Katherine Bayley's charity-school records

Presented by Mrs. M. B. Fretton, 25th. March, 1965.

Dying on 20th. Feb., 1730 aged 52, Katherine Bayley had provided under her 20th. Nov., 1723 will that the £600 residue of her estate be devoted to the education of children in reading, writing and accounting. Her executor Francis Blythe established a school in 1733, which by 16th. May, 1735 had four trustees, with property initially worth £24 p.a. plus £340 from personal estate. Eight children of either sex were at first admitted but soon 20 boys only were preferred. The school was opened in a house near Drapers' Hall under its first headmaster (1733-75), Joseph Plant; in Francis Marson's time (headmaster, 1806-42) the school moved to its foundress's Little Park St. home, where it remained until closure on the retirement of William George Fretton (headmaster, 1856-89). By the early 19c. the Frettonian pattern of admitting 10-11 year-olds for three years who already had a modicum of literacy obtained, but J. H. Fretton (headmaster, 1842-56) had to revise the school; his system was the basis for his son's introduction of peripheral subjects, such as music and drawing. An annual sermon in aid of the foundation began in 1742. The system of placing boys apprentice with £3 from charity funds was operating during the late 18c. (see PA382/13, 15, 16), and the school was technically among the city's best a century later.