Townhead / Stonehouse Primary – Stonehouse Heritage

TOWNHEAD PUBLIC SCHOOL NOW KNOWN AS STONEHOUSE PRIMARY

Whilst Stonehouse Primary School currently occupies the footprint of the old Townhead Primary school, a school has been located on or near the exisitng footprint since the late 1700’s. According to Robert Naismith’s book on Stonehouse the first purpose built school in Stonehouse opened in 1781 in King Street. This was followed by a new parish school, built in 1853, which was located ‘a short distance from old one’, (in Townhead Street?).

It was enlarged in 1870 and ‘enclosed with a neat wall’. A new house for the headmaster was also built near the Free Manse (in Hill Road?) called Sauchrie Cottage. (Naismith (1895) pp82-85).

The Free Church School in Hill Road (1851 – 1881) was leased to the Stonehouse School Board for one year in 1881, under the name of Hill Academy, while Townhead Street School was under construction.

On 9th January 1882 Townhead Public School was opened by the School Board.

The Toonheid’ as this school was generally known in early days was built in 1881 at a cost, including site, of upwards of £2,000. Its location was where the present school is, at the corner of Townhead Street and Sidehead Road. The first Headmaster, Mr Alexander McIntosh had been teaching in Stonehouse for nine years before the school was built. He came to the village in 1872 as teacher in the Subscription School and two years later he was appointed to the Free Church School in Hill Road where he remained until, under the School Board of Stonehouse, he then moved to the Parish School in Townhead Street now as Townhead Public School.

The group have a number of documents that relate to the school in relation to

a) The Education Department

b) Teacher References

c) Pupil Exemption Certificates

d) Index of pupils who achieved Standard Grade VI including their autograph

e) Headmasters diary / log 1881-1947

f) Hamilton Advertiser Articles by Jean Leishman

g) School Admissions Records

These are all in process of being scanned and categorised into the above headings and will be added as time permits.

A) Education Department

Over the years a number of education department circulars and reports were produced which instructed schools on what had to be taught as well as measuring how well the school was doing. The following links are a series of reports and circulars produced since around 1899.

Education Reports and Circulars

B) Teacher References

A number of the early teacher references were salvaged and these are attached for reference.

Robert Leggate 1906
Miss Mclaren
Margaret Wilson 1927
John Boyd 1927

C) Certificate of Exemptions (for attending evening classes)

Whilst working and supporting the family was important in these days, education was also recognised as being important and a number of pupils who signed up to carry out evening classes were exempt from attending day school.

These are a copy of the original certificates that were saved and digitised.

Mary Brown; mary brown 1928
Jeannie Plenderleith 1929
Ella Hornel 1930
Catherine Gilmour 1930
Grace Davidson 1931
Agnes thomson 1932
James Sorbie 1932

D) Index of Pupils who achieved Standard Grade 6

Autographs from some of the pupils who achieved standard grade VI were taken from the pupils and are contained in a book held by the group. This book also detailed their address, age and additional comments. Listed below is an alphabetical index of the pupils who achieved standard grade V1 between 1882 and 1894.

