The District School at crondall was built so that children from several Poor Law Unions could send their children there. Some of the children came from Alton Union, some from Farnham, etc. It was more efficient to do that than for each workhouse to do its own education. The children boarded but the Alton area children came back to the workhouse here during holidays. Not all children (probably not the majority) were orphans of course. In some families, some children went here while others stayed at home - it just depended on circumstances. Yours Jane (from Alton)
Hi Jane
Just stumbled across this website and the other various posts on the District Schools and am fascinated by them. If I wasn't confused before then I certainly am now!
The reason? Deep breath...My grandad Arthur William Chaplin, although k/a as William at the time is recorded on the 1901 census as living at the Farnham Hartley Wintney District school, aged 14 along with his younger brothers Albert (12) and Victor (10) - they're recorded as 'paupers' Their father had died in 1892 and presumably they were then brought up by their mother along with their 4 older brothers and sisters. However, Grandad's mum died in 1899 at Aldershot Lock hospital which seems to have been at some time a hospital for female venereal disease patients - though I'm not 100% sure her death was attributable to that as the death certificate records Cirhossis Asthenia. I've discovered that the Lock hospital was in some way associated with the Farnham Hartley Wintney and Alton Unions.
My grandad always used to tell me that he was at school in Alton and this is where my confusion starts. He mentioned being at school in Alton many hundreds of times to me fondly recalling that was how he came to support Aston Villa as the headmaster used to put a picture of the top football teams of the day in the school window and how he liked the claret and blue colours. Our family carry on that support to this day which accounts for me wanting to get a better fix on where he was at the time. But, I've further been thrown by seeing reference (also on this site) to an orphange called Wimble Hill and I'm now wondering whether he and his brothers may have lived there. He never ever mentioned Wimble Hill though and I'm sure I would have remembered.
Please excuse this meandering stream of consciousness, which unfortunately for you I seem to have aimed in your direction, mainly I suppose as you are from Alton. I just wondered why he would have insisted on saying the school was in Alton when it seems it was elsewhere. Incidentally, he never said anything to me about his pauperdom which I suppose is unsurprising. I'd be interested in your views on this. Thank you
