Catalogue description Ticehurst Church of England Primary School

For minutes of the governing body, 1891-1903 and 1912-1973 see E/MA/164/1/1-5; for accounts, 1911-1961 see E/MA/164/2/1; for plans of the school, 1846-1847 see BGP 58/1-3; for other records relating to the National School and its predecessor, 1811-1906 see PAR 492/25/1-32; for school book of John Edwards of Ticehurst, later village schoolmaster, 1757 see AMS 2231, for a copy of his death certificate, 1845 and a photograph of his grave stone, 1845 see AMS 6240/1-2; for HMI reports, 1909 see C/E 2/1 and for 1997 see R/E 1/15/142; for photographs of the school, 1846 and pupils, late 19th - early 20th century see ACC 982/7/1; for photographs of the school as existing and after extension, 1966-1968 see C/A 4/292; for a history of this and other schools in Ticehurst see F Drewe Ticehurst, Stonegate and Flimwell (1991), pp 43-48

For a history of the charity school see J Caffyn 'Sussex Schools in the 18th century' Sussex Record Society 81 page 250 and Reports of the Commissioners appointed ... to inquire concerning charities and education of the poor in England and Wales (1815-1839) page 281-282

Ticehurst Church of England Primary School, Ticehurst, East Sussex

A parochial school was built in 1761 which flourished into the nineteenth century. In 1830 a National School with two rooms was built, in what is now St Mary's Close, against the wall of the churchyard and in 1834 Mrs Elizabeth Underwood bequeathed £200 to the Incumbent and Churchwardens of Ticehurst in trust to use the interest towards the education of poor children

The new Ticehurst National School for boys and girls was built in Church Street in 1846 as the result of a bequest by Joseph Pettit, draper and grocer of Ticehurst, in his will of 15 June 1846 and the buildings were designed or built by Samuel Smith of Wadhurst. An infants' school was added in about 1870 and further enlargements were made to the schools in 1880

The school was re-organised in October 1911 when the boys' and girls' departments were amalgamated to form senior and junior sections. The 1915 edition of the Sussex directory lists a mixed and infants' school, while the 1927 edition lists only a mixed school

In 1940 the pupils of Morden Terrace Infants' School, London were evacuated to Ticehurst but they were soon re-evacuated to Wales

Following the 1944 Education Act, Ticehurst became a controlled CE school in 1945 and the from 1949 the over 11s attended the new Wadhurst County Secondary School. An extension was built in about 1967. The Ordnance Survey 25-inch map of 1909 shows the school on the eastern side of Church Street on the site of the current school (June 1993)

Head teachers of the boys' department, and the mixed school

Jessie Kemp, 1855

William Phillips, 1862

Richard Covington, { May 1863 - Jul 1899

Charles Waight, Oct 1899 - Feb 1917

Reginald Maurice Spiller, Mar 1917 - Dec 1923

Emmaline Longhurst, Jan 1924 - Mar 1924

William Dyke Meek, Apr 1924 - Aug 1926

Emmaline Longhurst, Oct 1926 - Nov 1926

William H Bowers, Nov 1926 - Feb 1949

S G Ponting, Mar 1949 - Aug 1958

W D Jones, Sep 1958 - Oct 1962 }

Head teachers of the girls' department

Mrs Sarah Kemp, 1855

Emily Elizabeth Searle, 1862

Isabella Ann Covington, { 1867 - Nov 1902

Julia Curd, Dec 1902 - Aug 1910

J Starr, Oct 1910 - Jan 1911

Miss May, Jan 1911 - Aug 1911

Head teachers of the infants' department

Elizabeth Ann Brewin, { Jan 1878 - Dec 1879

Isabella E Covington, Feb 1880 - Sep 1882

Ann Harris, Oct 1882 - Dec 1882

Gertrude Emily Williamson, Jan 1883 - Mar 1886

Caroline Funnell, Mar 1886 - Apr 1886

Eliza Harmer, May 1886 - May 1889

Emily Norah Silversides, Jun 1889 - May 1900

Eleanor Waight, Jun 1900 - Aug 1900

Hannah F Damon, Oct 1900

Eleanor Waight, Nov 1900 - 1915 }