East of England Sense of Place Suffolk
Guided tours of Suffolk's past

Seven Ages of Man, and Woman, in Suffolk

The Schoolboy

	A penny a day
	Apprentices
	Crowded and hungry
	Helping at Home
	Out to work
	Sparrows, baked in a pie
	Village streets our sports field

Your experience of childhood, as all the other stages of life, would depend very much upon your social background. Children from wealthy families were likely to be sent away to school, so they missed the experience of living in Suffolk, for this part of their lives at least. We will focus on those from humbler circumstances.
It did not become compulsory for each area to provide a school until 1870, but there had been National Society church schools in many towns and some villages since the 1840s. There were also dame schools, and some clergymen taught the basics to the more promising children of the parish.

There were grammar schools in the towns for the ablest children, but most stayed at the all-age village school until they achieved their 'Labour Certificate' at about the age of 12. Without this a child could not gain employment - but considerable licence could be used by the school inspectors who were testing them.

One of the many village schools that have been closed down.

Biology exercise book from the 1950s.

A 19th century sampler (embroidery exercise) done, perhaps, by a child called Flora.