Private Education in Linslade

Censuses and directories reveal a number of 19h century private schools in Linslade. Census returns are particularly helpful as they include all the pupils if the school was a boarding school. The following schools have been identified, many of them in New Road, which had a suitable number of reasonably large houses. A number of the pupils at these private schools came from outside the area and presumably the opening of Leighton Buzzard Station near New Road in 1838 facilitated many of these schools.

Adam's School

This school was somewhere in New Street [i.e. New Road]. This list of staff, family and pupils is in the 1841 census.

George Adam, 40, schoolmaster, Scotland
Mary Adam, 40, not born in Buckinghamshire
George Adam, 5, not born in Buckinghamshire
James Adam, 3, not born in Buckinghamshire
Mary Toombs, 15, female servant not born in Buckinghamshire
Hannah Toombs, 13, female servant not born in Buckinghamshire
James Scott, 13, pupil, not born in Buckinghamshire
Henry Jenner, 12, pupil, not born in Buckinghamshire
William Urquhart, 9, pupil, not born in Buckinghamshire
Charles Grant, 9, pupil, not born in Buckinghamshire
Edward Cook, 10, pupil, born in Buckinghamshire
Edward Marklew, 15, pupil, not born in Buckinghamshire

Alexander's School

This school is recorded on the 1891 census and was in Bridge Street. Bridge Street was in Leighton Buzzard and for this school to have been in Linslade the road meant is presumably Leighton Road.

Alfred Alexander, 44, bachelor of music, organist, Rochester [Kent]
Mary K.E.Alexander, 45, principal, Biddistone [Wiltshire]
Grace B.Nicholson, 20, school governess, Great Clacton [Essex]
Henrietta Marchand, 22, governess, Chartres [France]
Kate Louise Payne, 14, pupil, Wingbury [Buckinghamshire]
Kate Martha Mayne, 12, pupil, Stewkley [Buckinghamshire]
Alice King, 20, cook and domestic servant, Horton [Buckinghamshire]
Clara King, 18, housemaid, Billington

Beeby's School

This school was somewhere in New Street [i.e. New Road]. This list of staff, family and pupils is in the 1841 census.

John Beeby, 40, merchant, not born in Buckinghamshire
Hannah Beeby, 25, schoolmistress, born in Buckinghamshire
Lucy Beeby, 15, not born in Buckinghamshire
Ellen Beeby, 15, not born in Buckinghamshire
Mary Beeby, 13, not born in Buckinghamshire
Sarah Beeby, 11, not born in Buckinghamshire
Elizabeth Herne, 30, female servant, not born in Buckinghamshire
Martha Doggett, 20, assistant schoolmistress, not born in Buckinghamshire
Emma Horwood, 20, assistant schoolmistress, not born in Buckinghamshire
Mary King, 15, pupil, born in Buckinghamshire
Rosetta Neal, 15, pupil, born in Buckinghamshire
Sophia Luck, 15, pupil, born in Buckinghamshire
Helen Phillipps, 15, pupil, not born in Buckinghamshire
Ann Cross, 15, pupil, born in Buckinghamshire
Sarah Jones, 15, pupil, born in Buckinghamshire
Mildred Jones, 12, pupil, born in Buckinghamshire
Hannah Smith, 14, pupil, born in Buckinghamshire
Sarah Claridge, 13, pupil, not born in Buckinghamshire
Mary Claridge, 11, pupil, not born in Buckinghamshire
Ann Butchers, 13, pupil, not born in Buckinghamshire
Amelia Fosswile, 13, pupil, not born in Buckinghamshire
Esther Curtis, 13, pupil, born in Buckinghamshire
Ann Curtis, 11, pupil, born in Buckinghamshire
Eliza King, 9, pupil, born in Buckinghamshire
Ann Medhurst, 11, pupil, born in Buckinghamshire
Ann Powele, 11, pupil, not born in Buckinghamshire
Mary Ginger, 6, pupil, not born in Buckinghamshire
Jane Hart, 15, female servant, not born in Buckinghamshire
Eliza Bonham, 20, female servant, born in Buckinghamshire

43 and 45 New Road October 2008

Dorman's School

This school is one of the better recorded ones. Like a number of the other private schools it lay in New Road (though which house is not recorded) and was first noted in a directory of 1854 when Mrs.Sarah F.Dorman was recorded as running a day school in Linslade. The 1871 census records:

