CHARITY SCHOOLS

Blue Coat schools are charity schools originally established in the sixteenth century. The name arises because of the blue uniform worn by their pupils. Blue was the colour of charity and was a common colour for clothing at the time; the early uniform was very colourful. Blue and yellow were chosen because those colour dyes were not expensive and blue and yellow distinguished the children in the care of the first Bluecoat School, Christ’s Hospital, from those attending other schools.

The uniform consisted of a blue coat or gown, a red leather girdle round the waist, yellow stockings, a clergyman's band round the neck and a flat black cap of woollen yarn, about the size of a saucer. The buttons on the long blue coat depicted the head of Edward VI. 

The first blue coat school was Christ’s Hospital founded in 1552 on the site of the Grey Friars’ Monastery in Newgate Street, London which was originally used as a hospital for poor fatherless children and foundlings. It was granted a Royal Charter in 1553. Following the dissolution of the monasteries, the City of London obtained possession of the hospital and agreements were reached so that control of Christ’s Hospital passed to the city aldermen. Christ’s Hospital opened its doors to 380 pupils but within a year that number had increased to over 500. Around 100 of the first pupils were infants who were sent to Hertfordshire to be looked after by nurses and to attend local day schools. When they were ten years old they returned to London for their education. During the 1665 Great Plague thirty-two pupils lost their lives but no lives were lost during the Great Fire of London although most of the buildings were burned down.

The school curriculum included reading, writing and arithmetic, French, the classics, and mathematics. The school has always admitted both boys and girls but the age of admission has varied throughout its existence. In the early years of the school, those who were not old enough to receive a full time education were put to nurse in the provinces or remained with their parents who received a weekly allowance.

Other divisions of the school were at Hertford from 1653, Hoddesdon and Ware from 1666 (although Hoddesdon closed in1690 and Ware closed in 1760). From 1778 the Hertford school became the girls' school and part was used as a preparatory school for boys. Christ's Hospital relocated to Horsham in 1902 although the girls' school remained at Hertford until 1985 before it moved to Horsham.

Between the sixteenth and early nineteenth centuries many other similar schools were existed throughout the country and, where the pupils wore the blue uniform, they were recognised as bluecoat schools. From its origins as a foundling hospital to help relieve poverty and educate children born in the London area, children were admitted from a wide variety of social and geographical backgrounds.

One of the earliest schools to be established was the Grey Coat Hospital in Westminster, named as such because it took boarders. At that time, Westminster was a poverty- and crime-ridden overcrowded area so a group of tradesmen set up the school in 1698 to educate the children, many of whom were roaming the street as urchins. Eight members of St. Margaret's, Westminster donated funds to start the school which was then a day school for fifty boys. The idea was that children would be taught virtuous principles within a religious environment with the end aim of providing them with work opportunities at the end of their education.

The founders' aims were to educate orphans and neglected children in the principles of the Christian religion, teach them reading, writing and the Church catechism, and basic accounts/arithmetic so that when their schooling came to an end, the founders could then bind them as apprentices to honest trades.

In 1701 the old workhouse in Tothill Fields was purchased and used as the school. In 1706 Queen Anne granted a royal charter to the Grey Coat Hospital Foundation. The school has an interesting history including a murder and a rebellion against the appalling conditions at the school in 1801! The school became a day school for girls in 1874 and remains a comprehensive Church of England school for girls to this day.

Part of the original daily regime was to teach pupils a work ethic and at the same time earn some money for the benefit of the school - so pupils were engaged in spinning. However, there were complaints that education was being neglected at the expense of the need for funds, so the practice stopped in the mid-1730s.

The Grey Coat Hospital School has an extensive historic archive including:

• Governors’ minutes, 1698 – 1951
• Accounts, 1698 – 1965
• Admission registers, 1698 – 1953
• Applications for admission, 1800 – 1949
• Apprenticeship indentures, 1793 – 1878.

Pupils had to attend morning church services twice a week and also every evening. Each Sunday evening the pupils were tested on their religious knowledge. Each year pupils also attended a special service held at St Paul’s Cathedral.

The Royal Navy wanted well-educated apprentices so the Grey Coat Hospital made sure that boys were taught mathematics and navigation, but the teachers were not of the highest standard as they tended to teach only the basics. It was a case of you only get what you pay for. Pay for teachers was below average and the staff were not always well treated. Poorly paid and undervalued staff existed well into the 1870s.

For most pupils conditions were harsh, and certainly in the early days of the school there was no money to heat the building - lice and fleas were always present.

There was also a degree of neglect and cruelty. Punishments were delivered on an almost daily basis. Child abuse and beatings resulted in pupils absconding while others committed vandalism to try and draw attention to their plight, hence the rebellion.

Some people also thought that the pupils were malnourished but the diet provided was supplemented by gifts from well-wishers; however, not all of this reached the pupils as the staff had first pickings. There were many complaints about the food particularly in the late eighteenth century when it is known that corruption was at its height.

When the time came to leave the school the boys were apprenticed out to various trades or joined the Royal Navy. The Grey Coat school actually set funds aside for the purpose - most of which had been left to the school either by benefactors or as a result of bequests in wills.

Despite the conditions, there were successes. One pupil John Hatchard was apprenticed to a bookseller and went on to establish his own bookselling business - Hatchards in Piccadilly. David Thompson was apprenticed to the Hudson Bay Company and went on to map and explore western Canada. It is thought that the Thompson River in British Columbia was named after him.

In order for a child to be considered for admission to Christ’s Hospital parents or guardians petitioned a governor or benefactor for help with educating a child. The governors were City of London aldermen. If a child met the admissions criteria, was of the appropriate age and was approved by the board of governors they were accepted. Proof in the form of a parish document, baptism etc. was required to verify their age and destitute condition. Affidavits from the minister of the home parish were needed to confirm the destitute condition of the child. A child stood a better chance of admission if they had a sibling already enrolled as a pupil. The documentary evidence of each child is held in the Presentation Papers.

Once accepted as a pupil the child's name was entered into the Children's Register which also recorded the date of admission, birth date and place, the name of the father (if known), the date the child was issued with the uniform, the name of the benefactor, and any other relevant information. When the child was discharged, the date was entered together with information of where the child went, Royal Navy, apprenticeship etc. These records are particularly useful for family historians. Besides being at the London Metropolitan Archives they can also be searched on FamilySearch.

There was a regime to life as a pupil.  They rose at 6am in the summer and 7am in the winter. After ablutions etc a bell called them to breakfast which took up to an hour. Until 1824 breakfast was plain bread and beer After breakfast it was school time with lessons until 11am followed by an hours play/recreation. Dinner was served at noon and three times a week consisted of milk-porridge, rice-milk and pea soup. At 1pm pupils returned to school until 4pm in winter or 5pm in Summer. Supper was served at 6pm. During summer months there was then recreation until 8pm but in winter pupils proceeded straight to bed once supper was over. The standard of education provided by the hospital was second to none and many pupils continued their education at universities.

On Sundays, church attendance replaced school time. The Bible was read to pupils every day before each meal and before going to bed. Prayers and graces were also part of everyday life.