{"id":4733,"date":"2025-09-05T08:30:10","date_gmt":"2025-09-05T08:30:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk\/dorset-history-centre-blog\/?p=4733"},"modified":"2025-07-11T12:26:17","modified_gmt":"2025-07-11T12:26:17","slug":"a-school-scandal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk\/dorset-history-centre-blog\/2025\/09\/05\/a-school-scandal\/","title":{"rendered":"A school scandal!"},"content":{"rendered":"

As a new academic year begins, we delve into the archives to share a story of a bad choice for one school in eighteenth-century Christchurch!<\/p>\n

The Free School, Christchurch<\/h3>\n

In 1772 a Robert Barrett saw an advert in \u201cthe Publick Newspapers\u201d for the position of Master at the Free School in Christchurch.<\/p>\n

Interested parties were to apply to Joseph Gibbs Esq. Mayor.<\/p>\n

At this time Robert Barrett was an Assistant Master at Mr Huntley\u2019s school in Burford, Oxfordshire.<\/p>\n

He received a reply from Mr Joseph Gibb, the then Mayor of Christchurch, outlining the situation.<\/p>\n

Sir\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Christchurch August 8th 1772<\/em><\/p>\n

In answer to your letter relative to the School here and in answer to your questions there is no School House for the Master to live in but an excellent School Room part of the Church commanding a fine prospect of the Sea and Isle of Wight the number of free boys 25 probabily not one of them might learn Greek or Latin but that is just as it happens no personal application is necessary in all likelyhood there will a great many day scholars no doubt of boarders and when a Master is properly settled in my opinion here will be a very considerable school.<\/em><\/p>\n

You’l please to send your Testimonials as soon as possible when I shall lay them before the corporation with the rest of the candidates and will be determined in a Month at most.\u00a0 I wish you success & am Sir<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Your very humble servant<\/em><\/p>\n

Jo Gibb<\/em><\/p>\n

PS we have a Subscription on foot for the better encouragement of the master<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

They did not feel it necessary to interview him or meet him before offering Mr Barrett the position of Master of the Christchurch Free School.\u00a0 He received the sum of \u00a350 per annum (approximately \u00a38,621 at today’s values). \u00a350 was enough to buy 10 cows or 30 quarters of wheat in 1772. \u00a0Mr Barrett moved from Burford and arrived in Christchurch on October 17th<\/sup> 1772, starting teaching at the school on the 19th<\/sup>.<\/p>\n

However, all was not as it seemed with Mr Barrett! He was soon seen frequenting alehouses, or \u2018tippling\u2019 in the language of the time.\u00a0 What made this worse was that Mr Barrett was doing this when he should have been in charge of his pupils!\u00a0 A certain George Lockyer stated that he often admonished Mr Barrett on his behaviour, pointing out that he would find himself in trouble if he did not attend to the school.\u00a0 He went on to say that, Mr Barrett spent barely half of his time in the school.<\/p>\n

Eventually Robert Barrett was summoned to a meeting of the Corporation where he was accused of being<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2026an immoral man, that he had introduced and cohabited with a woman as his wife who appeared to be the wife of another man, and that he was a lyer and a drunkard\u2026<\/em>\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"\"
DC-CC\/G\/2\/4: Certificate of William Lenthal, esq, stating that if he had known of Barrett’s immorality and insobriety he would not have recommended him as a schoolmaster. 3 Mar 1774<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When Mr Barrett moved to Christchurch he came with a woman (who was never named) he claimed was his wife.\u00a0 The truth came out when the, no doubt horrified yet attentive, townsfolk witnessed an on the street altercation between Robert and his “wife.”\u00a0 She subsequently left him with a third man named Bullock \u2013 a man that Barrett had employed as his assistant teacher.<\/p>\n

Robert Barrett was asked to leave less than a year after starting the job. He alleged wrongful dismissal by Christchurch Corporation and tried to make the case for his re-instatement as schoolmaster. The statements from himself and others involved are what have survived in our collection.<\/p>\n

\"\"
DC-CC\/G\/2\/1: Affadavit of Robert Barrett alleging wrongful dismissal by Christchurch Corporation and making the case for his re-instatement as schoolmaster. Jan 1774<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

What of the pupils?\u00a0 The new master (who happened to be the son-in-law of the new Mayor) and his assistant reported that they had never had such a backward group of scholars. As for the boys themselves, they may not have learnt much academically but they undoubtedly learnt much about life!<\/p>\n

This story can be found in the Christchurch Borough Records, DC-CC\/G\/2<\/a>, a most absorbing and diverting set of records!<\/p>\n

—<\/p>\n

We hope a much smoother start to the term for all Dorset schools! If you are a teacher or home educator you may be interested in the learning resources available on our website:\u00a0Education and learning \u2013 Dorset Council<\/a>. A particular favourite is the Indian adventure which follows the exciting travels of Captain Robert Carter Oakley as recorded in his journals.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As a new academic year begins, we delve into the archives to share a story of a bad choice for one school in eighteenth-century Christchurch! The Free School, Christchurch In 1772 a Robert Barrett saw an advert in \u201cthe Publick Newspapers\u201d for the position of Master at the Free School in Christchurch. Interested parties were… Read more A school scandal!<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1892,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[10],"tags":[82,697,109,498],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk\/dorset-history-centre-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4733"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk\/dorset-history-centre-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk\/dorset-history-centre-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk\/dorset-history-centre-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1892"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk\/dorset-history-centre-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4733"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/news.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk\/dorset-history-centre-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4733\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4736,"href":"https:\/\/news.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk\/dorset-history-centre-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4733\/revisions\/4736"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk\/dorset-history-centre-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4733"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk\/dorset-history-centre-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4733"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk\/dorset-history-centre-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4733"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}