Glossop Heritage Trust

Glossopdale Schools

Whitfield Church of England School, Ashton Street


Built in 1848 by the Wood family to educate the children of their mill workers. Originally to accommodate 140 children it was later enlarged for 400. In 1887 the school was improved and extended with a separate Department for Infants.


White's History, Gazeteer & Directory of Derbyshire & Sheffield, 1857, in describing Whitfield church, tells us "Adjoining the parsonage are the National Schools erected in 1847, at a cost of £1,100. It is a substantial stone building for boys and girls, with a residence for the teacher; will accommodate 300 children.".
The Post Office Directory of Derbyshire, 1876, in the list of schools, states that Herbert Williams was master and Mrs Williams, mistress.
Kelly's Directory of Derbyshire, 1895, has a list of schools including this entry. "National, Whitfield (mixed & infants), for 560 children; average attendance, 340; George Edward Cox, master; J. A. Pearson, assistant master; Misses S. A. Morriss, J. B. Shepley, Janet Cox & Gertrude Cox-Sutcliffe, mistresses.".

Early Head Teachers of the school were:
Miss Wright 1848 - 1850.
Mrs Robinson 1850 - 1856.
Mr Kirkman 1856 - 1859 (the first Certified teacher, died aged 24 years in 1859.
Mr Eckersley 1859 - 1873.
Hubert Williams 1873 - 1876.
George Edward Cox 1876 - 1902.
Frederick Herbert Morris 1902 - 1930.
William Victor Furniss 1930 - 1937.
Herbert A Whitehead 1937.

Do you have a school photo for Whitfield School? Do you appear on a photograph but are not named? Can you supply any missing names for the photographs already on these pages? If so, please click here to send us an e-mail.

The photographs on this page are pre 1920. Follow the links below to navigate to pages with later photographs.

Alice Buckley, Whitfield School Certificate, Standard V, 1884.
More details of Alice can be found here. 		Alice Buckley, Whitfield School Certificate, Standard V, 1884


Whitfield Class, 1896 Whitfield Class, 1896.


Whitfield National School Class, undated fragment. Whitfield National School Class, undated fragment


Whitfield Class, undated Whitfield Class, undated.


Whitfield School, c1908. Whitfield School, c1908


Whitfield School, c1908 Whitfield School, c1908.


Whitfield School, 1909.
The girl fourth from the right on the front row is Doris Richardson. 		Whitfield School, c1909


Whitfield School, 1909 Whitfield School, 1909.
The girl in the centre of the front row is Doris Richardson.


Whitfield School String Orchestra, undated.
The girl in the 3rd row, 3rd from the right, is Nellie Beardwood 		Whitfield School String Orchestra, undated


Whitfield Class, undated. Whitfield Class, undated.


Whitfield Class, undated.
The teacher on the right may be Nellie Beardwood. 		Whitfield Class, undated.


Whitfield Class with Mr Morris, undated. Whitfield Class with Mr Morris, undated.


Whitfield Class, 1912. Whitfield Class, 1912

Button image Whitfield School, 1920s & 1930s. Button image Whitfield School, 1950s. Button image Whitfield School, 1960s.

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Page last updated: 21 November 2011.