Cowley Schools

[cathybryant]

hi

I've jsut seen on the 1911 census that two of my ancestors were in the Cowley Schools. I don't know what this is, or where exactly it is or was, can anyone help?

In 1901 the two girls were age 2 and 3 and living with their parents and then 10 years later they are in the Cowley Schools - family memory knows nothing of this.

Thanks

[stanmapstone]

Is this information from the transcript or the census original page?

Stan

[cathybryant]

it was on both the transcript and the original page. There are about 20 people of all ages on the page.

Could it have been an institution of some sort? It does not say if they were inmates, patients or anything helpful like that!

Cathy

[behindthefrogs]

There are numerous possibilities.  Can you give us some idea of where abouts in the world you are talking about.

David

[cathybryant]

It is in Headington in Oxford and although we know the area fairly well, we have never heard of this. The people at the address seem to be mostly female though.

[stanmapstone]

There was a Poor Law Industrial Training School (mixed) at Cowley.

Stan

[cathybryant]

Thank you - I have no idea what one of those is though!!!

What would they have done? Would they have been like orphanges? These two girls were only 12 and 13 at the time.

Cathy

[behindthefrogs]

Around 1920 there appear to have been quite a number of orphans at the school.

There are also some records which seem to indicate that around 1870 it was a boarding school.  It is however very easy when searching to confuse this school with Cowley School St Helens which sent many students to Oxford.

David

[stanmapstone]

 Day Industrial Schools were for the children of parents who either could not or would not keep them at school. The children, by order of a magistrate, were compelled to attend from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., during which time they were taught elementary school work. Three meals a day were provided for them, and time not taken up with lessons was occupied with light employment.  Girls were sent to them from the age of nine to twelve years, and were detained until they were sixteen, and were presumably taught dressmaking, cookery, etc.

Stan