PAGE NUMBER	YEAR	SURNAME	FIRST_NAME	ADDRESS	TOWN	AGE	ADDITIONAL DETAILS
13	1882	Allan	Maggie	West Mains	Stonehouse	12
13	1882	Struthers	Katie	Broomfield	Dalserf	13	Became a Pupil Teacher in Greenside and died before her apprenticeship was done
13	1882	Brown	Grace	38 Camnethan Street	Stonehouse	12
14	1882	Hamilton	Jeanie S.	Bogside	Stonehouse	11
14	1882	Whyte	Elizabeth	18 Lockhart Street	Stonehouse	13
14	1882	Gray	Jessie	Avon cottage	Stonehouse	11
15	1882	Muter	Alexander	48 Camnethan Street	Stonehouse	11
15	1882	Jamieson	Robert	16 Argyle Street	Stonehouse	12
15	1882	Lewis	Andrew	31 Lawrie Street	Stonehouse	12
16	1882	Frood	John	4 Queen Street	Stonehouse	12	21/2/1894. Now in Queensland.
17	1883	Hamilton	Thomas	13 Kirk Street	Stonehouse	11
17	1883	Menzies	George	Linthaugh	Stonehouse	11
17	1883	Thomson	Kate	47 King Street	Stonehouse	12
18	1883	Lawrie	Maggie	Sidehead	Stonehouse	13	Died.
18	1883	Hamilton	Jeanie	7 New Street	Stonehouse	13
18	1883	Martin	Mary	31 Townhead Street	Stonehouse	12
19	1884	Jamieson	Helen	Off Lockhart Street	Stonehouse	12
19	1884	Sandilands	Jessie	6 Lockhart Street	Stonehouse	12
19	1884	McWhirter	Jeanie	Trongate Street	Stonehouse	12
19	1884	Baird	Annie	Canderside Farm	Stonehouse	12
19	1884	Pelling	Janet	33 Lawrie Street	Stonehouse	11
20	1884	Shearer	Maggie	14 Union Street	Stonehouse	13
20	1884	Frood	James	4 Queen Street	Stonehouse	12
20	1884	Allan	James	Westmains	Stonehouse	12
20	1884	Wyper	Alex	39 Lawrie Street	Stonehouse	12
20	1884	Struthers	William	Broomfield	Dalserf	13	Became an engineer. Died 21/10/1890.
21	1884	Barrie	Gavin	15 Kirk Street	Stonehouse	12
21	1884	Small	James	29 Kirk Street	Stonehouse	12
21	1884	Burns	Hugh	4 Market Place	Stonehouse	13
21	1884	Thomson	Archie F.	4 Trongate Street	Stonehouse	12
21	1884	Millar	Archie	1 Green Street	Stonehouse	13
22	1885	Plenderleith	James	22 Angle Street	Stonehouse	11
22	1885	Barie	James	15 Kirk Street	Stonehouse	12
22	1885	Leggate	Robert	22 Angle Street	Stonehouse	11
23	1885	Wilson	Thomas	Greenside Place	Stonehouse	12
23	1885	Wood	James	17 Kirk Street	Stonehouse	11
23	1885	Hamilton	Agnes	7 New Street	Stonehouse	12
24	1885	Miles	Marion	12 King Street	Stonehouse	12
24	1885	Jackson	Euphemia C.	12 New Street	Stonehouse	12
24	1885	Weir	Maggie	Broomfield Farm	Dalserf	12
25	1885	Shearer	Marion	14 Union Street	Stonehouse	12
26	1886	Watt	James	43 Lockhart Street	Stonehouse	12
26	1886	Hamilton	Thomas	4 Angle Street	Stonehouse	12	Died 1889.
26	1886	Hamilton	Robert	52 Camnethan Street	Stonehouse	12
27	1886	Torrance	Alex	22 Lawrie Street	Stonehouse	12
27	1886	Hamilton	Matthew	32 New Street	Stonehouse	12
27	1886	Muir	Andrew	18 Lawrie Street	Stonehouse	12
28	1886	Brownlie	Alex	Dovesdale Farm	Dalserf	12
28	1886	Craig	Bella	8 Queen Street	Stonehouse	12	Became a Pupil Teacher in Greenside School 1889.
28	1886	Gray	Kate	Hill Cottage	Stonehouse	12
29	1886	Gilfillan	Maggie	Dykehead	Stonehouse	12
29	1886	Sandilands	Lizzie	4 Lockhart Street	Stonehouse	11
