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Local & Community History Month: What was the connection between Middleton Hall's owners and the village school?

On 31st August 1994, the school in Middleton village, what was at that time called Middleton First School, closed. It is now known as The Old School House Day Nursery and is a childcare facility. The school was located on Church Lane, directly adjacent to the west of St John’s Church, and it had a very long connection with the owners of Middleton Hall.


The school was historically part of the Middleton Estate and the property of the owners of the manor. In 1924, when the Estate was sold, the school and its playground was designated as Lot 60. It was described as being 2 roods and 10 perches in size (0.22 hectares) and the school itself was described as brick built and tile roofed. It contained a hall, cloakroom, school room and a classroom and had a urinal and six water closets outside. It is known that this school building was constructed in the 19th century.


Middleton village school, 1890s. Courtesy of Dennis Wood.
Middleton village school, 1890s. Courtesy of Dennis Wood.

The 1924 auction catalogue also explained that, at that time, the school was let to Warwickshire County Council on a 60-year lease from 25th March 1912 for a rent of £2 2 shillings (about £164.16 today). The lease was dated 20th December 1911. The terms of the lease additionally stipulated that: 1) Lord Middleton reserved for himself the use of the School House and premises for such hours when they were not being used for educational purposes and its full use at all hours on a Sunday; and 2) If at any time the School House ceased to be used for the purpose of education for the time of one full year, the lease would be void. Warwickshire County Council acquired the school after the auction.


However, there must have been a school present in the village before this school was constructed. This is due to the existence of a number of educational charitable trusts for the children of Middleton for centuries before the 19th century school was built.


The first charity was established by Francis Willughby F.R.S. By will, dated 24th June 1672, he bequeathed £4 a year (about £455.11 today) to employ a schoolmaster or schoolmistress to teach the poor children of Middleton. He also bequeathed a further 20 shillings (about £113.78) to buy Bibles for the children.


In a will dated 6th December 1693, Robert Gorton had left 48 shillings (about £256.76 today) in order for a schoolmaster or schoolmistress to teach reading to the poor children of Middleton, or for any other uses that Thomas Willoughby or his heirs deemed fit. This was extended in the charity established in 1700 by Thomas, which was before he became 1st Lord Middleton. Thomas purchased 26 acres of land called Sherdales in Kingsbury and let it at £15 a year (about £1,604.75 today) of which £6 8 shillings (about £684.69 today) was then paid to the schoolmaster and the residue for the weekly bread or for bread and money for the poor of Middleton.


The third educational charity established by an owner of Middleton Hall was created by Lady Georgiana, the wife of Thomas Willoughby 4th Lord Middleton. She received the possession of Middleton by dower following the death of her husband in 1781. By deed dated 17th February 1783, she gave to trustees £1,000 Consols (about £86,104.50 today). From the interest, they were to pay 20 shillings yearly (about £86.10) to buy pious books and the residue was to provide a schoolmaster or schoolmistress. Consols was short for Consolidated Annuities, a perpetual form of a British government bond.


It was recorded that on 5th October 1906, all of the four charities were regulated by a scheme of the Charity Commission. Three trustees had been appointed and they directed the whole of the endowment of the Charity of Georgiana, Lady Middleton and a yearly sum of £7 8 shillings (about £581.41) from the income of the charity of Francis Willughby and others, which were to be applied for educational purposes. At that time the total income of the charities of Middleton, which included some others for the Church, amounted to about £72 per year (about £5,657 today).


These charities, specifically including those of Francis Willughby and Lady Georgiana, were subsequently consolidated into a modern trust structure. They are now managed by the Middleton Village Hall (Warwickshire) Trust and their defined objectives are to facilitate the “provision of recreational, social and educational activities for residents and associates of the Parish of Middleton in North Warwickshire.”


Further reading:

L. F. Salzman (ed), "Middleton", A History of the County of Warwick: Volume 4, 1947.


Author - Debbie Jordan, Middleton Hall Volunteer.


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