Redpath Village School

The village hall in Redpath must be one of the smallest in Scotland. When a popular event is held, its a tight squeeze. The explanation for its small size, is that it was built as a school in 1835. It functioned as a school for the children of Redpath, supported by the inhabitants of the village up until the Education (Scotland) Act of 1872

With the introduction of the Education (Scotland) Act, most of the children were transferred to the Earlston. It was, however, still used as an infant school up until 1913.

This page is a collection or information found about the school and its teachers.

An account showing the state of the Establishments for Parochial Education 1825

Prior to the building of the school, a parliamentary paper called An account showing the state of the Establishments for Parochial Education 1825 was published in 1826. As part of the inquiry it recorded schoolmaster David Walker’s report on the state of the establishment’s in Earlston parish.

He reported that in the 1821 census the population of Earlston was 829, Fans 133, Mellerstain 218 and Redpath 120. Below is an extract of the information he provided.

• Earlston school; with 120 scholars in the winter, which reduces to 100 in the other months. the schoolmaster appeared to have a salary, there also appears to be a fund for teaching poor scholars

• Fans school; attended by 30 scholars in winter and 16 in the summer months. George Baillie esquire of Mellerstain supplied rooms. The schoolmaster is dependent on payment of fees for the lessons taught

• Mellerstain school: attended by 40 scholars in the winter and 20 in the summer. George Baillie esquire of Mellerstain supplied rooms and appears to pay the salary of the schoolmaster

• Redpath School: attended by 17 scholars at an average. The schoolmaster is dependent on payment of fees for the lessons taught

• A private school in Earlston: attended by 18 scholars on average. The schoolmaster is dependent on payment of fees for the lessons taught.

The Building

Redpath School is a listed building, below is a description of its features as described by Historic Environment Scotland

It’s Position in the Village

Official archive records for the school are limited, however newspaper reports have been a helpful source with regards it’s history.

The maps below mark the position of the school

The Inscriptions

The stonemasons who built the school added some interesting Latin inscription which confirms that it was built by the people of Redpath.

The Centenary Speech of 1935 to commemorate the Village School,

Rev WS Crocket was invited to speak at the centenary of the hall being built. He was related to a long line of relatives (The Wood and Shillinglaw families) who had lived in Redpath during the time the school was built and prior to this. Rev Crocket went on to write many books about the Borders and took a leading role in the Berwickshire Naturalist Club.

Answers made by Schoolmasters in Scotland to Queries Circulated in 1838 by order of the Select Committee on Education in Scotland

Published in February 1841 the above paper set out to record the state of education in Scotland. In Redpath the village schoolmaster Peter J Lillie replied to the questions asked, and the results were collected and recorded. As can be seen his answers provide a good insight into his schoolday. He replied to the questions as follows:

• The establishment was named Redpath School

• It was built in 1834 and 1835 for the purpose of affording regular education to the children of the village and the neighborhood

• It was a day school, but kept open on the sabbath exclusively for the purpose of religious instruction

• The average no of scholars in -

1836 was 21 males and 15 females, a total of 36 and in

1837 was 23 males and 17 females, a total of 40

• The ages of the children who could attend were between 4- 14

• The school was under the superintendence of a committee of the inhabitants of Redpath

• The continuance of their attendance was on average was about 7 months in the year

• The report recorded that there was a playground attached to the school

• The school had not been inspected, by any authority

• The scholars are periodically examined by the neighbouring clergyman both dissenting and established in the presence of the parents.

• There was one teacher for the day school and 2 teachers for the Sabbath School.

• The teachers were male.

• The teacher was appointed by the inhabitants for long as he behaves properly. He selects a Sunday teacher to assist him, so long as he heeds him

• The schoolteacher was removable by the authority who appointed him and the Sabbath teacher by an intimation from the day teacher.

• The qualification of required for the teacher was an unexceptional moral character and English, writing, arithmetic, practical mathematics and Latin.

• The school master Peter J Lillie was educated at Kelso.

• Peter Lillie the school master was a member of the United Secession Church of Scotland

• He said his salary is none

• The rates of the school fees were as follows

o Reading 2s 6d

o Writing 3s 6d

o Arithmetic 3s 6d

o Grammar 4s

o Latin 5s 6d

• As said, the children were taught English Writing Arithmetic, Practical mathematics and Latin

• The books used were as follows.

