Monday 29 July 2019

Crunwere Minute Book Extracts 1904-1939


           Crunwere School Minute Book Extracts 24 Sept 1904 – 1939
Manager’s list
– stuck inside cover –
Rev’d D Morgan
Mr B Jones Heatherland
Mr John Allen Rose Cottage ((died)
Mr John Davies Stanwell
Mr W B Davies County Councillor
Mr York Glanville West Llanteg
Mr Charles Allen Oxford

First meeting – Attended by B James, J Davies, J C S Glanville, Rev’d Garner, D Williams Trenewydd and Henry Hitchings Pantglas.

10 Oct 1904 – Miss Hobbs asked for a pay rise – refused, no power to approve.

21 Oct 1904 – Caretaker should be paid 1/6 a week and to provide fire for the schoolroom with extra for carting coal.

19 July 1905 – Summer holidays to be from 31 July to 28 August.

17 Aug 1905 – Condolences to Mr Hitchings who had lost his wife.

18 Sept 1905 – Monthly meetings had been held to approve teacher’s salary – decided to hold them quarterly.

6 Sept 1906 – Mrs Hobbs leaving after a long time – to canvas parish for subscriptions.  Replaced by Miss Annie M Williams, headmistress.  Did she have a friend to recommend as a Supply Teacher.

25 Sept 1906 - Miss Elizabeth Davies to come from Cosheston School.  Martha George The Downs as a temporary cleaner under the supervision of her mother.
Mrs Hobbs and daughter Miss Annie Hobbs thanked for their thorough and efficient service, Miss Hobbs had applied for a post in Surrey.
Agreed the house be offered to Nathanial Williams on condition he undertakes the cleaning.

16 Oct 1906 – Letter from the new head resigning.
4 June 1907 – Complaints from parents regarding children being roughly handled.

1 July 1907 – Head unable to get confortable lodgings.
22 Aug 1907 – To offer Miss Frances Edith Ellen Evans the headship from 1 Oct, with Support Teacher Miss Elizabeth Davies.

27 June 1908 – Should attendance fall due to haymaking in full swing to close the school for the usual summer holidays.
8 Oct 1908 – To appoint Annie E Blanton (?) as head.

7 Apr 1909 – Highly satisfactory report from the Dept of Diocesan Inspectors – ‘very good work has been done in this school and the tone and discipline were excellent’.

9 Feb 1910 – School closed due to many colds, the medical officer gave instructions to close for a fortnight.  To re-open the following Monday.

9 Apr 1910 – Decided to appeal for extra desk for infants – only 3 desks for 22 pupils.

27 Apr 1910  – Emily Davies of Blackheath to be appointed school cleaner.

4 July 1910 – Mr H Hitchings had passed away.  Mr Glanville resigned as C.C. Manager, proposed Mr John Williams of Crunwere be appointed manager.

5 Nov 1910 – Miss Blanton resigns.

23 Nov 1910 – Miss Daisy Thomas of Narberth to be appointed, then resigns through ill health.  Mrs Dunbar appointed.

15 June 1911 – Need further accommodation – suitable for 42 but over 50 on books.  At the request of the King to have an extra week’s holiday.

4 Nov 1911 – Discussion as to whether to enlarge the premises – decided to leave at it is for now.

18 Sept 1912 – Discussed plans to extend the school.

10 Mar 1913 – To ask authorities to have school closed from 10th to 25th March due to chickenpox.

15 Jan 1914 – Question of levelling the playground – stones dug up and rab brought from Pensylvania (permission of Mr Glanville).

25 May 1914 - Testimonial for Miss Davies who had been a teacher for over 7 years.

4 Apr 1915 – Decided to pay Alfred James for repairs to the school.  Cleaner Emily Davies sent in her resignation.  Mrs Phillips proposed.

10 Dec 1915 – Diocesan report highly satisfactory.

4 July 1916 – Mrs Dunbar resigns.

22 Sept 1916 – Mrs Phillips resigns as cleaner, proposed Ellen James of Ruelwall.
21 Dec 1916 – Agreed children can have half day holiday for Empire Day.