30	1887	Craig	John	8 Queen Street	Stonehouse	11	21/2/1894 Now in U.S.A.
30	1887	Miles	John	12 King Street	Stonehouse	12
30	1887	Hamilton	William	4 Angle Street	Stonehouse	11
31	1887	Steele	John	17 Lockhart Street	Stonehouse	12
31	1887	Brown	James	38 Camnethan Street	Stonehouse	12
31	1887	Pelling	Peter	33 Lawrie Street	Stonehouse	12
32	1887	Hamilton	Lizzie	7 New Street	Stonehouse	12
32	1887	Lawrie	Maggie	15 King Street	Stonehouse	12	Became a Pupil Teacher in Camnethan Street School, but resigned through ill health 1889.
32	1887	Barrie	Bethia	Kirk Street	Stonehouse	12
33	1887	Whyte	Annie	18 Lockhart Street	Stonehouse	13
33	1887	Wilson	Jessie	8 Union Street	Stonehouse	12
33	1887	Muter	Agnes	48 Camnethan Street	Stonehouse	12
34	1887	Brown	Christina	12 Union Street	Stonehouse	11
34	1887	Scott	Marion	23 Camnethan Street	Stonehouse	11
35	1888	Leith	Bella	22 Angle Street	Stonehouse	11
35	1888	Wyper	Maggie	39 Lawrie Street	Stonehouse	11
35	1888	Small	Helen	48 Camnethan Street	Stonehouse	11
36	1888	Froude	Andrew	4 Queen Street	Stonehouse	11	Went onto become registrar for Scotland
36	1888	Hamilton	Daniel	34 Townhead Street	Stonehouse	12
36	1888	Allan	Alexander	Westmains	Stonehouse	12
37	1888	Struthers	James	Broomfield	Dalserf	13
38	1889	Thomson	Maggie	Green Street	Stonehouse	11
38	1889	Hamilton	Maggie	Kirk Street	Stonehouse	12
38	1889	Allan	Lizzie	Westmains	Stonehouse	11
39	1889	Barrie	John	14 Kirk Street	Stonehouse	12
39	1889	Govan	John	13 Townhead Street	Stonehouse	13
39	1889	Scott	James	23 Camnethan Street	Stonehouse	11
40	1889	Barrie	Thomas	37 New Street	Stonehouse	12
40	1889	Hamilton	John	7 New Street	Stonehouse	12
40	1889	Torrance	Alexander	45 Camnethan Street	Stonehouse	12
41	1890	Hamilton	Robert	13 Kirk Street	Stonehouse	11
41	1890	Torrance	Robert	78 New Street	Stonehouse	12
41	1890	Jackson	Gavin	6 King Street	Stonehouse	11
42	1890	MacFie	Thomas	Argyle Street	Stonehouse	12
42	1890	Barrie	William	37 New Street	Stonehouse	11
42	1890	Muter	Robert	48 Camnethan Street	Stonehouse	12
43	1890	Hamilton	Maggie	52 Camnethan Street	Stonehouse	12
43	1890	Mather	Maggie	Green Street	Stonehouse	12
44	1890	Ferguson	George	Hill Road	Stonehouse	12
44	1890	MacFie	Archie	Union Bank	Stonehouse	12
44	1890	Hamilton	Alex	Townhead Street	Stonehouse	12
45	1891	Broadfoot	George	Lawrie Street	Stonehouse	12
45	1891	Lawrie	Marion	King Street	Stonehouse	12
45	1891	Shearer	Marion	Townhead Street	Stonehouse	12
46	1891	Froude	Mary	Queen Street	Stonehouse	12
46	1891	Miles	Mary	King Street	Stonehouse	12
46	1891	Thomson	Christina	Union Street	Stonehouse	13
47	1891	Wyper	Lillias	Lawrie Street	Stonehouse	12
47	1891	Barclay	Catherine	Trongate Street	Stonehouse	12
47	1891	McNiven	Mary	Union Street	Stonehouse	12
48	1891	Leith	Barbara	Angle Street	Stonehouse	11
48	1891	Thomson	Marion	Townhead Street	Stonehouse	11
48	1891	Hamilton	Marion	Angle Street	Stonehouse	11
49	1892	Shearer	Andrew	Union Street	Stonehouse	12
