The First School Master of Somercotes National Schools

by Judith Fitzhugh on Thursday 1 August 2019

In Somercotes National Schools were built on Nottingham Road near to the church in 1874 thanks to the generosity of Thomas Haden Oakes and Charles Seely, who defrayed the cost of £2,500. As National Schools were being built all over the country, there was only a brief report in the local newspapers at the time, as indicated in The Derbyshire Times and Chesterfield Herald, August 22nd 1874:

“SOMERCOTES – OPENING OF NEW SCHOOLS.

The handsome National Schools, which have recently been erected to provide a sound and religious education for the rapidly increasing population of Somercotes and Birchwood, were opened on Monday last, under the superintendence of a certificated master and mistress”.

The first certificated school master of the Somercotes National Schools was Samuel Fletcher, (1942-1914) the third of five sons born to Robert and Ann Fletcher in Riddings. Robert Fletcher was a Coal Miner in the 1861 Census as were Samuel’s older two brothers, the family living in Greenhill Lane. Samuel Fletcher was listed as a Pupil Teacher (19). He served his apprenticeship at Riddings National School under the instruction of the school master, James Cowen. Having completed his articles and qualifying as a school master, he worked at Blidworth, near Mansfield and then in Eccleshall in Sheffield. It was while teaching in Eccleshall that he met and married Caroline Linney, a school mistress, in 1867. She originated from Glossop. In 1871 they lived in Gloucestershire with their two-year old son, John and a servant, Susannah Jones aged 13.

During 1874 Samuel Fletcher returned home for a short while to visit his family in Riddings during the Whitsuntide holidays and attended Riddings Church. The event was recalled in Samuel Fletcher’s Obituary which was reported on June 5 th 1914 in “The Belper News”:

“It was exactly forty years ago that he came home to Riddings at the time the then members of the Oakes family and Sir Charles Seely, the owner of the Birchwood Colliery, were between them erecting an elementary school at Somercotes. The late Mr. Thomas Haden Oakes, who was largely interested in the schools and the welfare of the firm’s workmen, spotted Mr. Fletcher in Riddings Church, and after service, the question of headmaster cropped up in conversation. Mr. Oakes asked Mr. Fletcher if he knew of a good man. The latter, probably in jocular vein, suggested himself. At any rate the outcome was that Mr Oakes pressed the deceased to accept the appointment and Mr. Fletcher became the first headmaster of Somercotes Boys’ and Girls’ schools. The schools were opened in the summer of 1874 by the deceased”.

Samuel Fletcher remained in charge of the Somercotes National Schools for nine years. In 1881 the family lived on Nottingham Road, presumably in the School House, between the school and St Thomas’ Church. The household was as follows:

Samuel Fletcher 39 Certificated School master
Caroline Fletcher 36 Certificated School mistress
John L. Fletcher son 12 Scholar
Amy Fletcher daughter 9 Scholar
Rose Fletcher daughter 5 Scholar
Margaret G. Fletcher 3
William R. Fletcher 1
Laura E. Burden Boarder 21 Assistant Mistress

The Log Book for Somercotes Girls’ School shows that Caroline Fletcher opened a designated Girls Department in 1883 and she held the appointment for one year assisted by Miss Burden. Samuel Fletcher had a long career in teaching bur did not remain in Somercotes. He moved to take up a new post at the Trinity Schools in Ramsgate and afterwards at Polebrooke Oudle, Northamptonshire, where he reached retirement age. After retirement the family returned to the local area, living in Alfreton. In 1911 they lived at 81, Mansfield Road Alfreton. Samuel Fletcher died in 1914 aged 72 and is buried in Alfreton. His obituary in 1914 contained these last thoughts:

“He had a family of nine, three of which are engaged in the scholastic profession. The deceased was a worthy member of his distinguished profession, and in his time, under circumstances very different to the conditions of to-day, has rendered conspicuous service to the cause of education. He was an interesting conversationalist, a staunch churchman and a conservative”.

NOTE: When the Fletcher family left Somercotes the new Mistress of the Girls’ School was Mary Jane Heath. She held the position from 1884 until 1895 when she married Jack Merriman, a well-known Mining Surveyor and local man. It is not currently known who was the School Master at the Boys School between 1884 and 1888 when Hezekiah Hicking took up the post.

Judith Fitzhugh July 2019