8 July 1918 – Abram Hodge to give an estimate for breast ploughing the piece of land required for the school garden.

4 Dec 1918 – The death of Mrs Dunbar – special meeting called.  She had been head teacher for 8 years – to convey their deep sympathy to her children.
A medical order closed the school from Nov 11th to 8 Jan 1919.

10 Apr 1919 – School garden – only 5 children in school of age to do garden work and therefore only a third of area prepared can be cultivated.

13 July 1919 – Miss Rowena Lewis of Oaklands applied as supply teacher.

31 Jan 1920 – 3 children of Daniel Thomas Milton Back taken by relatives. 
Concerning the objection by the board of Agriculture and Fisheries to the school garden in the Parish Recreational Ground, managers of the opinion that if the present garden cannot be retained no other plot convenient to the school is available.

30 Sept 1920 – Headmistress still totally unfit to take charge of school.

13 Nov 1920 - Miss Thomas has no medical certificate and they cannot recommend she be appointed.

11 July 1921 – Recommended Mr Hampden (?) John Parr of Porthcawl as headteacher.

28 Oct 1921 – Nellie Allen cleaner. Suggested by headteacher that a flower garden be made in playground – unanimously agreed.

16 Dec 1922 – Agreed to purchase a school piano.

4 Apr 1923 – Alfred James was instructed to carry out repairs to the school house and room as necessary.

9 Aug 1923 – It was easily possible to put a third bedroom on top of the outer kitchen with a door to it at top of stairs.

21 Aug 1923 – Additional room to be built on school house to the larger scale as suggested by Alfred James.

27 Dec 1923 – Procure piano for £50 cost price.

22 Jan 1925 –Advertise for head teacher.

19 Feb 1925 – Proposed Miss C W Badham be head teacher from 1st April.

31 July 1925 – Appointed Mr Wolff (as head teacher).

17 Feb 1926 – Thought that the repair of the footbridge (to?) the Cabin should be considered.

25 Feb 1926 – Footbridge to the Cabin is used daily by schoolchildren.  Mr James Clyngwyn kindly undertook repair of footbridge.

7 Apr 1926 – Resignation of Miss Rowena Lewis assistant mistress since 1918.

27 Apr 1926 – Appointed Miss Isabel Hall as certified teacher.

4 Feb 1927 – Structural repairs done to house.  Walls of school ground repaired.  Jambs built for the iron gate to the field and for the door to the garden.  A new range put in and gravel for the yard.
For several years the school house has been unoccupied, with teachers taking rooms in the village.
A wooden shed with galvanised roof, large enough to take benches and desks not in use and the ‘platform’ boards now stored in Rectory barn should be built to avoid cartage after events in the school.  Extension to front of school was discussed.
Treasurer to ascertain amount of yield of Merriless Charity.

26 Apr 1927 – Merriless Charity 2s 3d a quarter, at the disposal of the Rector.

23 May 1927 – Discussed having the jambs to the field adjoining the school yard ready for a gate.

24 June 1927 – Meeting to arrange covering the school yard with gravel or chips.

8 Nov 1927 – Engaged a workman to tidy up the field used by the children as a playground – the hedges were trimmed and the briars cleared away and field drain and ditch filled in.

11 Jan 1928 – A shed had been put up in which the ‘slaping’ used for teas etc in the school were to be kept.

14 May 1928 – Cleaner Nellie Allen resigned as she was getting married.   Mrs Charles Allen and Miss Florence Phillips sent in applications. 
Repaired to lavatories discussed.  Enquiries regarding earth closets to substituted in place of the present system – not considered necessary to be rebuilt, the doors to be refixed and floors relaid.
Mr John Davies Greenacre unable to attend (aged 96) but tentatively approached William Davies (son) in his place.

21 Nov 1928 – Whist drive held with proceeds going to the school fund - £50.

15 Feb 1929 – Appointed William Davies who had acted for his father for the last 3 years.

19 June 1929 – To arrange about the school children going by charabanc to Mission Exhibition in Tenby, in the nature of a lecture on geography.

