Richard Durning's Charity

Pupils in the time of the Harrison Dynasty

 

John Harrison was appointed Headteacher in 1892. On his retirement in 1925 his daughter, Edith Harrison took over, only retiring in 1955, ending sixty three years of the headship in one family. “Miss ‘arrison” as she was popularly known, had been a pupil teacher at the school between 1907 and 1909 was assistant teacher between 1910 and 1912, returning in 1922. She figures in all three group photographs below with her father.

 

The three thumbnails below show regular attenders posing in the School House Garden for photographs with John Harrison and his wife during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.  In 1992, shortly before she died, we were lucky enough to talk with former pupil Sarah Monk, aunt of Chairman of Trustees Geoffrey Monk. She identified many of those in the photographs including herself. Click the thumbnail to see a larger view with names. She had a particular soft spot for the teacher Miss Earp who figures in two of the photographs. Sarah remembered her as being “very good at art and very kind.”

 

The larger photograph at the bottom shows the very common gardening lessons for boys in the School House Garden - no doubt an easy way of ensuring cheap fresh produce on the school house table throughout the year! In 1910 it was reported that the boys at Bispham Free Grammar School wore a distinctive cap. This would therefore date the photograph as around that date.