THE village school at Marston, Oxford, enjoyed its most successful period in its early years under the direction of Jesse Rothwell.

As we recalled (Memory Lane, February 13), the school, which opened in 1851, suffered from absenteeism, poor teaching, lack of support from parents, critical reports from inspectors and a cold, draughty building in its first 20 years.

Mr Rothwell arrived as master in 1875 and, according to a book on the history of the school, the 12 years he was in charge were golden years.

The book, Marston Village School 1851-1954, compiled by former governor Jan Sanders, records: “The school flourished, numbers grew, the children achieved. Most parents were indifferent and more concerned with the earning power of their children than education. But Jesse harnessed the vitality and curiosity of the children and won the parents to his side.

“He was an excellent teacher who was able to inspire the scholars and overcome the many obstacles in his path.”

Mr Rothwell worked with parents to agree time off for children to work on the farms and also allowed half days when he knew that a cricket match or fair would deplete numbers.

He was also helped by the 1876 Education Act, which decreed that children under 11 could not be employed unless they had passed the Standard II tests. The arrival of a school attendance officer made sure that parents obeyed the law.

The result was that absenteeism dropped and standards improved.

A prize day was held when ‘ladies of the village’ gave a book to pupils who attended regularly. However, standards slipped again when Mr Rothwell was taken seriously ill early in 1887 and died aged 43 in September that year.

His successor, Henry Furby, wrote, somewhat insensitively, in the logbook: “Found school very backward, particularly in arithmetic and the extra subjects. Grammar having not yet been begun.”

Mr Rothwell’s wife, Jane, who had worked with her husband as assistant mistress in charge of the infants, continued working with Mr Furby and subsequent headmasters, at one time being joined by her daughter Amy.

But her 30-year career at Marston came to an end in 1906 when she fell out with a new head, Mr JW Brown.

More memories from the village school – now known as St Nicholas – soon.