The National School was built in 1883 for the education of poor children who paid 1d per week. The parishioners and copyholders held meetings here to conduct the business of Norton prior to 1913. 
Picture Stockton Archive
A Pictorial History of Stockton-on-Tees
NATIONAL SCHOOLS MOVEMENT:
Prior to 1800, education for poorer children was limited to charity schools. On the 16 October 1811, the National Society for Promoting Religious Education was founded. It’s aim was that the National Religion – the Church of England – should be made the foundation stone of National Education, and the teaching of religious principles and correct conduct should be the first and chief thing taught to the children of the poor. The aim of the National Society was to establish a National school in every parish of England and Wales. Historically, the schools they founded were called National Schools, whose staff were implemented by the local vicar and members of the Church of England. One of the principal founders was Joshua Watson. The schools were usually next to the parish church and sometimes named after it. The Education Act 1870 provided for the establishment of state schools to supplement those of the various religious societies and charities, and it allowed for state funding of 50% of a schools running costs. Due to these extra funding arrangements the National Schools organization almost doubled the number of its schools to 12,000. However they found it difficult to meet their total running costs, and suffered severe competition with the more progressive State Education Schools that were being established nationwide. Many National schools were closed or handed over to the local state school boards. During the 20th century the National Schools became funded by the state but were still able to promote the teachings of the Church of England. I myself, attended the National School, George Street, Thornaby 1946-1952.
Is that the Ron Huckle who, with his wife Ann, used to run the 1st Norton scouts and cubs? They lived in a prefab on Albany Road, opposite my family house at 42 Albany Road (next door to where Ken Devereux started his truck company). I was in that cub pack and scout troop. When our scout hut was burned down we dismantled the old mill, brick by brick, to make the new hut, thus wrecking – all unawares – an important archaeological site.
I was with you during those years Michael. Both me and Ron Huckle were the 1st to start up the cubs after the War. We would go up to a Fairfield pack until things started to run properly. It was then at the Scout HQ in Finkle Street Stockton followed by the Tan Yard just off the Green in Norton. The Tan Yard became to dangerous for us and that was when we were presented the Old Mill by its owner. That’s when we started the reclamation of the bricks, cleaning them up for Goff Simpson who was a bricklayer to build our new HQ’s.
Bob, I suspect the Norton Heritage group would like to sue you and me for desecrating the ancient mill, but we knew that chipping the bricks and our ginger-nails for constructive purposes was at least as interesting as learning about clove-hitches and semaphore. I wonder what became of the “new” hut.
Or even finger-nails?
Michael there’s still a scout hut there but not sited on the same spot as the original. I think it was approx 5 years ago that I attended the centenary of the 1st Norton scouting movement at this new building.
Looking at the picture of “The School on the Green” brings back memories of Sunday School, Brownies, Guides and Youth Club. I attended the Youth Club in the 60″s and in fact we have just held a re-union which was very well attended with 74 people (including partners), one of whom was Margaret Humphreys. I used to live next door to John Perrett in Beaconsfield Road. Happy days!
The national school was actually built in 1833 and held 50-60 pupils
Hi I am looking for any information on the Aungle family from this area- one of my relations Ann Aungle was a headmistress of a school in this area in the early 1900s – does anyone know how I can find out which school this was? If you have any other reminiscences of Aungles I”d be glad to hear them
As a Girl Guide in the 1970s I remember going around the corner to the big black door next to the (Patterson”s) newsagent”s to get the key for the front door of the hall to open up when we arrived early. Once unlocked and opened up, the door led one straight to a wooden wall with access to the full hall by going either left or right. The floors and stage were wooden floorboards. The hall itself quite bare. The kitchen was to the front, right of the stage and housed a huge water boiler when I was there. We used that to pass our Hostess badge by hosting a coffee morning for the local community there. Lots of space for a very long skipping rope with many Guides/Brownies double skipping, jumping together inside the two long ropes which were being spun in opposite directions, accompanied by many skipping rhymes being sung. Skipping took place as people arrived for the weekly meeting, before ceremonies began of salutes in lines of Patrols, emptying out of pockets to prove you were *prepared* (Girl Guide motto: Be Prepared). Pencil, hankie, string, Safety pin, paper etc. all taken out and put back in again every week. There were two companies of Girl Guides in the 70s – the 1st Norton and the 4th Norton Guides. I had schoolfriends in both. Fond memories of an often very cold, bare and rather inhospitable place but the people made the place come alive. A very beautiful exterior I think. 🙂
Hello Sarah!
This may be a very long shot as your post seems to be 12 years ago…
I was in the 1st Norton Girl Guides in the 1970s and think that you may have been my patrol leader for a short while? I remember other girls around that time such as Ursula Lenell (Spelling?)
I would very much like to get in touch with our captain at that time, Mrs Meek, and wonder if anyone has contact details for her? I remember some amazing camps where her small son and daughter, Catherine, attended, but I don’t remember “Mrs Meek’s” first name.
Best wishes, Anita Roddam.
The Clarence Pottery was to the EAST of Norton road, same side as the BROWN JUG, thus named as one of the speciality was hard wearing cooking and baking Brown-Ware, though they made many beautiful pieces for both overseas and home markets. Prospect Place was the main entrance to the works, which was situated in the present Mount Pleasant Rd/ Birkley Road area. Folk digging in that area find dozens of shards of pottery, in the soil. It was operating to the late 1920s. A fine display of the luxury side of Clarence-Ware is in Preston-Hall Museum, Stockton-on-Tees
Ian Campbell. Are you David Campbell”s brother of Grantham Road? If so we were your neighbors at No 15 Grantham Rd and you would live at 11. I also remember your Dad going to Portugal to install the pipeline in their new reservoir in the 1950″s. The Old Schoolroom as it was known, has served Norton well.
Does anybody have any recollection of a pottery in Norton named Clarence Pottery? This pottery was on the left hand side coming from Stockton. I know it existed because my grandmother worked there with her sister, I have also seen the pottery made from there displayed in Dormans Museum Middlesborough.I think the site of the pottery could have been behind Trent St. Derwent St. area hence the name The Brown Jug public house .
The building is now St. Mary”s Church Parish Hall
I attended Sunday School here in the late 40″s 50″s. We used to get pictures to put into a book which pertained to stories from the Bible. If you managed to fill the book which meant attending each Sunday, the Church put on a trip once a year to either Redcar or Seaton Carew with a lunch provided. Transport was on Double Decker Stockton Corp buses
This was used as the church hall in the 1950″s and 60″s….St Mary”s Church, that is, just across the Green. The church youth club used it for sure in the 1950″s. I used to go there myself. I can remember some of the others that frequented it….Audrey Conway, Joe and David Carter, Ron Huckle, John Perrett, John Winspear, Cath Dale, Margaret Humphreys, etc etc. We put on a concert every year… Joe Carter being the leading light as I recall. Happy, carefree days!!