2 Aug 1929 – Miss Winifred Thomas as teacher in place of Miss Hall who had resigned and taken on headship of St Brides School.

20 Jan 1930 – Mr H (Howard) James presented bills going back to 1921.  No question that the work was done to their satisfaction – but they regretted that the bills had not been presented before 1929.
The head to see about notices fixed warning gypsies they were not to camp in the school.

21 Nov 1930 – Presented school children with a football.

27 Mar 1931 – Allow the school room to be used for a concert in aid of Zoar chapel funds.

11 Sept 1931 – Miss W J Thomas to go to Jeffreston – Miss Hobbs appointed here.  The head mentioned a case of misbehaviour of a child of 13 who had to be punished and sent home.

5 Oct 1932 – Miss Florence Thomas commenced duties.

27 Nov 1933 – Miss ? Jones teacher.

23 July 1934 – Attendance discussed.  Low on the attendance charts – due mainly to poor attendance of children from Carmarthen county.  To write to the medical officer re George Hughes of Mountain View.

20 Dec 1934 – Pursell (Purser) Fund discussed.  Decided the money should not be given to children this Xmas as in the past, but retained and utilised for taking on an educational tour during the summer.

4 Jan 1935 – Decided to hold a whist drive to raise funds.  £3-7s in Purser fund for summer trip to St Davids.

1 May 1935 – Trip to be on the 15th or 18th, leaving school at 9.30.
Head teachers quarterly report – attendance low for first part of the year due to illness and deaths.  Also complained about gypsies camping in the lane running alongside the school, leaving old tins and refuse about and asking whether something could not be done to prevent their camping in the lane.

23 Dec 1935
– Pursell (Purser) Fund – to be used for an educational tour in the summer of 1936 (to Llangwm, Rosemarket and Milford Haven for lunch and to Haverfordwest for tea. 
Head’s quarterly report – attendance had dropped to 27.

20 May 1936 – Trip to be on 5th June – leaving Llanteg Cross at 9.30 and Folly 9.40.  Milford Haven at after lunch at Haverfordwest at 8.30 for home.  Outsiders to pay 2/6 with 1 shilling for lunch.  Proposed a ready cooked ham be bought and taken with bread, butter and tea.

8 June 1936 – The number on the trip was enormous and it had gone beyond what was intended – viz – an educational tour for the children.  In future all trips should be confined to children, staff
 managers and wives who would care to join – carried unanimously.

21 June 1937
– Decided the Purser Fund was to be divided equally among the scholars.  There was a tender to supply water to the school and school house - £18-2-6 – to be held over till next meeting.
Master Noel Davies of Bryneli had won a scholarship to Narberth School at the early age of 10 years.

4 Oct 1927 - Decided to leave piped water in abeyance and to try and get a standard outside the school premises.
On Tuesday Oct 12th the new extension to the churchyard would be consecrated by the Bishop and the schoolroom was required for tea, a holiday was granted for that day.
A vote of sympathy for Mrs Wolff in her illness.

26 Oct 1937 – Miss Jones to go to Ludchurch.  Boundary wall of the school grounds, refixing of coping stones, postponed till the spring.

27 Nov 1937 – Miss Betty Crockett offered post of assistant teacher.
Rector stated re Purser Charity – ‘that the sum of £100 in trust was left to the Rector of Crunwere ( in perpetuity).  The interest thereon to be given annually to the most deserving in Crunwere School’. 

26 July 1938 – Mr Wolff was congratulated on attendance for 1937 and also the success attained by the school at the sports held in Milford Haven the previous Saturday.
They did not want to spend on improvements unless the LEA could guarantee that the school would not close for 7 years.
A water standard to be erected in the near future just outside the school premises.

Letter dated 18 July 1939
From The Palace, Abergwili
Have received from the Rev’d D. Morgan Rector of Crunwere a document dated 16 December 1876 and entitled ‘undertaking’ re Crunwere Church of England School – given to me for safekeeping.

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