Education was important for most people in Scotland. Parents particularly wanted their children to be able to read the scriptures and the catechism. The families down near Ausdale and later at Badbea had to wait for a school but in Latheron a school was many years ahead.
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| The building may have looked something like this but with no chimney |
1761 Latheron Parochial School
The first school was built in Latheron Parish in 1761. It was a ‘parochial’ school so provided by the parish but was also supported by several local ‘important people’ who acted as ‘Heritors’ whose patronage the school relied on. Built was a school room and a chamber for the use of the master. Only boys went to school at that time. The lessons taught included English, writing and arithmetic and by 1773 ‘church musick’ was on the curriculum. As Gaelic was widely spoken in Caithness if the school master could not speak Gaelic he was instructed to find someone to help with that when needed.
In July 1761 Mr Scott, student in Divinity, was examined, found qualified and appointed School Master and Session Clerk in Latheron.
No furniture
It seemed to take a year or two to get the school up and running. Although the Session elders were responsible for the school functioning, Mr Scott had to turn his hand to get wood for desks and had to borrow the sacramental tables from the Kirk in the meantime. A year later Mr Scott reminded the Session there were still no tables and Mr William Ross in Lybster was engaged to make them.
But he did get paid
In August 1762 Mr Scott was paid one pound sixteen shillings for teaching.
A year later the attendance at the school was dropping. This was partly a seasonal thing as boys were needed to help with summer harvesting and minding cattle etc. But the Heritors were concerned and decided to inspect the school and give the parents an admonition from the Kirk pulpit next Lord’s Day.
‘Scandalous’ Mr Scott has had enough
By May 1764 Mr Scott had been there three years. The school and chamber needed repairs. The door had no key. There were broken windows. The roof has been torn in the wind. Mr Scott was ready to leave his position. Some concerned locals sent a letter to the Session complaining about the maintenance needed and stating that it is 'scandalous' Mr Scott’s job to leave the school in the same good condition as when he started.
The Session records show that the Session did actually maintain the school and pay for re thatching the roof.
A New Master
By 1768 it looks like William Gunn was school master and the school was once again needing some repairs done.
July 5th 1772 the Latheron School Master/Clerk resigned and was obliged (by the rules) to leave the school immediately. He obliged the Session to help find a sufficient lad for officiating with teaching the school till Martinmas. The Moderator had already had his eye on a young man (a ‘lad’ he was later called), John Geddes Jun., in Clyth who was teaching a private school, the Moderator having apparently made a previous trial of him. Mr John Geddes Jun.,was brought on board until Martinmas by which time hopefully a new permanent School Master would have been found.
It was later agreed that John Geddes Jun.,be continued
a year longer in Clyth to teach the children to read write and to read on the
Sabbath day and for the year past he was paid nine pounds Scots and three
pounds instantly in cash. It is not quite clear if John Geddes was supported to
teach more boys at his private school while the main school was closed waiting
for a new master or if Mr Geddes was actually teaching in the parochial school
room. He had access to the main school anyway as we shall see.
Mr John Geddes loses the plot
On 13th December 1773 Mr John Geddes Jun., completely lost the plot!
To be continued..
Source: Scotlands People Latheron Kirk Session