Frances Sarah Dorman, widow, 63, schoolmistress, Leighton Buzzard
Emma Charlotte Dorman, unmarried, 24, teacher, Old Kent Road [Surrey]
Maria Dorman, unmarried, 28, teacher, Old Kent Road
Harriett Dorman, unmarried, 26, teacher, Old Kent Road
Louisa Kidman, 15, scholar, Banbury [Oxfordshire]
Edith Kidman, 13, scholar, Moreton-in-Marsh [Gloucestershire]
Emily Tobitt, 15, scholar, Kent
Blondie Tobitt, 13, scholar, Kent
Katie Tobitt, 8, scholar, Kent
Jane Sheerman, 14, scholar, Aston Clinton [Buckinghamshire]
Annie Sheerman, 9, scholar, Aston Clinton
Louisa Samuel, 13, scholar, Leighton Buzzard
Kate Mead, 12, scholar, Down [Kent]
Elizabeth Esther Barr, 12, scholar, Greenwich [Kent]
Julia Barr, 10, scholar, Greenwich
Esther Belgrove, 10, scholar, Greenwich
Maria Williamson, 10, scholar, Ivinghoe [Buckinghamshire]
Walter Hopkins, 6, scholar, Leighton Buzzard
Rebecca Stevens, 17, general servant

The 1881 census records Emma and Marion Dorman living together in Old Road, both were unmarried and aged 34 and 32 respectively, both were noted as being in "scholastic profession" and both were born on the Old Kent Road. There is no record of the previous school on this or any following census. In 1891 Fanny Jane Dorman, 48, a school governess was living in New Road, as was Emma Charlotte Dorman, 44, who ran "home education for little girls". In 1899 Mrs.Fanny Dorman is recorded as running a ladies' school in New Road by Kelly's Directory.

The 1901 census records Maria Dorman, 65, a retired schoolmistress, living at 45 New Road and Fanny Jane Dorman, 60, schoolteacher living at 26 New Road.

26 New Road October 2008

Elliston's and Fison's or Camden House School

Kelly's Directory for 1883 records that a Miss Eleanora Elliston and Mrs.Smith Fison ran a boarding and day school at Camden House.

Fyffe's School, called Perth House Academy

Bedfordshire & Luton Archives & Records Service has a reasonable amount of information on this property, for which see the entry under Interesting Buildings.

Gilbert's School

The 1841 census records an Ann Gilbert, aged 30, living at the "north side of Chelsea" as being a schoolmistress.

Goodman's School

The Post Office Directory for 1847 records Mrs and Miss Goodman running a ladies' college in Chelsea. The 1851 census records the following in New Road:

H.J.Goodman, 24, unmarried, schoolmistress, Newport Pagnell [Buckinghamshire]
Mary S.Goodman, 14, sister, scholar, Leighton Buzzard
Edwin Goodman, brother, 10, scholar, Leighton Buzzard

Which suggests that Miss Goodman was running a day school.

Johnson's School

Slater's Directory for 1850 records Louisa Johnson running a boarding and day school at Oak Cottage, Chelsea. The 1851census records the following school in New Road:

Joseph Johnson, 39, married, agent to Fire & Life Assurance, Coventry [Warwickshire]
Louisa Johnson, 35, married, boarding school headmistress, Coventry
Sarah Elizabeth Barton, sister-in-law, unmarried, 22, teacher of music and French, Coventry
Sarah Elizabeth Matthews , 25, servant teaching at school, London;
Mary Ann James, 21, servant teaching at school, London;
Mary Ann Abbey, 14, scholar, Coton [Northamptonshire];
[unreadable] Brown, 15, scholar, Coventry;
Matilda Swinstead, 14, scholar, London;
Ann Faulkner, 12, scholar, Oxford;
Maria Harston, 9, scholar, London;
Mary Slater, 8, scholar, Broughton [Lancashire];
Elizabeth Udall, 11, scholar, Islington [Middlesex];
Mary Udall, 10, scholar, Islington;
Eliza Grant, 22, servant, cook, London;
Frances Bushell, 17, servant, housemaid, Kenilworth [Warwickshire]

Morris' School

The 1871 census records the following school in Soulbury Road:

Thomas Morris, 34, schoolmaster, Forthampton [Gloucestershire]
Harriet Morris, 34, wife, Devon
two daughters aged 9 and 8, Alderley [Cheshire]
Randolph A.Jones, 18, assistant master, Aylesbury [Buckinghamshire]
two servants
Robert James Halsey, 14, scholar, Edgeware [Middlesex]
William Goodchild, 14, scholar, Surrey
Thomas Scrivener, 14, scholar, Toddington
George Farnell Smith, 14, scholar, Ampthill
Thomas John Jones, 13, scholar, Tilsworth
Thomas Williamson, 13, scholar, Cheddington [Buckinghamshire]
Bernard Shrimpton, 13, scholar, Dalston [Middlesex]
Richard Hedges, 13, scholar, Stewkley [Buckinghamshire]
John E.Gregory, 12, scholar, Harrow [Middlesex]
Edward Williamson, 11, scholar, Cheddington
Harry Lawrence, 11, scholar, Croydon [Surrey]
Charles Lawrence, 9, scholar, Kenton [Middlesex]
Richard Robert Fry, 9, scholar, Pimlico [Middlesex]
Eli Samuel Isaac Fry, 7, scholar, Pimlico

Poynter's School