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Rawlinson's Seminary, Barwick-in-Elmet


Barwicker No.124
Summer 2017


Barwick-in-Elmet has a history of first-class education for those who could afford to pay. The earliest record of a school in Barwick is from 1670, when Sir William Lowther, 1st Baronet of Swillington, was educated at 'Barwick-in-Elmet School'. He went on to Cambridge, was admitted to Gray's Inn, and in 1697 he became High Sheriff of Yorkshire.

By 1820 the village housed a number of private schools, and these were mainly for young ladies from Leeds and surrounding districts. A school for young gentlemen was founded by Barwick school master, Edmund Rawlinson, and on Saturday is" July 1820, he placed a notice in the "Education" column of The Leeds Mercury:-

"E. Rawlinson, grateful for the liberal Support with which he has been favoured, returns his sincere Thanks to his Friends, and informs them and the Public, that his SCHOOL will RE-OPEN for the Reception of Young Gentlemen on the 17th inst."
He further promoted his school by stating that:
"Barwick-in-Elmet is Seven Miles from Leeds, in a remarkably healthy situation," and
"Cards of Terms may be had of Mr. Sunderland, Butt's court; Mr. Bean, Stationer, 16 Lowerhead-row; and Mr. Heaton, Bookseller, Leeds."

The school was at Bank Cottage, and it could easily be reached by gig or on horseback from the Fox & Grapes inn on York Road by driving or riding down Kiddal Lane to the Potterton Lane junction, then taking a track over the meadows to the school house. It could also be approached from Barwick Village by travelling up Potterton Lane from All Saints Church.

Mr. Rawlinson tragically died at the age of 38 and was buried on 251h May 1821 in Barwick Churchyard. He left the school to his widow Ann and their two daughters, Selina and Frances who were then aged 13 and 7 respectively. Mrs. Rawlinson showed great dedication to her task, and on the 14 th July 1 821 her own notice appeared in The Leeds Mercury:-

"A. Rawlinson returns sincere Thanks to the Friends of her late Husband for their liberal Encouragement and Support, and informs them that she continues the School as usual, and hopes that by keeping proper Assistants, and spending a great proportion of her own Time in the School, to merit a Continuance of their Favours."

In 1822 the school was advertised as

"Barwick Academy for Young Gentlemen" and Mrs. Rawlinson respectfully informed her clientele via The Leeds Mercury that she had engaged a tutor "possessing every qualification necessary to conduct the establishment" and assured them that "the utmost attention would be paid to the health, morals and comfort" of the young gentlemen placed in her care.

One of her young gentlemen was Richard Hardisty from Leeds. He was the son of Robert Hardisty of Briggate who ran a number of thriving businesses including horse-and-gig hire and livery stables. Richard was about eight years old when he started at the Academy, and his father paid £18 a year for his board, tuition and washing. Shoe cleaning cost an extra 5 shillings a year.

By 1825 the school was known as "Rawlinson's Seminary" and Mrs Rawlinson required her young gentlemen to complete a penmanship book. Richard Hardisty's book contains fifteen essays on topics such as Morality, Virtue, Leisure Hours and Duty of Parents. As proficiency in hand-writing was the aim of the exercise rather than self-expression, it is likely that these were all standard verses, not ones that young Richard composed himself. Even so he must have been very proud of his book, and it will surely have set his father's mind at rest that his money was being well spent. Richard's early education at Rawlinson's Seminary equipped him to enter Leeds Grammar School, and he then went on to train as a druggist in Hull.

It was not long before Selina, Miss Rawlinson, was able to take an active part in teaching and upkeep of the school, and Frances too will have done her share, until 1841. 1841 turned out to be a turbulent year for the school mistresses of Bank Cottage. On census night in June that year Mrs. Ann Rawlinson was still head of the establishment, which was now a girls' school. Her elder daughter Selina was living with her, and they boarded eight girls between the ages of seven and fourteen and one five-year-old boy, with one female servant to "do" for them all.

Her younger daughter Frances was now Mrs. John Johnson. On her marriage in Barwick Church the previous month, she had moved away to live with relatives of her new husband in Hull. Only weeks later, a notice appeared in The Leeds Mercury that revealed a change of management at the school.-

"Bank Cottage, Barwick-in-Elmet.
Miss Lonsdale and Miss Rawlinson most respectfully announce to their Friends and to the Public that their School will commence July 21st. Mrs and the Misses Rawlinson return Thanks to their Friends, for the kind encouragement they have experienced for the last ten years. Miss Lonsdale and Miss Rawlinson trust, from Unremitting Attention to the Education and Domestic Comfort of the Pupils entrusted to their Care, to meet with the Confidence and Patronage of their Friends and the Public. The Terms may be known on Application."

The partnership with Miss Lonsdale unfortunately did not last, and it was formally dissolved on October I st 1841. By the summer of 1850 Mrs and Miss Rawlinson had vacated Bank Cottage, and Misses Maria and Caroline Hobson were running the school for young ladies. In her notice in The Leeds Mercury on June 29th that year, Miss Hobson described the house as "pleasantly situated" and the locality as "highly recommended". Her system of instruction, she claimed, followed "the usual branches of a solid education with every accomplishment", and the domestic arrangements were said to be "like those of home".

Spring the following year found Mrs and Miss Rawlinson visiting Mr John Elsworth, schoolmaster at Toulston Lodge Academy, Bramham, where they were apparently not teaching, as they were described on the census as "independent ladies". The property was still owned by Mrs Rawlinson, but she had moved to London to live with her younger daughter Frances Johnson and her family at 8 Woburn Place. Less than two years after Selina's death in London in April 1860 aged 52, Mrs Rawlinson passed away, in October 1861.

By 1861 Bank Cottage was occupied by Richard and James Lumb who, as well as being farmers, carried on the trade of lime-burning. The area was well-known for its excellent limestone beds, lime being in big demand for agricultural and other uses.

SUE MURRAY


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