’s High Street, Felinfoel, Horeb

Miss Lush’s Hall Street, Llwynhendy

Mrs Marks’ Water Street

Mrs Morgan’s Wern

Park Street School Park Street

Mr Phillips’ Seaside

Mrs Pullen’s William Street

Mr Thomas’ Oxen Street

Mr James Williams Hall Street

Mr William Williams’ Oxen Street [?]

Extracts from the Report of  William Morris,

Commissioner’s Assistant, 1847

Infant School

I visited this school on the 9th February. It is not in a flourishing condition. It was opened in 1841 with a debt of £250 which is now increased to £299 5s. 7d.; and in 1843 there were 372 names on the register, which have been yearly diminishing to their present number. The building fund was aided with £50 by the members of the Wesleyan Sunday School, in consideration of which and of their contributing 1/6th of all future repairs, that the school is held in the infant school room. The Committee profess the most perfect neutrality among the various denominations of Christians; at the same time that the instruction given in their school proceeds upon a purely Christian basis. During the repairs of the parish church the room was lent for several months, gratuitously, for holding the church services.

The master appeared to have learnt the routine of infant schools. He was not however at all alert in detecting the errors or omissions of individuals in simultaneous answers. For example, the children counted by twos at a time, successively naming the multiples of 10. I noticed one little fellow, who, after every “two–four–six-eight,” shouted “twenty.” The master seemed dispirited.

I heard the children repeat a previous lesson about Sodom and Gomorrah.

The master went through its principal details, passing for the children to supply the most characteristic words. I could not detect how far these words were supplied by the children themselves as the mistress acted as a fugleman and pronounced each word required, always simultaneously with, often in anticipation of, the scholars. The master put in and omitted aspirates, several times, incorrectly. His tone was monotonous, and his manner with the children lacked variety and animation. When he had finished the lesson he called upon one of the children to stand up. The other children were then at liberty to ask this one any question from the previous lesson. The questions, in general, were such as – “Who was turned into a pillar of salt?” “Who rained fire and brimstone?” &c.

The best which I heard asked and it was correctly answered, was by a little girl who said – “Remember Lot’s wife?”

The children in general, seemed uninterested, and were very inattentive and restless. After this exercise several of them repeated a verse or two each from various portions of Scripture. They could give some account of Christ’s birth: He was the son of poor parents. Repeated “The foxes have holes,” &c.

Spelling was taught from the card and the black board. In each case a few questions were asked in connection with particular words spelt. They talked, in one instance, about animal, vegetable, and mineral. The same children said that a peacock was a vegetable. Their ignorance, however, only respected the word; they gave me some of the real distinctions concerning the animal and vegetable kingdoms, in a pleasing and intelligent manner, when I questioned them on an orange and a rabbit. I obtained, also, some answers from them on the subjects of a lead pencil, writing and printing.

The mode of using the board to spell from was to call for words of (eg) more than one syllable, beginning with B. The following words were given by the children – “Bobtail – butter – butterfly – behold – before – become – baker – bible – butcher – behind – brotherly.”

Morning school was concluded by the children first repeating, and then singing, Grace before meat. The master added a few very brief, but well stated words on our owing every mercy to God. Dated 5th February 1847

Union Workhouse School

I visited this school on the 9th February. The mistress is sister to the mistress of the National School, whom she had previously assisted in a school at High Littleton in Somersetshire, before their removing to Llanelly.

She appeared intelligent.

The school room looked clean and comfortable. It was fitted with parallel desks and benches in the centre, a desk along one side, cards of letters and spelling, another showing the face of a clock, three windows, and a fireplace.

The children had caught the itch from an influx of Irish paupers, and were under quarantine in a separate part of the house.

There is no house chaplain. The mistress goes with the children to church on Sundays. Adults on that day go to what place of worship they please.

No objections have ever been made on the score of the children’s attending church. On Sunday’s the mistress gives them religious instruction from ten to eleven, before the morning service.

The mistress speaks no Welsh. She has uniformly found that the children understood English. I went into the boy’s ward. Of course I found them merely in such old rags as could with least cost be burnt after their cure.

Their faces were also excessively dirty. Three of them were barefoot.

Their ward was in a very untidy condition. I found eleven present. The following answers were obtained from two only of the whole number.

There are ten commandments – repeated the fourth commandment slowly and correctly – the seventh is now called Sunday – one boy repeated the days of the week correctly (the rest failed to do so, though separately asked) – did not know what month it was, nor the year we are living in – there are twelve months in a year – repeated them – could not say in which month Christmas Day was celebrated.

I proposed to them a sample case of accidental homicide by throwing a stone. They replied that it would be murder and a man would be hung for it – repeated the eighth commandment. I proposed to them several familiar cases of taking one’s own property, of taking another’s and this with or without permission to which they gave correct answers.

