Schools GAZ Whitehaven

Schools: The 1818 Schools Report lists no schools in Whitehaven. However, Andrew Pellin (d.1732) taught mathematics and surveying in the town from the 1690s andthroughout the 18th century there had been a number of private academies for the children of the wealthy, mainly in private homes. In the early 19th century the most well known of these was probably that of Rev Jack, minister of Providence Chapel, which educated William Thompson, 86th Archbishop of York. The earliest education for the masses was through Sunday Schools- Wesleyan Methodist opened 1811,and Ginns general opened 1817. In that year the first Day School was established- Piper’s Marine School for 60 poor boys on High Street (next to the Kirk), although the School itself only opened in 1822 (closed 1908). Next was the National School on Wellington Row in 1824, extended 1835, became an Elementary School in 1874, rebuilt 1965, and now St. James’ Junior. This was followed by Ginns Infant School in 1828 (also accommodated the British School in 1845), Trinity School (1837, Trinity National from 1852), St. Nicholas School (1846, enlarged 1874, closed 1911, became Irish St School & eventually the Secondary Modern closing in 1981), Colliers School at the Glasshouse (1853-1876, replaced by the Earl of Lonsdale’s School, later Monkwray, enlarged 1922), Market Place Refuge School (1852, enlarged 1859, replaced by Crosthwaite School in 1901, closed 1985), National Infants on High Street (1875, enlarged 1900, modified 1928, rebuilt 1965, now St. James’ Infants), St. Begh’s RC (1868 in the 1834 Chapel), St Patrick & St Gregory (1889),- these became one school in 1926 and rebuilt on a new site 1960. In the 20th century new Schools were built at Bransty (1930), Kells Infants (1938), Kells Secondary Modern (1951, closed in 1980’s), Kells St. Mary R.C. 1957 and Jericho (1969).. The County Secondary School opened in 1908, later becoming the Grammar School, moving to Hensingham in 1968 where all Secondary education is now concentrated (see HENSINGHAM).