49	1892	Brown	William	Union Street	Stonehouse	11
49	1892	Stevenson	George	Angle Street	Stonehouse	12
50	1892	Fallow	William	King Street	Stonehouse	12
50	1892	McDerman	John	Camnethan Street	Stonehouse	11
50	1892	Wardrope	Hugh	Cawfall Road	Stonehouse	11
51	1892	Whitelaw	Robert	New Street	Stonehouse	11
51	1892	Hamilton	Annie	New Street	Stonehouse	12
51	1892	Gilfillan	Lizzie	Dykehead Farm	Stonehouse	12
52	1892	Thomson	Rebecca	Hill Road	Stonehouse	11
52	1892	Hamilton	Grace	Hill Road	Stonehouse	13
52	1892	Pelling	Jane	Lawrie Street	Stonehouse	11
53	1892	Millar	Agnes	King Street	Stonehouse	12
53	1892	Wilson	Christina	Union Street	Stonehouse	12
53	1892	Jackson	Janet	Camnethan Street	Stonehouse	11
54	1892	Hart	Agnes	Trongate Street	Stonehouse	13
55	1893	Scott	Lawrence	Camnethan Street	Stonehouse	13
55	1893	Mackie	Robert	Hill Road	Stonehouse	12
55	1893	Hamilton	James W.	New Street	Stonehouse	12
56	1893	Black	George N.	Newfield	Stonehouse	12
56	1893	Thomson	Robert	Townhead Street	Stonehouse	12
56	1893	Curr	Mitchell	King Street	Stonehouse	13
57	1893	Gilmour	Henry P.	Kirk Street	Stonehouse	11
57	1893	McPhait	William	118 Lawrie Street	Stonehouse	11
57	1893	Barrie	Thomas	Kirk Street	Stonehouse	11
58	1893	Hamilton	James	Hill Road	Stonehouse	11
58	1893	Scott	William	Camnethan Street	Stonehouse	10
58	1893	Jackson	Maggie	King Street	Stonehouse	12
59	1893	Torrance	Robina	New Street	Stonehouse	12
59	1893	Muir	Marion	Lawrie Street	Stonehouse	12
59	1893	Brown	Maggie	Lockhart Street	Stonehouse	12
60	1893	Whyte	Maggie	Lockhart Street	Stonehouse	13
60	1893	Gilmour	Robina	King Street	Stonehouse	12
60	1893	Miles	Christina	King Street	Stonehouse	11
61	1893	Gilfillan	Janet	Dykehead	Stonehouse	11
61	1893	Plenderleith	Janet	Angle Street	Stonehouse	11
61	1893	Leggate	Jessie	Angle Street	Stonehouse	11
62	1893	MacFie	Maggie	Argyle Street	Stonehouse	12
62	1894	Thomson	Maggie	Cairnlea Cottage	Stonehouse	12
62	1894	Hamilton	Marion	13 Kirk Street	Stonehouse	12
63	1894	Pettigrew	Janet	30 Lockhart Street	Stonehouse	12
63	1894	Brown	Peggie	Burnbank	Stonehouse	13
63	1894	Leggate	Marion	Hill Road	Stonehouse	11
64	1894	Currie	Jessie	31 King Street	Stonehouse	11
64	1894	Shearer	Barabara	14 Union Street	Stonehouse	12
64	1894	Nelson	Jessie	18 Lawrie Street	Stonehouse	12
65	1894	Leiper	Sarah	2 Lockhart Street	Stonehouse	11
65	1894	Gray	Janet	61 New Street	Stonehouse	12
65	1894	Brown	John	15 King Street	Coatbridge	11
66	1894	Kirkland	William	10 Townhead Street	Stonehouse	12
66	1894	Henderson	Thomas	Mount Blow	Stonehouse	11
66	1894	Froude	Sam	4 Queen Street	Stonehouse	12
66	1894	Anderson	John	Easton Cottage	Stonehouse	12
66	1894	Hamilton	Peter	4 Angle Street	Stonehouse	11
67	1894	Thomson	Gavin	Wellbrae	Stonehouse	11
67	1894	Leiper	Nathaniel	Loch Hall House	Stonehouse	12
67	1894	Plenderleith	Robert	46 Townhead Street	Stonehouse	12
67	1894	Govan	Archie	13 Townhead Street	Stonehouse	12
67	1894	Barr	John	36 Townhead Street	Stonehouse	11

