| Description | P1 May 3rd 1876
“Between the hours of 10 and 12 the Teachers were in School for the purpose of enrolling pupils. One hundred and seventy came forward- were tested on the three ‘R’s and received Pupil’s admission sheets”.
P1 May 6th- May 10th 1876
“The school opened for regular work on Monday May 6th. Over 190 children were present.”
P7 July 22nd to 26th 1876
“Scarletina is disappearing in the Village, but as the Holidays are so near, I fear, none of those who have been absent on account of the epidemic will return till after the holidays. The highest class is reduced to 3 pupils- most of the others being over 13 years are employed at the Herring Fishery.”
P9 Sept 23rd to 27th 1878
…”On Wednesday gave a general lesson, ‘Moral Training’ on the subject ‘Is alcohol food?’. On other afternoons the object lessons comprised ‘The Reindeer’- ‘The Wolf’- ‘The Camel’.”
P10 Oct 14th to 18th 1878
“Commenced Map Drawing on Paper on Saturday because it is something new & will need close personal supervision for a short time.”
P12 Nov 18th to 22nd 1878
“Commenced the new system of marking Copy Books- judging them not by handwriting but by correctness & cleanliness- VIZ a blot counts 4 errors, Mis-spellings 2 for each letter, & all omissions of dots strokes &c=1 error. The books are marked every day & values added up when book is done. I have also commenced to give values for neatly executed home exercises VIZ Good=3 marks, Very Good 4 marks. Highest class gave in finished maps of England on Wednesday.”
P13 2nd to 6th 1878
“Exhibited on placards in Boys’ and Girls’ playgrounds the results of Exam for inspection of scholars and parents.”
P14 Dec 23rd to 27th 1878
“Conducted monthly examination this week and gave out Christmas holidays on Friday afternoon Dec 27.”
P30 Sept 23rd to 26th 1879
“Owing to the attendance at School being in excess of the accommodation the following children aged 5 or over have been sent away from school…”
P65 Mar 21st to 25th 1881
Inspector’s Report;
“The excellence of the work, well sustained through all of the classes is in the circumstances somewhat surprising and reflect the highest credit o the ability of the Head Master and the zeal of his staff. Order and discipline are remarkably good and the general tone of the school is all that could be desired”…”The grants for Grammar and Intelligence, and for History and Geography, are earned with ease”…”The desk accommodation is barely sufficient”.
P78 Oct 17th to 21st 1881
“Average attendance coming down owing to Cases of Typhoid Fever in the Village. Fully 30 are absent either having it themselves or owing to it being in the family.”
P82 Dec 12th to 16th 1881
“…Feel very much inconvenience owing to want of accommodation, but hope to get in to new room after Christmas”.
P84 Jan 9th to 13th 1882
“School resumed after Christmas holidays- new room not yet ready. Very few of the fever absentees have returned. Hooping cough is now prevalent.”
P85 Jan 30th to Feb 3rd 1883
“On Monday Standards III, V & VI occupied the New Building…On Tuesday 116 pupils were absent owing to measles which has become epidemic. On Friday 146 were absent. Sent notice of this to School Board Clerk, asking advice in the circumstances.”
P86 Feb 3rd to 10th 1883
School Board allows fortnight closure of school due to illness.
P87 Monday 27th Feb 1883
School reopens after having been shut 2 and a half weeks.
P93 May 29th to Jun 2nd 1883
“I am disappointed that there are still so many children who have not yet returned since their illness in the end of January.”
P100 Oct 2nd to 6th 1883
“The work done this week has been exceedingly satisfactory- both teachers and pupils have wrought with a will- lessons generally have been well-got and there has been remarkably little whipping.”
P115 May 28th- Jun 1st 1883
“Received from Clk of School Board, a letter anent irregular modes of punishment, but having no reference to any particular Case in the School. This letter I showed to the assistants requesting that the instructions it gave be strictly observed.”
P116 Jun 11th to 15th 1883
“Had to call attention to the subject of ‘Fighting’- and warn accordingly.”
P123 Nov 5th 1883
“Received notice that the Evening School was to be opened, under & by the Authority of the Board on Monday Ev 12th Nov from 7.30 to 9 for four nights a week, under the Head-Mastership of the day school teacher.”
P144 Dec 1st to 5th 1884
Complaints re draughts on children’s heads.
P145 Dec 15th to 19th 1884
“Received from the clk of Board a copy of ‘Resolutions’ anent Ventilation, Supervision & Punishments, passed by the Board at its meeting on Dec 9th and acknowledged receipt of same.”
P170 Mar 1st to 5th 1886
“Received a letter from the Inspector of Poor of the Parish of Nigg communicating a resolution of the Parochial Board not to pay the school fees of any beyond the Vth Standard.”
P175 May 17th to 21st 1886
“This week there have been two bad cases of discipline but they have been satisfactorily dealt with, and will confirm teachers authority.”
P176 Jun 7th to 11th 1886
“Owing to the ‘flitting term’ a few new children have come to the school. Received from Board, for exhibition on school walls, Copy of ‘Rules for restoring the Apparently Drowned’ & ‘How to work the Life Saving Apparatus’ in case of shipwreck.”
P181 Nov 1st to 5th 1886
“Owing to potatoe [sic] lifting, more of the pupils have been absent than usual this week.”
P193 May 2nd to 6th 1887
“On Thursday the School Board paid its Annual Visit to the School to test the Religious Knowledge of the children.”
