Walter Gale (schoolmaster)
Encyclopedia
Walter Gale was the first schoolmaster of the Mayfield Charity School in Mayfield
, East Sussex
, now the Mayfield Church of England Primary School, serving from 1750 until 1771. Gale's diaries, which have been used by a number of historians to describe the nature of the English countryside, English schooling and even the social status of tobacco
smoking, describe the life of an educated man spending his time drinking, smoking, attending church and reading books. It also describes odd bits of labour engaged in by Gale, including marking fabrics (quilts
, and at one point a waistcoat) and agreeing to paint an illustration of the Ten Commandments
at a church for two guineas
.
The diaries were discovered by the mayor of Hastings
in the 1850s who saved them from being set alight. After being edited by Robert Willis Blencowe, they were published in 1857 by the Sussex Archaeological Society
. Blencowe's editorial describes a variety of events alluded to by Gale. For instance, Gale makes reference to the confiscation of a horse
carrying bottles of (presumably illegally smuggled) brandy
, and Blencowe describes some of the history of smuggling
in Kent and Sussex. Entries after 1752 are lost, and Blencowe notes how "it was probably very voluminous, for he held his place till 1771". Blencowe's extracts are completed by noting the reasons for Gale's departure from the school:
In 1772, the parish agreed to cease paying Gale the salary he was due "till he has absolutely put the schoolhouse in such a condition as to the form of it as it was at the time of his entering upon such house". Records note that the next schoolmaster was named T. Weller.
Mayfield and Five Ashes
Mayfield and Five Ashes is a civil parish in the High Weald of East Sussex, England. The two villages making up the principal part of the parish lie on the A267 road between Tunbridge Wells and Eastbourne: Mayfield, the larger of the two villages is ten miles south of Tunbridge Wells; with Five...
, East Sussex
East Sussex
East Sussex is a county in South East England. It is bordered by the counties of Kent, Surrey and West Sussex, and to the south by the English Channel.-History:...
, now the Mayfield Church of England Primary School, serving from 1750 until 1771. Gale's diaries, which have been used by a number of historians to describe the nature of the English countryside, English schooling and even the social status of tobacco
Tobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
smoking, describe the life of an educated man spending his time drinking, smoking, attending church and reading books. It also describes odd bits of labour engaged in by Gale, including marking fabrics (quilts
Quilting
Quilting is a sewing method done to join two or more layers of material together to make a thicker padded material. A quilter is the name given to someone who works at quilting. Quilting can be done by hand, by sewing machine, or by a specialist longarm quilting system.The process of quilting uses...
, and at one point a waistcoat) and agreeing to paint an illustration of the Ten Commandments
Ten Commandments
The Ten Commandments, also known as the Decalogue , are a set of biblical principles relating to ethics and worship, which play a fundamental role in Judaism and most forms of Christianity. They include instructions to worship only God and to keep the Sabbath, and prohibitions against idolatry,...
at a church for two guineas
Guinea (British coin)
The guinea is a coin that was minted in the Kingdom of England and later in the Kingdom of Great Britain and the United Kingdom between 1663 and 1813...
.
The diaries were discovered by the mayor of Hastings
Hastings
Hastings is a town and borough in the county of East Sussex on the south coast of England. The town is located east of the county town of Lewes and south east of London, and has an estimated population of 86,900....
in the 1850s who saved them from being set alight. After being edited by Robert Willis Blencowe, they were published in 1857 by the Sussex Archaeological Society
Sussex Archaeological Society
The Sussex Archaeological Society, founded in 1846, is the largest county-based archaeological society in the UK. Its headquarters are in Lewes, Sussex...
. Blencowe's editorial describes a variety of events alluded to by Gale. For instance, Gale makes reference to the confiscation of a horse
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
carrying bottles of (presumably illegally smuggled) brandy
Brandy
Brandy is a spirit produced by distilling wine. Brandy generally contains 35%–60% alcohol by volume and is typically taken as an after-dinner drink...
, and Blencowe describes some of the history of smuggling
Smuggling
Smuggling is the clandestine transportation of goods or persons, such as out of a building, into a prison, or across an international border, in violation of applicable laws or other regulations.There are various motivations to smuggle...
in Kent and Sussex. Entries after 1752 are lost, and Blencowe notes how "it was probably very voluminous, for he held his place till 1771". Blencowe's extracts are completed by noting the reasons for Gale's departure from the school:
In 1772, the parish agreed to cease paying Gale the salary he was due "till he has absolutely put the schoolhouse in such a condition as to the form of it as it was at the time of his entering upon such house". Records note that the next schoolmaster was named T. Weller.