Netherton schoolmaster

@Canny lass - do you remember a Mr & Mrs Boll from the village?

On 09/05/2024 at 15:47, Alan Edgar (Eggy1948) said:

do you remember a Mr & Mrs Boll from the village?

No, I don't remember Mr & Mrs Boll from the 1960s but if there was a Mr Boll living to the left of the school in the 60s then it wasn't Mr Boll the schoolmaster because he died in 1950. However, he did die at Rowanbrae which still stands today somewhat to the left of the school building and adjacent to the old hall. There were two 'Mr Boll' - father and son both named William Henry and both School teachers. Mr Boll Sr was actually born in Netherton in Old Colliery Row which was very close to what we know as Nedderton Village. His father  was a miner.

Sorry, half of my post disappeared because I took too long editing (I must learn how to add photos throughout the text!)

To continue where I left off...

He was born in 1862 and seems to have done very well for himself. By the age of 18 he was a "pupil teacher' in West Hartford where the family then lived due to his father's work. Ten years later the family is living in Nedderton Village where William Henry Junior is schoolmaster at the school and his father is again working in one of the Netherton mines. His home is then "School House, Netherton Village". The year is 1891 and that "School House" may well have been within the school itself. By 1901 William Henry is a "Certified Elementary Schoolmaster" and he remains at School House throughout his career. He was certainly still there in 1929 and still working. In 1911 the building in which he lived is described as a "Council School and private house" which is why I think the accommodation may have been in the school building.

It is not until 1920 that School House appears on any maps I've seen and that's the brick-built house immediately to the right of the old school building (marked red on the map below). I've also arrowed the previously mentioned Rowanbrae in blue. It's at this address William Henry Sr, lives until at least his retirement. Prior to it's appearance on this map the land to the east of the school was without buildings.

William Henry Jr was born in Netherton Village and like his father went into teaching. In 1916, living in School House with his parents, he goes to war. Luckily he survives and in 1921 he is engaged in full-time studies to become a teacher. He marries a Newcastle girl in 1929 and they move away from the area at some point within the following 10 years. Certainly in 1939 he is living in Penrith and employed as a schoolmaster but he and the family seem to move back to Newcastle as he dies there in 1963.

I have never been able to find any evidence that either of the two worked in the infant school in the colliery. I've scrutinised the group above and if it is correctly dated to 1912 Mr Boll Sr would be 50 years old. Mr Boll Jr. would be 14 years old. The latter could be one of the older boys but I don't know if there are any 50 year-olds there. It seems like a family group to me.

Sorry, this is in bits and pieces ...

As Mr Boll Sr. was schoolmaster at the village school throughout his career then I think it's fair to assume that this is him (standing at the back) in the photo from 1902. He bears a bit of a resemblance to the man standing centre back (with moustache) in the group photo.