• English: Second collection or systems of elocution, Dr Thomson’s Collection, Weirs introductory collection, Lennie’s three first books and Watts Hymns.

• Latin: Adams grammar, Phaedrus fables, Grammatical Exercises, Caesars commentaries

• Mathematics: Bonnycastle

• Arithmetic: Gray, Hutton, Melrose

• Geography: Ewing, White, Reid’s sacred Geography

• History; Extracts from General History

• Religious: The Bible, with occasional extract from other books

• Catechism: Shorter Catechism, ditto with Proofs, Browns, Watts

• Singing and drawing were not taught

• The attendance was 9-12 and from 1-4. The sabbath attendance hours varied dependent on the season.

• There was a 5-week vacation at harvest time

• The system used for teaching, was the Intellectual System

• The scholars were taught in mainly one class, which was occasionally separated

• The rewards for doing well were the approbation of the teacher and the satisfaction of having done well.

• The punishments handed out were corporal punishment with additional tasks and restraint

Redpath School Teachers

This information has been taken from newspaper reports and census returns

1835 – It is reported that a James Stewart was the first teacher in Redpath. James Stewart was recorded by WS Crocket as the first schoolteacher of the new Redpath School in 1835. Searches to find him were unsuccessful

1838- A Peter J Lillie Schoolmaster of Redpath School responded to government queries on the school.  He states he was educated in Kelso.  Searches to find him have been unsuccessful

1841 - a teacher called Adam Gray, aged 20 was living in Redpath. His parents were Andrew (an Agricultural Labourer) and Agnes Gray. By the 1851 census he had become a solicitor’s accountant and was living in Roxburgh with his parents

1862- school Examination conducted by Robert Moffat, under the auspices of Rev D W Gordon Earlston Minister and John Ketchie from West UP Church Earlston. The examinators expressed themselves highly gratified with the state of proficiency in which they found the various classes and complimented Mr Moffatt on his success as a teacher. The school has been unusually full throughout the last season, there being 60 names on the roll while 54 were present on the occasion, a state of matters highly gratifying to the inhabitants of Redpath and its vicinity, as the teacher’s salary, as well as the school property, are solely kept up by their private subscriptions. Robert Moffat - This teacher was possibly a Robert Moffatt (b1829 in Kelso), who in was living with his parents John and Agnes Moffat Railway Hotel and Grocer Shop keepers in the village of Maxton in 1861. However, it appears he did not continue as a teacher but chose to become a merchant in Peebles.

1865 - school examination Rev D W Gordon minister of Earlston and his assistant Rev Robert Horne, examined the school in the village of Redpath, taught by Mr Walker. The examiners declared themselves highly satisfied with the state of the school in every respect - the teaching and the discipline being both of a very high order. This is greatly to the credit of Mr Walker, who has been appointed to the school and gives promise that under his care the school will be a great boon to the village and neighbourhood.

1868 Redpath School examination. Was examined by Rev John Kechie of West UP Congregation, Earlston and Rev David Thomson (assistant minister) of Earlston Parish. At the close of the examination the examiners expressed themselves highly satisfied with the attendance, discipline, and instruction of the school. This was a state of matters highly creditable to the teacher James Tait whose acquirements as a scholar, training and experience as a schoolmaster and devotion to his duties have, through his appointment dates only from last October, already told most beneficial on the school. James Tait was most likely a James Tait (b1839) who was born in Earlston to George (a shoemaker) and Elizabeth Tait, who were from Earlston.  In 1871 when he was teaching at Redpath, he was living with his father in Earlston.  In 1881 he had moved and was a certificated teacher at Blainslie.

1869 (March) A concert to raise funds to refloor the school, George Wood a resident of Redpath hosted the event and gave an historical account of the school’s history

1869 Recorded on the Valuation roll in Redpath, teacher James Tait

1871 A soiree was held to raise funds, the school room was crowded. Report says the school was not only an advantage to the inhabitants of southern earlston parish district, but also Drygrange, Leaderfoot and other places which were in the parishes of Melrose and Mertoun

1872 The Education (Scotland) Act most children move to Earlston schools. However, the school appears to remain open as an infant school

1873 Teacher Mrs Dobbie was presented with an elegant gold pencil case and jet chain as a hearty token of esteem and respect for Christmas. Mrs Dobbie - was most likely Ms Isabella Dobbie, born in 1833 and the daughter of John Pringle (a watchmaker) and Dorothy Shillinglaw from Earlston. In the 1871 census Isabella is described as ”keeping a school”.

