Barton School
A free school was founded in 1807 by an endowment deed from Edward Willes. Edward Willes was the son of the Lord of the Manor. In the deed he arranged for the setting up of schools for the parishes of ‘Higham Gobion, Barton and Pulloxhill with schoolhouse, house for master and 45 a. land; to take 40 children, boys and girls to be nominated by lord of manor, 30 from Barton, 5 from Higham, 5 from Pulloxhill; to be taught to write and the common rules of arithmetic’ [ref: P21/25/18]. Eight trustees were appointed by the Lord of the Manor. By the 1860s the daily attendance was 100, of which 40 were free scholars. The rest had to bring school pence (1/2d per week for a child of a labourer and 1 ½d for a child of tenant farmers).
Name changes:
- 1807-1861 – Barton Free School
- 1861-1925 – Barton Manor School
- 1925-1958 – Barton Endowed School
- 1958-1969 – Barton Primary School
- 1969-1973 – Barton Junior School
- 1973-1977 – Barton Manor School
List of sources at Bedfordshire Archives:
- SDBarton: Records of Barton Manor School
- P21/25/18: Certified copy of school trust deed & conveyance of properties in Barton, 1807 & 1867
- QDC4: Barton Free School, 1853-1854
- P21/25/12: Statements of account, 1854-1892
- Z251/1313: Programme of entertainment at the Manor School, Barton, 1872
- P21/25/13: Rules, 1877
- E/IN1/1: School inspection reports, 1910-1937
- P21/2/1/6: Terrier and inventory of property belonging to Barton School, 1945
- PY/PH5: Photographs of Barton Lower School, 1970s
- Z50/7/34: Photograph of Barton Lower School, c.1971
- Z50/7/36: Photograph of Barton Lower school exterior view, c.1971
- CA19/26/1-2: County Architects File, 1971
- Z402/11/5: Centenary leaflet