 Some old Driffield Schoolmasters |
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The Driffield Times, April 5, 1919 SOME OLD DRIFFIELD
SCHOOLMASTERS Mr William Seaton was master of the National School on the Cross Hill. He was a man of boundless energy, a sports enthusiast, and well beloved by his scholars, the “Nasby Bulldogs.” He laid out a single wicket cricket pitch in the girls’ playground, provided a bucketful of cricket balls, and during the season played cricket every playtime, the teachers and some of the elder boys joining in the game. The master went to the wicket first and he who got him out, either bowled or caught, went in. There was a quoit pitch for the wet season, and when cricket could not be played, “callings,” a ball game, was very popular, but he would take a rope on the swing pole, or play “Prisoners’ base,” or “long-snake,” which at times involved nearly everybody in the playground. Among the boys he was affectionately known as “Billy Seaton,” which name was used in the doggerel rhymes concerning him, “Billy Seaton went to Weighton On a rainy day Wind blew, and skitter flew But Billy Seaton never knew.” Or, another commencing “Here we suffer grief and pain Under Billy Seaton’s cane.” There was sorrow when he resigned to take up holy orders. He afterwards became curate at Kirkbun for a time. Mr Seaton was succeeded by Mr Greenlaw, whose speciality was music. He formed singing classes for young people, carefully writing out in two parts the music of the piece he intended teaching. Mrs Greenlaw ably assisted him to make the classics a success. Mr William Santon succeeded Mr Greenlaw. His favourite subject was drawing, and he established Art Classes in connection with South Kensington that were very successful. About this time the question of a School Board arose, and the want of school accommodation in Driffield caused an agitation in favour of the formation of a School Board. In order to obviate the necessity of such a course, Mr Jarratt, Bank Manager, and a prominent educationalist, fitted up, largely at his own expense, the upper floor of the old brewery in Brewhouse Lane (now Harland Lane), as a schoolroom. Thither one fine morning the “Nashby Bulldogs” were marched by way of Mill Street and Middle Street North with al their scholastic kit, and settled into their new home. But not for long. The scheme was a failure and the retreat to their old quarters on the Cross Hill was made via Westgate. Mr William Sparks, now retired, was the first schoolmaster appointed by the School Board, and occupied the Wesleyan Schoolroom, as temporary premises, until the new school, at the junction of the Nafferton and Wansford roads, was erected and opened in 1874. Monument House School, at the corner of Church Street and Shady Lane (now Victoria Road), was conducted by Mr James Firth, brother in law of the Rev William Mitchell, Congregational Minister. It was a large and successful school for boarders and day scholars. Mr Firth looked well after the physical education of boys, provided a playing field and encouraged, supervised and participated in all their games. Their spiritual needs were well attended to and it was a goodly sight to see the boys file into the congregational Church and fill the first and second pews in front of the pulpit. Mr First was like Mr Seaton in energy, discipline, his love of sport, and his willingness to extend a helping hand to anyone in need of educational assistance. On the Scarbro’ Road, a short distance from Washington Street, there is a building with its gable end to the road, and which has been made into two cottages. This building was used as a schoolroom by Mr George Whiting, schoolmaster and journalist, who lived in the first house on Nafferton Road, now known as “The Lodge.” Mr Whiting mixed too much gall with his ink, which led him into trouble. He was sued for libel by Mr William Shepherdson, a brother journalist, and brother to Mr J.F. Shepherdson, J.P. The writer remembers little of the school routine, but has a lively recollection of the pranks played in the schoolroom during the dinner hour. Mr Nutt held a private school in a room situated in the Black Swan Yard. There was a constant feud between the boys attending his school, and the National School scholars, and the Cross Hill was the scene of many a fierce conflict between the “Nasby Bulldogs” and “Nutties” in winter time when snow lay on the ground. The old Wesleyan Chapel in Westgate, now used as a carriage factory, once housed the Mechanics’ Institute on the upper floor, and Mr James Cuzner, schoolmaster, preacher and surgical appliance maker, used the ground floor as a schoolroom. The room looked on to Mr Smelt’s orchard, and the gambols of the rabbits therein formed an agreeable diversion for the scholars when lessons were tiresome and uninteresting. In 1859 Mr Cuzner was the Baptist pastor, and when dissension split that body he ministered to one section which met for worship in the Mechanics Institute above mentioned. Mr Cuzner lived in Ashton Buildings, Westgate, and after school hours made surgical trusses by the aid of a sewing machine, then a great novelty. Out of these labours, the firm of Silcox, Cuzner & Syers, Prospect Street, Hull, was evolved. These are some of the men who helped to mould the minds and form the characters of the Driffield boys fifty years ago, and the memory of them is pleasant. J.N. The writer of the above suggests that some of our readers might supply particulars about Mr Auty, Mr Des Forges, or of him (whose name I cannot remember), who had a school in a building on the West side of Eastgate North, about midway between Bridge Street and Downe Street, which building was made into cottages. If this can be done we shall be pleased to insert them. – E.D.T.
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