1882 (October), Educational Appointment - Miss Isabella Dodds, Melrose has just been appointed teacher of Redpath Village School. Isabella Dodds was the daughter of Andrew Dodds, a carpenter (b 1827) Newstead and Isabella (b 1824 Temple)

1885 (November). Teacher Miss Rae was presented with a very handsome brooch, lady’s companion and other articles, to mark her leaving Redpath to fill a post in Coldstream. Miss Rae - was most likely Miss Isabella P Rae who was born in 1865 in Channelkirk.  She was the daughter of Thomas (a Gamekeeper) and Elizabeth Rae.  Her father worked at both Gladswood (1871) and  Bemersyde (1881) In 1881 she described herself as a “pupil teacher” by 1885 she had left Redpath and in 1891 she is recorded as living and working as a teacher in Coldstream.  Her parents remained at Gladswood.

1885 (December) Miss Fisher, Bowden was appointed teacher at Redpath school. Miss Fisher was mostly likely. Alice Fisher born in Bowden in in 1869 to James (a Railway labourer) and Isabella Fisher.  In the 1891 census Alice was 21, living with her parents and described as a schoolteacher.  Alice went on to become a nurse, going to Leith Hospital in Midlothian

1888 - Jessie Hunter was presented with a writing desk, floral album and writing desk as a mark of their esteem and respect for her as their teacher. Since Miss Hunter took charge of Redpath school, she endeared herself to all. Under her management the status of the school greatly rose, and many improvements were made for which Miss Hunter deserved the highest raise. Jessie Hunter was most likely Jessie W Hunter (b1869) the daughter of George (a tailor and clothier) and Elizabeth Hunter in Earlston. In the 1891 census she is living in Earlston High Street with her parents and describes herself as a School Teacher. She married a John Moffat and moved to Greenlaw,

1892 – Teacher Miss Lyall left the school and was presented with a writing desk, ivory pen and fur boa. Searches to find Miss Lyall have been unsuccessful. There was a family called Lyall living near Bemersyde at the time, however there is no record of any of the daughters, working as a teacher.

1893 – Christmas Tree at Cowdenknowes, The children attending Redpath Sunday School – taught by Mrs Hope and assistants – and all the young people on the estate of Cowdenknowes were entertained by colonel and Mrs Hope in the Mansion house.

1896 - School Board Meeting stating statistics as follows, population of the Earlston School district was 1784, the number of children of school age (5-14) was 295. There was school accommodation for 377 scholars and 110 infants, thus the total being 487. These numbers included the schools at Redpath and Mellerstain.

1896 Teacher Miss Rae was presented with a little timepiece and silver mounted pen as a Christmas gift. This is possibly the same Miss Rae who was previously worked at the school, as her parents still lived in the area.

1899 Teacher Miss Rae was presented with a handsome silver tea pot as a Christmas gift

1901 Teacher Miss Lochhead was presented with a Christmas gift, the details were not disclosed

1903 Teacher Miss Lochhead assisted by Misses Shortreid and Miss Hay entertained the children, numbering 30 to tea, with games and recitations finishing at 8pm

1904 The annual concert was held with Captain Alexander Brownlie from Haughhead occupying the chair.

1904 Teacher Miss Lochhead, received a fur necklet as a Christmas gift

1912 Teacher Miss Lochhead was presented with a beautiful rug

1913 The resignation of Miss Lochhead who has taught this school for a number of years was much regretted, not only by Colonel Hope who maintained the school but the inhabitants of the place. Miss Lochhead – is thought to be Helen B Lochhead who was born abt 1880 in Earlston.  Her parents were David (a watchmaker) and Jane Lochhead who lived in Earlston.  Helens brother James Lochhead became a medical student then a surgeon and later became the senior medical officer in Gibraltar earning himself an OBE and CBE. His achievements were often reported in the Berwickshire news

In the 1901 Census Helen was visiting her friend Galashiels, she described herself as a School teacher (Board).  In 1911 she was living in Earlston and described herself as a teacher in a private school.   In 1914 after leaving the school Miss Lochhead travelled abroad, visiting Gibraltar where her brother lived, She died in Edinburgh in 1960. 

With thanks to Ruth Gregory for her research contributions to this page.