Gildersome School

[Beavances]

I have come across an ancestor who was educated at Gildersome School in 1796 ( recorded by his father as Gildersum Scool). It is the earliest  reference I have found to anyone being formally educated I know this is near Leeds but cannot find out any other information. I just wondered if anyone knew where this school was?
I ask because looking at the map I realised that a few years ago I stayed at a hotel in this area and I think I remember looking at references to the building's history which were on display in the corridors and  seem to think the building had been used as a school - I know that our memory  can play tricks and I may well have conveniently have remembered somewhere else! However having had that thought I now want to clear it up.

[keyboard86]

Hi just googling gave me a site Records of Gildersome School of the Society of Friends which looks interesting?

Keyboard86

[Beavances]

Thank you for the suggestion - putting that phrase into Google does indeed give a different string of information to just putting in 'Gildersome school' which I had tried previously. I have also found the name of the hotel so will contact them directly.

[libby9]

Sounds like Woodlands Hotel, previously named Gilead House.  There's still a Gilead Farmhouse very nearby the Woodlands.

[Beavances]

Yes - you are correct it is that hotel I was thinking may have been Gildersome  school - it just seemed like an amazing coincidence that we may have stayed in a building one of our ancestors might have used as school - we only picked that area as it was convenient stop over on our way back from a 'do' up north. However when I checked their website they helpfully had a section about the buildings history  and it was  built for an industrialist in 1871 so quite a long time after the period.

[jksdelver]

This may help:-

http://gildersomeparishcouncil.co.uk/history/4580443915

[purp72]

John Ellis (an ancestor of mine) was the headmaster from 1796 until his retirement in 1815 and was a Quaker school.  There are a couple of bits of information below:

http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/UK-MORLEY-FHG/2006-05/1148075390

http://www.walkerfamhistory.talktalk.net/Education.htm

[jksdelver]

John Ellis (an ancestor of mine) was the headmaster from 1796 until his retirement in 1815 and was a Quaker school.  There are a couple of bits of information below:

http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/UK-MORLEY-FHG/2006-05/1148075390

http://www.walkerfamhistory.talktalk.net/Education.htm

I had forgotten about that entry purp.

[Beavances]

Thankyou -these three links have been very useful and have given me so much information. I was particularly interested to see that Gildersome school was linked with Quaker schools as I have not found any previous links with Quakers and this family. looking through the article it mentioned Rawdon School as another Quaker school and I know know another person in my research attended a school there. I have attached a extract from an article published in 1891 about the person - he was born in 1817 so  would be at school in the 1820 and wondered if you could give our opinions - is this the same school? Do you think I should now assume this branch of the family were Quakers?