schools in Battersea 1881?

[blopeman64]

Still trying to find my grandfather William Charles Lovett b. 5th April 1873 whose birth does not appear to have been registered. His sister Alice Illett Lovett born in 1870 was registered in Kennington Lambeth. They were the children of Lucy Lovett [no marriage] and no father of her children identified. Am now trying schools as Lucy had vanished from the children's lives by c. 1877. They grew up reportedly in the Nine Elms area of Battersea. I'm using the Charles Booth maps and can see Board Schools but not their names. Does anyone know of a lsit of schools for the area at that time and whether the LMA would have log books/ admission registers?
Carole

[Geoffers]

I can't help with school names - sorry - but some passing thoughts:

Where was your chap living in 1881?

Do try workhouse records

How have you come by a full date of birth? Did he join the army where the date is recorded? If the dob is from a work record, don't take the year as being absolutely accurate.

Have you searched for a marriage/death for his mum?

Geoffers

[Colin Moretti]

Hello Carole

SoG publish a very useful book, if slighly depressing, An Index of London Schools and their Records, edited by Cliff Webb. Depressing because the proportion of records that have survived seems to be rather small although some schools are much better than others. There are two main sorts of document, Admission and Discharge Registers and School Log Books plus "miscellaneous". To quote the introduction to the book:
...
Schools were required to keep certain records under various school codes. For example the Elementary School Code, 1903 laid down that all schools should have (a) registers of admissions, progress and withdrawal (b) attendance registers and (c) a register of summaries....
... Each entry had to contain an individual reference number, date of admission, full name, name and address of parent or guardian, whether exemption from religious education was claimed, date of birth, last school attended prior to this one, date of leaving school.
...Log books
... Considerable details are given of the comings and goings, shortcomings and illnesses of staff. Rather less appears on individual pupils , though very informative items do occur...

cont...

[Colin Moretti]

... Cont
There are rather too many schools listed for Battersea to list records available for all of them; what are the names of those closest to where your family was living?

Individual entries in the book give the name of the school and its address, date of opening and closing, changes of name and, where relevant, the LMA call number for the school. Records that have survived and their dates are given. Here's a fairly typical entry:
Approach Road School, Bethnal Green, E2 (Wesleyan) Opened 1869 (LMA: EO/DIV 5/APP)
A&D 1890-1927 (infants); 1906-27 (mixed)
LB 1869-1927 (mixed); 1869-1927 (infants)Some schools seem to have no records surviving at all, others have much more extensive material than the example above. Under misc, for example, there are things like punishment books, staff, visitors, schoolkeepers diaries and minute books.

Some records are not at LMA but at the relevant local studies library.

Colin

[blopeman64]

He's not to be found in 1881 - tho' I've got him in 1891 aged 18 in Battersea living with his sister. Have searched the workhouses - family stories said the children were kept by neighbours and family so that they didn't have to go to the workhouse. Have trawled 1881 census in this area of Battersea hunting to no avail. Birth date taken as given by him and according with age on his death certificate [81 in July 1954].
Thanks for your help. Have not found work records - would not know where to begin and no history of Army service - would he have served in First World War? 41 at ouset!

[blopeman64]

Thanks Colin,

I wrote a school log for 8 years tho' no one seems to do it now. Sometimes pupils' names are mentioned. I'll try Cliff's book - that might be helpful. Was it possible c. 1877 to fail to send children to school ?- my memory tells me that, following the 1870 Act, all children were to attend and the School Board man went calling if they didn't. However, it appears that in 1873 my G-Grandmother was able to have a baby and not register it's birth so who knows? Carole