Milnrow & Newhey April 2021

educational standards in the town.’
Although it was supposed to be free,
should pupils want further subjects
such as literature they had to pay a
guinea and a half per quarter for the
tuition. Furthermore, in order to be a
member of the school, those who ‘are
capable of benefitting’ had to pay a
guinea entrance. Boarders were not
taken. It was a requirement that the
school be kept in good condition by the
parishioners.
The Master’s stipend or salary was
£15 per year, an under-Master or
Usher receiving £2 per year. Financial
contributions for this came from
Charles Chadwick of Healey Hall
and £13 10s from the Township
of Butterworth. The first Master
of Rochdale Grammar School was
Reverend Robert Ratcliffe followed by
Reverend Walkden in 1589 after which
there was a succession of ministers of
the church with the exception of Mr
Richard Holte in 1605 although he too
reputedly owned a large collection of
theological books.
By the mid-19th century pupil numbers
were small at the school, only 15
in 1862 and 31 in 1867 studying a
curriculum consisting of English,
Arithmetic, History and Geography,
Geometry and Algebra, Linear
drawing and copying from nature
and Languages (Latin, Greek, French
and German). The full charge for this
education was 6 guineas per annum. A
second Master was employed in later
years and the school – serving boys
aged 8-14 – was divided into junior
and secondary schools, a few boarders
being accepted. It seems that poor
numbers from the grammar school
entering Oxford or Cambridge was,
according to Winter, ‘not remarkable,’
many students leaving the school to
go to other universities in order to
engage in commercial and professional
employment. Behaviour in classes
was thought to be good with only a
‘small amount of punishment needed.’
Headmasters in the 19th century
still came from the clergy, Reverend
Sheffield for example being appointed
by the Archbishop of Canterbury.
By 1845 the original building was in
a state of dilapidation and funds were
found quite quickly to build a new
Grammar School, partly by public funds
raised through a bazaar. The new school
was built on the site of the present
Broadfield Hotel (once the nurse’s home)
on Sparrow Hill in 1846, the original
school being demolished in 1847.
If you have any comments about the old Grammar School in Rochdale,
I’d be delighted to hear from you and add them to a growing Rochdale
archive on the subject. Please contact Gary Heywood-Everett at
garyheywoodeverett@yahoo.co.uk or leave your comments by text
or by recorded message at 07562 752774.
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