Warley Grammar School

Warley Grammar School stood on Burnley Road, Sowerby Bridge.

• General Points

• Pupils at the School

• Masters at the School

General Points

It was founded in 1786 by a trust established by James Crossley, Joseph Charles Gautier, John Lea, Samuel Milne and Isaac Ogden that the school

for and at all time for ever be used and enjoyed for the better instruction of children from time to time residing within the township of Warley

There were male and female scholars and a limited number of free places.

The school was built on land bought from William Alexander for £70.

It was originally called Spring Garden School, after the name of part of the land on which it was built.

The cost of the school was £304 6/8d, plus £1 16/6d for the bell. Subscriptions included

• £116 0/2d 20 raised in Warley, where subscribers included
  • John Dearden
  • James Oldfield
  • Samuel Milne
  • Thomas Milne
  • John Lea
  • James Crossley

• £22 11/6d was raised in Sowerby, where subscribers included
  • John Priestley
  • John Holroyd
  • Thomas Farrar
• £34 13/- was raised in Skircoat, where subscribers included
  • Thomas Murgatroyd
  • Samuel Waterhouse
  • Edward Wainhouse

• £2 9/- was raised in Norland

• £12 5/6d – was raised in Soyland

• £53 4/- was raised in Halifax, where subscribers included
  • Samuel Waterhouse
  • John Waterhouse
  • Robert Parker
  • John Lees
  • Samuel Lees
  • John Haigh
  • William Foster

• £8 11/4d was raised in Heptonstall and Todmorden, where subscribers included
  • James Lord
  • John Ogden
  • David Lacy
  • William Wadsworth
  • A sum of £52 15/3d was raised by distant  friends
  • and additional subscriptions of £13 16/-

A stone over a doorway was inscribed

Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it

The stone was moved to Friendly Methodist Sunday School

Pupils at the School

The boys' school was at the Luddendenfoot end, the girls' school at the other end.

Pupils at the school have included

• Henry Briggs
• John Denison [1850s] Henry Holdsworth [1841]

Masters at the School

The master was charged an annual rent, and he made his money from the scholars' fees.

Masters of the school have included

• Mr and Mrs Howarth, possibly the first master [1789]
• Mr Tweedles [1800?]
• Mr Alderson [1802]
• James Stansfield [1803-1813]
• Joseph Hatton [1813-1823]
• John Jackson [1823-1825]
• Rev Bernard Greenwood [1825-1845]
• Rev Daniel Hartnett [1851-1853]
• J. W. Farquhar [1853]
• Miss McKay [1857]
• Mr Farquhar [18??]
• William Dearden [from 1862]
• Miss Jowett [1865]
• Mrs Bottomley [1866]
• Mr B. Lord [1889]
• John Longbottom [1893], the last headmaster

The school began to fail.

After the headship of John Longbottom, the school closed [1894] and was sold.

Around 1910, part of the building became a branch of the Luddendenfoot Co-operative Society.

See Rev Thomas Sutcliffe, Edward Wainhouse and Warley Exhibition Foundation

This & associated entries use material contributed by David Greaves & Stella Hargreaves

Page Ref: KK_38

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