Local History


Office and extracts from its pages make interesting reading.


There


are many references to James, John, Thomas and Jethro, all of whom progressed to being pupil teachers and monitors.


In October 1869 James Raymont (age 14) is listed as a pupil teacher, and in November 1870 he gave a teaching lesson, subject ‘Australia’. In August 1874 James Raymont (age 18), assistant master, was given permission to retire from school duties by the School Board. He became a Methodist minister but sadly died from consumption in 1878 at the age of 24. In August 1874 John Raymont became a monitor, but in May 1875 there is a note that John Raymont, described ‘as a useful monitor’, had left to fill a situation in a grocer’s shop. In April 1881 Jethro Raymont was appointed a monitor but it is recorded that he left in May 1882 to become a draper’s assistant. The monitors needed to be on top of the discipline but sometimes they overdid it. In July 1881 Thomas


“ he is reported again for striking a child on the head...”


Raymont was accused of striking a child causing serious illness, and the matter was reported to the School Board, but there is a note to say nobody had witnessed this incident happening. In May 1882 he is reported again for striking a child on the head. Despite these unfortunate lapses he must have been highly regarded because in June 1883 Thomas Raymont aged 18 was appointed assistant master and received the princely salary of £40 per annum. He remained in this post for only six months as in November 1883 he heard that he had been successful in obtaining a first class Queen’s Scholarship for Borough Road College in London, passing third on the list from a national entry. It was recorded with some pride by Mr Craze, the headmaster, that ‘This highly satisfactory position is a result of


Elizabeth Raymont (left) and Simon Raymont (right) with their sons Charles, Thomas and Jethro in about 1890


several years of hard work. He has been with me for eleven years as scholar, pupil teacher and assistant.’ In December 1883 Thomas Raymont left the school, and the following month started on a two year teachers’ training course in London. By 1902 the school had left behind its sectarian origins to become a ‘Council School’, and later a ‘County Primary School’. Today the former school premises are the Abbey Surgery, one of the best and most successful functional uses for an old building which we have seen in our town.


Thomas Raymont went on to


have a successful career in teaching and rose to become the head of Goldsmiths College, which in 1904 became a training college for teachers at elementary schools, and in 1988 a full College of London University.


His second wife,


Christine Nance, had a career in the Froebel movement, an organisation which set up ‘kindergartens’ and had great influence in the education of young children. In his 80s Thomas Raymont wrote his memoirs, which are put in context with the help of his wife’s memoirs, in a family history book which has recently been written and published by his grand- daughter.


I am grateful to Carola Scupham for her permission to use information in this article from her delightful new book From Blacksmith to Goldsmith. Copies may be obtained by contacting the Diary tel. 01822 610575.


Price £10.00


including packaging and posting.


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