Earlier today a cousin sent this lovely photograph, wondering if we are related to any of the pupils. The photograph is dated 1910/1911 and shows the pupils of the village school at Stalmine, a few miles north of Blackpool, where our 3G uncle owned a farm. The searching was all over in about an hour. Thanks to FMP, Family Search and Lancs Online Parish Clerks my knowledge went from simply knowing the dates of his baptism, marriage and death in 1893 to the following: The uncle had 2 daughters and a son. The elder daughter married in June 1880, and was buried just over a week later. The son died on or around his first birthday. The younger daughter had 2 children, in 1894 and 1899, the elder of whom died days after she was born. The younger child didn't live for much longer. Time for a sorry but e-mail.
The children in these pictures never look happy. Not sure if I have it in my album on here, but i have a picture taken around 1900 in Wanstrow, Somerset of 2 of my husband's gr. aunties and their school class
Cheerful lot aren't they? I wonder if the teacher is the cause of their misery! I will admit they had to stand so still for so long though.
Of 23 children only 8 are boys! I wonder why that would be, could the reason be some parents sent their sons out to work? Or did some of the boys think it uncool to have their photo taken . A lovely photo, Bonzo, but yes the children do look unhappy, perhaps they were told not to smile.
Perhaps some children didn't have the necessary outfit, to be included considered proper by the teacher, even money may have been required. Some may have been off sick.
The teacher certainly looks a laugh a minute. Wonder if the kids had been threatened with the cane if they moved and spoiled the photograph.
She certainly looks as waspish as the size of her waist And to think my waist was once that tiny..... I think, as AM pointed out, they had to wait for the photographic plate to 'work' so were probably told not to move on pain of death! Can you imagine that happening these days
That was what I was about to say! (Me, not you, Sue... ) I like to think the schoolmistress was perfectly nice. Mum used to talk about her favourite teacher, Miss Parry, who walked with a swish of her heavy black skirts - this reminds me of that. What a great picture, and such a shame you can't 'claim' any of the children, Bonzo. That waist though.
There's still a faint possibility. Checking backwards through census returns on information in a burial record showed it was for another 3G uncle who had moved to the Fylde Coast area to farm almost "next door" to his brother.
Oh flip and flop two times. The brother's children are all too old, his grandchildren are all too young.
Let's hope you can claim one! They do look very unhappy/bored, but saying that I guess these photos took a while to do.
