While both these returns have a similar structure, the 1833 returns are written with no personal comments included,
whereas the 1818 returns include observations by the incumbent. These vary from those displaying a complacent
attitude to the education of the poor, such as at Manton “The parish are perfectly satisfied with the means of education
afforded them” to those voicing a concern as at Preston “The poor are in want of sufficient means of education”. The
latter was a better reflection of the increasing interest in the education of the poor, particularly amongst the clergy.
The rector of Preston was amongst a group, of mainly clergy, who met in 1816 to establish a Rutland branch of the
National Society for Promoting the Poor in the Principles of the Established Church. By 1817 fifteen schools in Rutland
were operating under the auspices of the National Society and eighteen by 1837 (COERC). This further illustrates the
limitation of the 1833 Enquiry as it describes only seven schools as linked to the National Society. From 1833 the
government started to issue grants for school building, but these were tied to schools being associated with
organisations such as the National Society. This led to a further expansion of National Schools in the county and is the
reason that many of the county’s primary schools were and still are Church of England sponsored.
Parliament ordered enquiries into schools throughout England and Wales in both 1818
(Digest 1819, 739) and 1833 (Enquiry 1835, 762). These were conducted by
questionnaires sent to the parish incumbent. Not all parishes in most counties made
returns, but those for Rutland are complete. Both sets of returns give similar
information about the types of school and number of pupils in each parish, but the 1833
return also includes detail on how the schools were funded and the date of
establishment, if after 1818. Although, all parish’s made a return the accuracy of the
information was subject to individual interpretation of what the questionnaire
required. This made defining particular types of school difficult and the numbers of
children attending school are tainted by the problem of double counting of a child who
attended both day and Sunday schools. These and other deficiencies were recognised
when in 1835 the results from the 1833 Enquiry were published.
Fortunately for Rutland the Manchester Statistical Society also undertook a detailed
survey, in 1838, of the county’s education, by visiting each parish. The Society’s
resulting report enabled some of the errors to be corrected. For example the 1833
Enquiry listed 10 Infant schools in the county while the Society’s Report found: “there
is not a single school of the class that bears this title; the ten schools in question are
mere dame schools.” The Society’s Report has recently been republished by the
Rutland History Society and the accompanying narrative provides a useful background
to education in the early nineteenth century that puts the 1818 Digest and 1833 Enquiry
returns into context (Ryder 2011, 16). Nevertheless, both the Digest and the Enquiry
returns provide a parish by parish list of schools which is missing from the 1838 Report
and are therefore valuable extra sources of local information.
Parliament
ordered
enquiries
into
schools
throughout
England
and
Wales
in
both
1818
(Digest
1819,
739)
and
1833
(Enquiry
1835,
762)
.
These
were
conducted
by
questionnaires
sent
to
the
parish
incumbent.
Not
all
parishes
in
most
counties
made
returns,
but
those
for
Rutland
are
complete.
Both
sets
of
returns
give
similar
information
about
the
types
of
school
and
number
of
pupils
in
each
parish,
but
the
1833
return
also
includes
detail
on
how
the
schools
were
funded
and
the
date
of
establishment,
if
after
1818.
Although,
all
parish’s
made
a
return
the
accuracy
of
the
information
was
subject
to
individual
interpretation
of
what
the
questionnaire
required.
This
made
defining
particular
types
of
school
difficult
and
the
numbers
of
children
attending
school
are
tainted
by
the
problem
of
double
counting
of
a
child
who
attended
both
day
and
Sunday
schools.
These
and
other
deficiencies
were
recognised
when
in
1835
the
results
from
the
1833
Enquiry were published.
Fortunately
for
Rutland
the
Manchester
Statistical
Society
also
undertook
a
detailed
survey,
in
1838,
of
the
county’s
education,
by
visiting
each
parish.
The
Society’s
resulting
report
enabled
some
of
the
errors
to
be
corrected.
For
example
the
1833
Enquiry
listed
10
Infant
schools
in
the
county
while
the
Society’s
Report
found:
“there
is
not
a
single
school
of
the
class
that
bears
this
title;
the
ten
schools
in
question
are
mere
dame
schools.”
The
Society’s
Report
has
recently
been
republished
by
the
Rutland
History
Society
and
the
accompanying
narrative
provides
a
useful
background
to
education
in
the
early
nineteenth
century
that
puts
the
1818
Digest
and
1833
Enquiry
returns
into
context
(Ryder
2011,
16).
Nevertheless,
both
the
Digest
and
the
Enquiry
returns
provide
a
parish
by
parish
list
of
schools
which
is
missing
from
the
1838
Report
and
are
therefore
valuable
extra
sources
of local information.
While
both
these
returns
have
a
similar
structure,
the
1833
returns
are
written
with
no
personal
comments
included,
whereas
the
1818
returns
include
observations
by
the
incumbent.
These
vary
from
those
displaying
a
complacent
attitude
to
the
education
of
the
poor,
such
as
at
Manton
“The
parish
are
perfectly
satisfied
with
the
means
of
education
afforded
them”
to
those
voicing
a
concern
as
at
Preston
“The
poor
are
in
want
of
sufficient
means
of
education”.
The
latter
was
a
better
reflection
of
the
increasing
interest
in
the
education
of
the
poor,
particularly
amongst
the
clergy.
The
rector
of
Preston
was
amongst
a
group,
of
mainly
clergy,
who
met
in
1816
to
establish
a
Rutland
branch
of
the
National
Society
for
Promoting
the
Poor
in
the
Principles
of
the
Established
Church.
By
1817
fifteen
schools
in
Rutland
were
operating
under
the
auspices
of
the
National
Society
and
eighteen
by
1837
(COERC).
This
further
illustrates
the
limitation
of
the
1833
Enquiry
as
it
describes
only
seven
schools
as
linked
to
the
National
Society.
From
1833
the
government
started
to
issue
grants
for
school
building,
but
these
were
tied
to
schools
being
associated
with
organisations
such
as
the
National
Society.
This
led
to
a
further
expansion
of
National
Schools
in
the
county
and
is
the
reason
that
many
of
the
county’s
primary
schools
were
and
still
are
Church
of
England sponsored.
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