New School
News Clips : NM 19020711
WOODFORD HALSE
NEW SCHOOL
On Monday, Lady Knightley laid the foundation stone of a new Voluntary School at Woodford Halse. The managers, alive to the steady increase of the population, collected a considerable sum of money for the purpose.
This has been further augmented by a legacy of £500 left by the late Mr. Thos. Humphries.
The last mentioned sum is to be used as the churchwardens think most suitable, and they have voted a sum of £300 for the new building, whilst £200 is to be put on one side towards the maintenance of the fabrics of the new and the old schools.
The plans have been prepared by Mr. Walter E. Mills, architect, Banbury, and a brick building is to erected with stone frontage to the road.
The new building will run parallel to the present building, which is to be used as an Infants’ Department.
The new school will accomodate 152 children and will cost upwards of £900.
There will be a large room 35 feet by 22 feet, and a class–room about 20 feet square.
The work, which has been placed in the hands of Mr. W. Boot, builder and contractor, Adstone, is epected to be finished towards the end of the year.
On Monday Lady Knightley laid the foundation stone in the presence of a distinguished company, amongst whom were noticed Sir Charles Knightley, Miss B. Cartwright (Edgcote), Mrs. Chapman (Eydon), Mr. Seaton (Eydon), Dr. A. Glen Hays (Woodford Halse), Mr. Jones and Mr. R. Bromley (Byfield), and the following clergy, viz.: Rev. W. H. Ranken (Byfield), Rev. B. Alpin (Aston–le–Walls), Rev. H. G. Eales (Helmdon), Rev. F. A. O’Brien (Charwelton), Rev. S. H. Marriott (Helidon), Rev. F. H. Menth (Blakesley), and Rev. F. A. Smith, vicar.
A procession of the choir and clergy from the church to the site took place, and after singing Psalm 127, Mr. Thomas Humphries, the oldest parishioner, handed a silver trowel to Lady Knightley, who laid the foundation stone, declaring it well and truly laid.
Corner stones were then laid on behalf of the children who had subscribed liberally, by Mrs. Milne and Miss Ada Bird, assistant teachers in the present school. Service was held in the Parish Church immediately after, and the sermon was preached by the Rev. W. H. Ranken (Byfield), who gave an excellent and appropriate discourse, taking as his text, “My People are destroyed for lack of knowledge.”
After service tea was held in the old school, and the choir and band boys sat down to tea in the Vicar’s Close, presided over by Mrs. h. A. Phipps, Miss Allin, Mrs. Geo. Ward, and Miss A. Bird.
The ladies presiding at the tables in the school, and who gave trays, the proceeds of which were for the school funds, were Mrs. F. A. Smith, Mrs. J. Bright, Mrs. J. Milne, Mrs. J. Coulson, Mrs. R. W. P. Tew, Mrs. A. G. Lewis, Mrs, A. J. Froggatt, Mrs. S. Stubbs, Mrs. J. E. Paine, Mrs. J. McDowell, and Mrs. H. Goodhand.
Good service was rendered by Mrs. T. Marriott, Mrs. T. Wards, Mrs. J. Colin, and Misses S. Bird, E. Atkinson, C. I. Stubbs, and M. Waite.