From the commandments we learn besides our duty to God, our duty to our neighbour – our duty to our neighbour is to love him as ourselves – repeated the Lord’s prayer – Our Father means God – the word trespasses is the same as transgression – could not give any shorter word for the same thing – heaven is God’s dwelling – the place most unlike it is hell - did not know the meaning of Amen – it came at the end of prayers (same answer at Kenarth workhouse school). Twelve pence in 1s.; could not tell how many pence in 3s; two sixpences in 1s. – could not say how many in 18d. – could not tell the value of half-a-crown, nor by how much it exceeded a shilling. 1l. – 20s. 3l. – 60s. (after several attempts)

The Queen’s name is Alexander – did not know where she lives – is a woman – is married – did not know her husband’s name – the country we are living in is Llanelly – could not say whether it was in England or not – could not name any other place than Llanelly – the mail goes to Swansea – to Kidwelly – to Carmarthen – these places are not all in one direction – Kidwelly is nearer than Carmarthen – these names represent towns – could not tell if there was any other way of going from Llanelly to Swansea, except along the road.

The girls were in a separate ward in the women’s yard, and suffering from the same complaint as the boys. I opened the door, but the room was so close and offensive that I could not enter. Dated 5th February 1847

Private Day Schools

Mrs Barber’s School, Seaside

The dame and her niece who assists her spoke English well. The whole furniture for the use of the school consisted of only one long table and eight small benches. The scholars were mariners’ and coppermen’s children. The copy books were tolerably well written. Dated 5th February 1847

Miss Brabyn’s School, Seaside

This dame could not speak English correctly. She said “They comes and goes.” She does not profess to teach anything beyond reading. The scholars were coppermen’s and pilots’ children. Dated 5th February 1847

Miss Constable’s, School Seaside

The mistress spoke English well. She teaches needlework, plain and fancy. The scholars were mariners’ and coppermen’s children. Dated 5th February 1847

Mr & Mrs Evans’s School, Wern (National School established by Revd Ebenezer Morris in 1837)

The school is dilapidated, the master an invalid, an Englishman understanding no Welsh. The scholars required to attend church on Sundays. One of the boys said ‘A sundial is as good as a clock, but not at night unless the moon was shining’. Both master and mistress spoke English as well. The mistress teaches sewing to the girls, and assists the master (her husband) to teach the junior classes occasionally. The scholars were tradesmen’s, coppermen’s and foundrymen’s children. Some of the copy books were well written. Dated 9th February 1847

[Note: According to John Innes in 1902, the school for boys was on the right and the school for girls was on the left with a Master’s house in the middle. On Sundays the boys were marched in a solid military style to the parish church whilst the girls were also marched like a flock of sheep. Boys sat on one side of the gallery facing the girls on the other side. A stone above the school house front door read: "Llanelly Boys’ National School, completed An. Dom. 1837 Rev. E Morris, Vicar". John Thomas helped to build it, supervised by Dai Griffiths of Cold Bath with a Mr Davies the carpenter. The school was unsafe because it had been built on old colliery workings and when it was abandoned by the school it was used as a small pottery.]

Mr Esau’s School, High Street

The master did not speak English correctly. The scholars were labourers’ and colliers’ children. The copy books were not well written. He did not speak correctly. Dated 9th February 1847

Felinfoel School

The master of this school spoke English well, had been educated in Carmarthen Grammar School, with a view of entering the church, but the establishment of St. David’s College prevented him. The scholars are farmers’, colliers’ and labourers’ children. Dated 6th February 1847

Horeb School

The master of this school seemed intelligent, and spoke English remarkably well. The scholars were principally farmers’ children, and a few of them labourers’ children. Some of the copy books were well written. Dated 5th February 1847

Miss Lush’s School, Hall Street

The mistress spoke English correctly. The scholars were tradesmen’s and mechanics’ children. Some of the copy books were well written. Dated 9th February 1847

Llwynhendy School

The master did not speak English correctly. There was no school furniture in the chapel, where the school is held. The scholars write kneeling on the benches. The scholars were farmers’ and colliers’ children. Dated 9th February 1847

Mrs Marks’s School, Water Street

Mrs Marks, though assisted by her husband and daughter, seemed to have the sole management of the school. She spoke English well. They have a large number of scholars under their care. The furniture consisted of three desks two tables, and fourteen benches. The scholars were farmers’, tradesmen’s and labourers’ children. Many of the copy books were well written.

Dated 5th February 1847

Mrs Morgan’s, School, Wern

I could not induce this dame to speak English; when I asked questions in English she answered them in Welsh. She is, I believe, partly supported by her daughter, in whose house she keeps the school. The scholars were mariners’ and labourers’ children. Dated 5th February 1847

Other schools listed in the Blue Books had similar comments written by William Morris.

Park Street School

Mr Phillips’ School, Seaside

Mrs Pullen’s School, William Street

Mr Thomas’s School, Oxen Street - “Had four benches”

Mr James Williams’s School, Hall Street

Mr William Williams’ School, Oxford Street [? Oxen Street] “In buildings erected for the purpose. He seemed intelligent”!

Note: This was probably ‘Ysgol Billy Williams’ (Billy Williams School) which was established in stables at the bottom of Oxen Street. According to a local inhabitant Billy Williams had been a prisoner in the Napoleonic wars and spoke French. About 150 boys and girls attended the school where the Bible was read every morning and evening.