Pimary school teachers, staff and teaching.
In May 1838 the Rev A. Hollingsworth, vicar of Stowmarket placed an advertisement in the Ipswich Journal seeking a schoolmaster for the STOWMARKET AND STOWUPLAND NATIONAL SCHOOL. The premises were adjacent to St Marys and St Peters church.
A stipulation was that he must be a member of the established church, serious, sober and holding suitable qualifications.
This was nearly 3 decades before Stowupland’s Elementary school was built but schooling was available locally.
Learn more about:
19th century staff.
In the 19th century many teachers learnt ‘on the job’ with pupil teachers combining their own studying with gaining experience of teaching classes, being mentored by the school head master.
In 1846 at age 13 a pupil teacher was apprenticed to a head teacher for 5 years. A head teacher could have one pupil teacher for every 25 pupils.
In 1900 nearly ¼ of teachers were pupil teachers, it was decided changes needed to be made to improve their teaching ability and by 1914 the numbers of pupil teachers had decreased.
Names marked with an * have been retrieved by Neil Langridge from the 1889 – 1902 School Log Book held in the Suffolk Archives 2049/1).
William Stephen Prentice * was Stowupland’s first headmaster for 25 years from 1876. At present although we know the school opened in 1865 we don’t have staff members who were there from the start.
Sarah Wilden (b 1828) – by the age of 23 she is working as a National school mistress, her father was an agricultural labourer. In 1841 at the age of 15 she was living in Pitman Road (the road became Church Road after Holy Trinity church was built) with her parents John and Amy Wilden (but we don’t know if she was a teacher at Stowupland school)
1879, A teacher’s residence was added to the school. The average attendance at the school was 175 but there was space for 200. (Kelly’s 1900 directory).
Teaching staff in 1890, as more information about their careers becomes available it will be added.
- Mr W.S Prentice* – 1st class certificated
- Mrs Mary Prentice* -wife of Mr Prentice, Sewing mistress
- Miss Skeet *- Asst mistress
- Miss Bridgeman* – infant mistress, 1889 to 1895. in 1891 Polly Bridgeman was lodging with the Prentices, so in the School House
- Mr Melles *, a pupil teacher, 2nd year (1889 to 1893)
- Mr Beecroft* -pupil teacher, 2nd year (1889 to 1893)
- C.M.Dent had had to be removed from the register of pupil teachers due to poor health.
On the 1891 census, William and Mary’s son Marcus (b.1873) is named as an elementary teacher living in the school house, but we dont know if he taught at Stowupland.
Ruth Rogers* – 1896 to 1897, she was an assistant infant teacher (Article 50, 1897)
Miss Rainbird*1898 – 1899 (article 68)
Miss Dent * 1899 – 1902 (1899 Article 68, 1902 article 50)
E.M. Francis * pupil teacher 1893 -1902 (article 50 1897, articel 60 1890 -1902)
Florence Lillistone * 1893 -1901 , a pupil probationary candidate 1893, pupil teacher 1895 – 1898. (article 68 1899. leaves 1901 (after much abscences)
1896 East Anglian, 13th February. Advert for an Infants Assistat Mistress and for sewing to Standards 1 and 11. An ex-pupil teacher salary £45.00. Was this Ruth Rogers?
22 July 1898 Suffolk Mercury, Stowupland School Board advertising for a School Mistress. Salary to be £40.00.
Miss Salman* 1902 (article 50)
Miss Sparkes * 1902 –
Miss Bramhall *provisional mistress 1902 –
Mrs Bramhall * sewing mistress 1902-
M.H. Wilden * pupil teacher (1889 -1902)
Some of its 20th century Staff 
Teachers
1901 to 1922 – 
Arthur Gillat Bramhall was head (standing at the back with Margaret Catchpole seated on the front row). Read more about Arthur Bramhall
In 1919 when Margaret Catchpole completed her training as a student teacher Mr Bramhill described her as “having skill both in teaching and management. Her general ability is above average and I feel confident that no body of managers would regret appointing her. Her personal character is above reproach and the children generally become attached to her””
Press report from The Downham Market Gazette, 20th March 1909. Suggests Miss Ethel Agnes Leman (b. 1888 in Beccles) had been a pupil teacher for the Beccles National Schools but by 1909 had been appointed as an assistant teacher at Stowupland.(She possibly became Mrs. Barton).
Exact dates are unknown but
- Miss Keith was lodging with the Burch family when Jack Burch was born – 1893
- Maud Francis – (according to Ena carter) her parents lived where Sid Robinson’s family lived in mid 1900’s
1908 – John William Petley taught at Stowupland, and played cricket for Stowmarket Cricket Club
Mr Ludbrook – during his time as head he organised a collection for the British Empire Cancer Campaign. Launched in 1923 the aims of the (BECC or “the Campaign”) was “to attack and defeat the disease of cancer in all its forms, to investigate its causes, distribution, symptoms, pathology and treatment and to promote its cure” .
