WHEN I reported about the death of Cyril Rostron, a 14-year-old son of the headteacher at Daisy Hill school who fell through the ice on Rumworth Lodge and died, it alerted reader Catherine Bateson to a study about schools in Westhoughton which she wrote some years ago.

Mrs Bateson, of St. John's Road, Lostock, sent me the relevant pages about Daisy Hill school from her study which show a fascinating insight into education so long ago.

I cannot for space reasons use all the study, and Mrs Bateson tells me that no Log Books for the school are available for before 1900, although it is known that John Rostron became Head in 1883.

It seems that Mr Rostron did not enjoy good health, and took quite an amount of sick leave. In October, 1902, the managers gave permission for "the Principal Teacher to get all the rest he can during this month whilst his class is small in numbers". By the end of that month Mr Rostron wrote in the Log that he was suffering from "Mental Exhaustion", and a substitute was being advertised for, but no further mention is made of a substitute.

Two of his daughters were teachers at the school and when his son drowned in January, 1903, the school had to close due to shortness of staff while the family mourned.

The following month Mr Rostron had to appeal to a father to take his son in hand because he, the Headmaster, was not fit to "undertake the task of caning a boy", but he must have recovered a little by the end of May; when he found two boys fighting in the road he tackled them with his walking stick.

However, the HMI's report in January, 1904, observes that "the work of the school has been much handicapped during the past year by the serious and protracted illness of the Headmaster".

Later, Mr Rostron complained to the Assistant Master about the way he used the blackboard when teaching "Practice Sums", about coming in late on wet days, about register irregularities, and about having given a Standard V1 lesson to Standard V without permission.

Over the years the tone of his entries in the Log Book began to lighten. Four loads of cinders were put on the playground "to make it clean" in January, 1908, and a harmonium and new showcase were received in September. In both 1909 and 1910, Mr Rostron received a cheque for £10 as a bonus for the general good conduct of the school.

One of Mr Rostron's daughter, Edith, who had been a teacher at the school died in 1907 "after much suffering". A third daughter, Catherine K. Rostron, began work at the school as a student teacher in 1909, but in 1910 she was taken ill while at a music lesson in Bolton and later died. It must have been a dreadful time for the family.

The Rev. Henry Huntly Oliver, after a long illness ceased to be Vicar in January, 1911, and it is recorded that "the Headteacher had to leave by an early tram, on March 13th, to meet the Bishop's secretary at 51 King Street"; the school closed in the afternoon of September 27th for the late Vicar's funeral. Mr Rostron himself retired in December, 1911.

Mrs Bateson's study goes on with further history of the school, but as the original 100 Years Ago piece was about the Rostron's, perhaps we should leave the matter at Mr Rostron's retirement, except, perhaps, to say that one of his daughters, Miss Rostron, was also Head Teacher of that school, from 1938 until 1941.

Finally, one part of the study which I think you may be particularly interested in is the special holidays which were given. Among the many were: Peace made with the Boers in South Africa, 1902; Coronation of Edward V11, 1902 (a whole week); King and Queen's visit to open a new dock at Manchester, 1905; Princess Mary's wedding, 1922; Royal Lancashire Show, 1934; King George and Queen Elizabeth passing through town, 1938; VE Day, 1945; VJ Day 1945; Prince Charles's birth, 1948.

Thank you for these interesting details, Mrs Bateson.