Rhayader
Victorian school days
  Children of the very poor  
 

The records of many early schools show how hard it could be for many families to manage with very little money in Victorian times. Two examples from St Harmon's School are shown here.

 
4th November
1875
 School diary entry
Drawing by
Rob Davies
 The top entry is taken from the school Log Book of 1875 :
"Mr Jones, Rhayader, called to say the fees of the pauper children would be paid by the Guardians".
This means that children at school from very poor families who were getting money from the parish to buy food and clothing would also get their school fees paid.
This was agreed by the 'Board of Guardians' who decided how much help to give.
Pauper children
15th October
1880
 School diary entry
 

The second Log Book entry is from 1880 :
"Mrs Reese of Newhouse came to say that her children could not attend school as they had no clothes to protect them from the cold".
Many children in country districts had to walk miles to school in all weathers, and suitable warm and weatherproof clothes were very important.
Warm clothes were often needed inside school as well in the winter months, because Victorian schoolrooms often had very little heating.

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