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192 Old Memories of East-Bourne. [Chap. XIV.
assistance of the National Society, raised money to build the St. Mary's Schools at the Old Town, supplemented in
1851 by the Trinity Schools, practically the whole work of elementary education has been done by the Church of England, with, for a limited time, and to a limited extent, some help from the Wesleyans and Roman Catholics. As regards the Wesleyans, something-more presently. East-Bourne is one of the very few considerable towns in England which never had to-bear the burden, or realise the mischiefs, of a School Board. Besides the St. Mary's and Trinity Parochial Schools just mentioned, 4 ladies in East-Bourne contributed materially to keep educational burdens off the ratepayers by founding and supporting what may be described as private-public Infant Schools. The first in point of time was what is known as " Lady Burlington's School," founded and erected by Blanche, Countess of Burlington in the year 1836, in Meads Road. Then in
1852 Miss L. Brodie started an Infant School in a cottage in the Old Town, which later on was replaced by a permanent building in Church Street, erected on land given by Lord Burlington. Then Miss Julia Brodie built and endowed an Infant School at the Seaside, close to Christ Church; and finally Miss Maria Brodie, without building or endowing, carried on at Meads for many years an Infant School at her own expense. All these efforts, with new buildings in Christ Church, and enlargements from time to time, kept the School accommodation of the town abreast of the demands up to 1872, when the Education Department summoned the Town to provide additional accommodation. At a Vestry Meeting called to consider the matter on December 16, 1872, it was resolved to avoid a School Board, and to make an effort by voluntary means. The result was that the demand of the Government was met by the provision of 656 additional places, including 232 in a Wesleyan School; the cost incurred having been met by a general subscription of £1335, supplemented by private benefactions in several of the Ecclesiastical Districts. |
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