From the Archive: Ross-shire school records from down the years offer an historical treasure trove

Among the most requested items at the Highland Archive Centre in Inverness, are school records which include admission registers, log books, school board minutes, feu charters and photographs.

The 1872 Education (Scotland) Act formalised Scottish education, bringing it under the control of the state. It made schooling compulsory for children aged 5-13 and led to the opening of hundreds of new schools. In addition, the Act formalised recordkeeping, which had been inconsistent in those schools that existed prior to the Act.

Admission registers became widely used to record pupils’ personal details and log books to detail events in schools.

Admissions Registers are heavily used by people researching their family history, as they contain pupils’ names, dates of birth, dates of admission and departure from the school, names of any schools previously attended as well as names and occupations of their parents. As such, they can help piece together the story of an ancestor’s life, putting flesh on the bones of what might have just been a name and a date on a family tree.

Bridgend School in Alness opened in 1872. In the admission register from 1877 we can see that as well as the parents’ names and addresses it also lists their occupations, including Ploughman, Maltsman, Tailor, Coachman, Merchant, Carter, Dealer and Dyker. There are also some listed as Widows or Paupers.

School Log Books were kept by the head teacher, or school master who would use these to make a record of everyday school business. This would typically include school attendance, academic performance and achievements, as well as more prosaic matters such as the upkeep of the fabric of the school building and, very frequently, the state of the weather.

For rural schools, bad weather often had a deleterious effect on pupils’ attendance, especially for those who might have to walk miles to school through snowdrifts! Harvest time would inevitably result in many children staying at home to help lift potatoes – hence the ‘tattie holidays’, as the October break is still known in certain parts of Scotland. As is still the case today, childhood diseases were also a common cause of absence from school.

School Board Minutes can also provide a wealth of information about issues facing a school and show decision making processes in regards to staffing as well as details regarding the condition of the school buildings.

Please note that school admission registers are subject to a 100 year closure period and log books to a 50 year closure period.

Due to the current Covid-19 outbreak the Highland Archive Centre is closed until further notice. However, we are offering a series of talks (suitable for all ages) on our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/highlandarchives/) and YouTube channel at 11am each Thursday covering a wide range of subjects. We hope you can join us!

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