The Bell Tower, the Old Schoolhouse.
The Bell Tower is the west wing of what was Thornham County Primary School built in 1858 by William Hogge Esquire, a wealthy banker with connections to Kings Lynn but was brought up at the family home of The Manor, Church Lane in Thornham.
Originally two schools: infants on the east side with standards (or juniors) on the west, each with it's own head teacher. The building was set up to be used as "a school for the education of children of the laboring. manufacturing and other poorer classes in the Parish of Thornham" in line with the thinking of the National Society for Promoting the Education of the Poor. It was given that it would follow the principles of the established church and should be open to the inspection of the Inspector.
The school was supported by subscriptions from wealthy donors and school pence which although very little was difficult for some families to find: the school logbook dated 22 February 1876 reads"...I sent Wardlow home for his school money. He did not return."
A Revised Code of Regulations in 1862 required schools that were inspected and eligible for state grants to keep a log book to give an account of the school's activities.The following extracts are taken from early school log books.
Government Policy & Attendance
September 22nd 1873
"Henry Rumbelow and William Johnson, each nearly l2 years of age have recently returned to school owing to the Agricultural Childrens Act. The children were behaving disgracefully in their classes".
The Act required children over the age of 10 to attend school 150 times in the preceding 12 months to enable them to be legally employed. It also became illegal to employ children under the age of 8.
Sad Realities
October 19th 1878
"George Rumbelow aged 11 died on Tuesday night after an illness of four days"
October 25th 1878
"Mrs Harris was ill and unable to attend school on Monday and Tuesday morning".
November 2nd 1878
"Saturday... The School was closed on Thursday afternoon and on Friday in consequence of the death of the Master's youngest child." Richard Harris was the Master of the school and Julia Anne Harris was the Mistress – possibly connected to the illness of Mrs Harris on October 25th.
July 8th 1914
"Clifford.... Aged 8 fell into a tank and drowned"
Health
November 15th 1878
"...whooping cough prevalent. Robert Harrier, five years, died on Tuesday morning the 12th instant."
December 5th 1889
"Scarlet fever broken out in village"
March 29th 1895
"Fresh outbreak of measles in the village."
June 9th 1903
"Sent two families home because of ringworm...The Doctor has advised that only those who have ringworm need be off."
September 28th 1903
"A child with brain fever was re-admitted after a year"
May 18th 1917
"The School Nurse attended and excluded three girls from the same family on account of verminous heads."
Punishment
February 21st 1879
"George Southerland having run away from school on two or three occasions and otherwise misconducted himself. I punished him by caning his hands on Monday morning. Soon after the school was dismissed, his father came into the Schoolroom using abusive language and threatening me with personal violence."
School Changes
February 2nd 1903
"Permission given to discontinue scripture examination."
April 27th 1903
"Permission was granted to use the pasture at the back of the school as a Cricket Field and Drill Ground. During playtime and dinner hour the children engage in football and cricket."
September 23rd 1903
"The average attendance this week has only been poor on account of several farmers not having completed harvest"
November 11th 1911
Children were warned about the danger of heavy motor traffic passing
Weather
September 30th 1918
"Heavy fall of rain. The large tree in the playground was blown over in the night"
June 28th 1910
"The weather being so warm this week, the children have been more than usually fidgety. Between lessons a few minutes have been devoted to Drill and Marching."
External Influences
August 14th 1885
“Average attendance much reduced in consequence of harvest work having commenced. School closed for harvest and will re-open on 21st September"
July 9th 1886
School used for election purposes
June 24th 1886
"Tuesday was a school holiday due to the jubilee of Her Majesty's reign"
July 7th 1893
"Half holiday due to the marriage of His Royal Highness the Duke of York to Princess Mary of Teck. Children entertained by Mrs Ames-Lyde on Brancaster Beach."
June 25th 1897
“Diamond Jubilee - one week school holiday!”
April 18th 1902
“Children learning to sing "God Save the King"
July 4th 1902
Holiday for the coronation of King Edward VII despite it being postponed.
July 26th 1915
The Master (Mr Thompson) leaves today for active service.
Background
William Hogge was the son of George Hogge, a successful merchant of Kings Lynn who had Thornham Hall built in 1780.
Whites Directory of Norfolk 1886 describes "rooms for boys and girls with a masters house built in 1857 attended by 140 children supported by voluntary subscriptions and school pence." A survey of 1903 shows that infants were in the eastern crosswing and standards/juniors were in the L-shaped center and west wing. Records show that the school was extended in 1906 to accommodate 200 children. There were three principal rooms: a hall classroom and two wing classrooms giving the school a H-plan configuration. The playground was a square of asphalt directly behind the school building until 1988 with a playing field to the north-east. The front boundary is original - random field flint with brick and stone capping.
At one time there was a north wing (possibly the extension) and an external lavatory block that ran parallel to the school on the north side, both have been demolished.
The school closed in 1986.