In 1904, 1909 and 1912 three teachers are named in the Journal of the Royal Horticultural Society as taking the Teachers Examination in Cottage and Allotment Gardening. They were in 1904 A.G. Bramhall, in 1909 J.W. Petley and in 1912 F.H. Barton {thanks to Neil Langridge for retrieving this}.
In 1913 Mrs Steggall was appointed head teacher of Stowupland Infants School until 1917 when she returned to Bury St Edmunds as assistant teacher at the Guildhall Feoffment boys’ school. She had been educated at the St James girls school in Risbygate Street where she trained as a student teacher, after qualifying she took up an appointment in Edmonton for a time till she married. {Bury Free Press 24 December 1958}
In 1921/2 Mr Napthine replaced Mr Bramhall as head master. In 1927 he represented the school at the funeral of Mr H.F.Harward (Chair of school managers and owner of Stowupland Hall). According to Leslie Brame he was ably assisted by Mr Tom Dewing.
1935 30th August, The Diss Express reported on Mr Ludbrook moving to take up an appointment at Needham Market. He was replaced at Stowupland Council School by Miss Ada Kinch.
Stowupland school was now designated a Junior Council School and older pupils would have to travel to Needham Market or presumably Stowmarket Area School (Presumably Stowupland Area School is a misprint?).
On 1st November 1922 Lily Abbott started as a teacher at Stowupland school. She subsequently married becoming Lillian Ellis.
In 1924 Hatttee Burch left Stowupland to go to teach at Old Newton, staying there until she retired.
Miss Ada Kinch – Head teacher 1935 to 1955
1937 Miss Helen Burch, , Miss L.G. Abbott (see 1939 Miss Kinch hosts parents day)
Helen Burch retired in 1953 having attended the school since age 3 (around 1910). She had been pupil teacher for 3 years before joining the staff. {Bury Free Press 24th July, 1953}
(1939 War Survey lists Henry Brett as an Elementary School Teacher, and Gladys Peppin living at The hall as an Assistant Elementary School Teacher but at which school is unknown)
Mr R. A. Wright head master January 1957 – March 25th, 1973. When he arrived his family lived in the school house at the front of the school. When the school was extended the family moved along the road to near the URC.
Mr Wright was replaced by Mrs Redmund who travelled from Bury St Edmunds. Maybe the first head teacher nor to not live in Stowupland.
Deputy head was Lilian Ellis (b. Lily Abbotts of Church Farm). She died in a house fire in 1984.
1977
Miss Lay – Beryl Lay retired in 1989 after 35 years as reception class teacher.
Mrs Tilbrook
Miss Young
Mrs Franklin
Mrs Jordan
Mr Walker
In the 1980s Keith Powell was teacher and deputy head of Freeman Primary School. He died in 2025.
Ancillary Staff
Clerical asst Mrs V Wright (wife of Ron Wright)
Cleaner-in-charge Mrs E.D. Aylett
Doris Tricker, cleaner retired in 1980..
Kitchen Staff; Cook-in-charge Mrs M Fordsyke (she retired in 1990 after 29 years as dinner lady
Asst cooks; Mrs M.L. Clarke, Dolly Wright (1955 to 1974)
Supervisory Asst; Mrs F. Wilson
Head teachers
1876 -1901 W.S. Prentice – headmaster
1901 to 1922 – Arthur Gillat Bramhall
1922 to 1929 – Lewis Arthur Napthine (also a church warden)
(Frederick Lubrook)
1957 – Ada Kinch was due to retire in 1955
1957 – Ronald Alfred Wright, read The Wright’s memories of Stowupland School in the 1950s and 1960s
1960’s Deputy Head Lilian Ellis?
1973 Deputy -Mr Keith Powell.
1973 – Jo Redmund (MRS)
Andrew Firth
Charlotte White
1996 Head teacher Mrs Stockley arrived
(2018) Mr Pettitt
.
The School day
at first morning lessons were from 9 to 12, then children went home for a meal and returned for afternoon classes from 2 to 5. Children were taught by reading, copying or chanting lists and phrases till they were word perfect. they might use sand trays before moving on to dipping pens with ink.
Read A few Notes on school life between 1914 and 1918
The children were encouraged to enter to take part in the Stowupland Flower Show and Fete. In 1953 Ada Kinch suggested suitable activites for the children to be judged on, and the monetary prizes they could win, read a letter from Miss Kinch about Stowupland Floer Show Classes.
From 1969, when Mr Wright was Head we have a list of pupils and the classes they entered, 1969 names for School children entering Flower Show and the money they could win.
Read more about Stowupland Elementary/Primary School