P205 Feb 3rd 1888
In different hand to above;
“Received intimation that the school was to be inspected on Thursday 2nd Feb, but in the case of the school having been closed nearly a month owing to measles the Clerk received intimation that the examination was to be put off indefinitely.
“Headmaster unable to be in school all the week owing to illness and a substitute Mr Robertson MA has in the meantime been engaged.”
[signed] Elizabeth Nisbet Infants’ Mistress.
P206 Feb 13th to 17th 1888
In same hand as above entry
“The School Board has agreed to accept of a lady substitute during the Headmaster’s illness & the appointment of Miss M. S. Diack who will allow Miss Nisbet to act for Head Master has been made.”
P210 March 12th to 16th 1888
In same hand as above two entries
“School shut on Friday on account of the death of the Head Master.”
P213 May 11th 1888
In new hand
“Mr Peter Smart MA formerly Head-Master of Rickarton Public School, Stonehaven, was introduced as the Head-Master of Torry Public School on Tuesday last by Mr Forrest, member of the School Board.”
P216 22nd Jun 1888
“The attendance has been miserably bad this week there being no less than 25% absentees. The reasons assigned are very various, such as preparing fishing lines, nursing, keeping house, going messages, & away to Aberdeen to get new articles of clothing for Sabbath school picnic which comes off tomorrow.”
P220 7th Sept 1888
New school year- 302 pupils turned up- 20 more by the end of the week.
P221 14th Sept 1888
363 pupils have appeared once, average number of pupils 313.
P224 12th Oct 1888
398 on roll, average attendance 344.9, accommodation provided for 313.
P246 14th June 1889
“Received yesterday letter from Clerk intimating that the Board have obtained temporary use of Torry Free Church & Vestry for school purposes during building operations & that the same is to be taken advantage of whenever the mason commences.”
P247 21st Jun 1889
…”the Infants and Standard I were removed to the Church…under Miss Nisbet… Standard III was removed on same day into Junior Room which now contains Standards II & III… Senior Room now contains V, VI & InVI under Headmaster & classroom contains standard IV under Miss Wilson.”
P253 20th Sept 1889
“Received on Wednesday 7 copies of the Regulations as to relief of school fees to be exhibited in school.”
P254 4th Oct 1889
“On Monday effect was given to the resolution of the Board in re of school fees- the first 5 standards being free, stand VI charged 4d both for boys and girls & InVI with one more language being charged 6d.”
P261 13 Dec 1889
“We entered on Monday the new buildings.”
P275 21st Mar 1890
Inspector’s report
…”The work of the first four Standards is practically perfect in all the branches, and it is different to know what most to commend…A particularly pleasing feature is the admirable conduct of the children, who are polite, honest, and tidy.”
P284 29th August 1890
“I find there are 7 families where there is measles, and 18, hooping cough. I learn both have been brought to the village by stranger fishermen.”
P306 27th Feb 1891
“Two more families down with Scarlet Fever- Barron, Victoria Rd, Walker, Montrose Cottage.”
P316 15 May 1891
“We have three new cases of fever, two of gastric- the Barracks and Thorpes 3 Walker Rd & 18 Church St, and one of typhoid- the Woods, Ferry Road, which has already proved fatal.”
P317 22nd May 1891
“Another case of typhoid fever has been reported in Norrie family Church Street. Received one and a half dozen Indian clubs medium size & one dozen small size, also one & a half dozen bar bells medium size.”
P328 11 Sept 1891
“Owing to the overcrowding in the infant rooms I have been obliged this week to draft through a section to my room under a pupil teacher.”
P341 11 Dec 1891
…”twenty three scholarships each of the value of ten shillings are open for Competition among pupils in Standards V VI & InVI for Davidson School Bursary of £5 tenable for two years.”
P348 5th Feb 1892
“Received notice tonight that McIntosh family Granton Cottage are down with diptheria.”
P352 5/3/92
Inspector’s report
“The progress made by this school is simply marvellous…I have no hesitation whatever in recommending the highest possible grants. The credit of the result is enhanced by the fact that the children have no special home advantages, belonging as they do largely to the fishing population. Discipline and tone are excellent. Honesty, politeness and activity prevail. Intelligence has been developed with exceptional success”…”The heating of the senior room is unsatisfactory.”
P373 4th Nov 1892
“Have examined Standard I in Drawing but, was not quite pleased, the rulers & slate pencils being in bad condition.”
P386 31st Mar 1893
“Received this week three dozen musical drill flags for infant room also 96 Kindergarten bricks under New Gift VB & Wooden Box containing 250 square sticks in 5 sizes with diagrams and instructions.”
P387 7th April 1893
“No small difficulty is being experienced in getting the pupils into the Civil Service style of writing.”
P402 22nd Sept 1893
“Have refused to admit more children into infant department, as it is already more than full.”
P407 27th Oct 1893
…”deputation from the Board anent the overcrowding in infant department.”
P411 1st Dec 1893
School closed 3 weeks from 30th November due to epidemic of measles.
P433 18th May 1894
“This school transferred to the Aberdeen School Board on Tuesday last 15th May. Received intimation on Monday last that my services are to be continued until further notice on same footing as under Nigg School Board.”
P434 25th May & P435 1st June
Children refused admission due to want of accommodation.
P467 March 1895
Inspector’s report
… “fifth Standard taught in church hall- v cold.”
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