Please note that the autographs can be viewed at our resource room and it is our intention to have these displayed in the members area.

E) Headmasters Diary / Log book 1881-1947

The group also possess two headmasters diaries which arrived in a sorry state. The group organised and paid for these to re-coved and bound. The diaries were transcribed and are searchable in the Members Section of the website. These give a daily account of the school events and social happenings in the school . Whilst the diaries record the attendance of pupils and teachers as well as the expenses of the school some interesting accounts can be found. One such account recorded in the diary was that a half day holiday was given to the pupils on 1^st April, 1887 being the funeral of Rev. James Dunn, chairman of the school board and minister of the parish. The same Mr Dunn that opened the proceeding s on the school opening. Another account advises that on May 18^th, 1888 a similar holiday was given on the occasion of the laying of the Foundation Stone of the Public Hall.

We know that the school was refurbished again as another account advises that after the miner’s strike was over, work resumed on the new part of Townhead School and on 2nd September, 1912 the reconstructed school was opened by a group of dignitaries. A gold key was presented to Mr. Naismith by the Architects, Measurers and Contractors.

F) Hamilton Advertiser Articles

A series of articles written by the late Jean Leishman who was a former pupil and teacher at Townhead Primary were published in the Hamilton Advertiser and the following is a partial extract from the Hamilton Advertiser which provides details of the school opening.

“It was on 9^th January, 1882 that the ‘commodious, neat and comfortable’ new Townhead Public School was opened by the School Board. General Lockhart and his Lady, accompanied by Miss Dunn (sister of the parish minister) drove up to the gate, receiving a hearty cheer from the scholars, then came the gentlemen of the school board and waiting to meet them were Messrs. Smith (Architect), T & J Hamilton (joiners), Park (builder), Brown (painter), and Riddle (plumber). There were 186 scholars present and all were seated in the largest room. A hymn was sung.

Rev. Mr. Dunn opened the proceedings with a prayer and read a chapter from the Book of Proverbs. General Lockhart addressed the assembly and declared the school open. The Revs. Messrs Dunn and Paterson followed with brief addresses chiefly as exhortations to the scholars. The General announced a holiday for the remainder of the day and all dispersed. The scholars were very tidy and neat, and behaved ‘remarkably well’. The staff consisted of three teachers working with the headmaster and in addition to the three “R’s”, Latin, French, Needlework, Singing, Geography and History were taught with pupils’ ages ranging from 4 to 14 years”.

Another article tells us that an interesting visit was paid to the school in October 1883 when a former P.T. (pupil teacher) having graduated at Glasgow University accompanied by a friend from Palestine – ‘Sheik Selim Hishmek, guide of Stanley first discoverer of Livingstone’ –heard the pupils sing three songs in their honour.

A reading book that is mentioned in the infant classes being used to teach children is Infant Reader. The group have recently purchased an original copy of this book, and a scanned copy can be opened using the following hyper-link.

Infant Reader.

G) School Admission records

School Admission records are held by the group and cover the years 1881 to around 1950’s. The 1881 to 1906 records have been transcribed to excel and have been uploaded to the Members Section of the website. It is anticipated that when the group has sufficient funds it will upload more of the admission records. You can contact the group to establish if we have any records of you ancestors at Townhead Primary from 1881. Email info@stonehouseheritage.co.uk.
These records are a great resource for anyone researching family history and give details of previous schools attended , or if moved from the area indicating where they moved to.

The Borland Medal/Dux.

On the 6th June, 1924 the Headmaster of Townhead Primary School, Mr. A. McIntosh, wrote in his diary “I have received word from the Authority that a Gold Medal (from money left by the late Dr. Borland, Yarrow) is to be awarded to the Dux Scholar” i.e. the best scholar in the Senior year. The first medal was awarded to Robert Mitchell in 1924. This practice continued each year until 1936 when the rising price of gold made this practice difficult to continue so a watch or other prize was awarded instead until 1939 when a gold medal was again awarded during the war years until 1944. In 1946 it again became difficult to obtain a gold medal so War Savings Certificates were awarded in 1945/6. A prize was awarded each year until 1950 after which the practice ceased (or at least went unrecorded). It was revived in 1960, until 1967 then again discontinued between 1968 and 1980. The Borland Medal prize was revived again in 1981, until 1984 then again no record between 1985 and 1992. The practice was revived again by Mrs. McKenzie, the Head teacher, in 1993 as the Borland Prize for Endeavour. This continued until 1996 and then nothing further is known.

The following is a list of medal winners kindly supplied by John Young.

Townhead school -Borland Medal Awards

SCHOOL REFURBISHMENT 2011-2012

The school was upgraded in 2011-2012 when South Lanarkshire council as part of their schools replacement plans awarded a contract to Lend lease. The old school was demolished with a new school building being retained on the exisitng site. The following document provides the specification and drawings of the new school.

2012-new-school-works-specification

During the refurbishment the old well was also uncovered and capped. The main entrance to the old school was retained and is incorporated into the new build.

The current school has a website whose web address is http://www.stonehouse-pri.s-lanark.sch.uk/wordpress/

The following gallery give an indication of the refurbishment work carried out in 2011-2012

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