John Passmore Edwards
School and Meeting House, St Day
History
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In
1892 an estimate was obtained to restore the existing St Day Sunday
School Room and a Restoration Committee was formed to raise the
£250 needed. The Rev J J Murley, vicar of St Day, wrote to
Passmore Edwards to ask for assistance with the fund and to his
surprise and gratification, Passmore Edwards immediately responded
to say that he would pay for the erection of a new building in memory
of his late Uncle, John Edwards, native of St Day. |
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| At the opening ceremony, on 4 May 1893, Passmore Edwards said the new building was dedicated to the memory of his late uncle, who was first a Sunday School teacher and then superintendent of the Blackwater Sunday School, and afterwards for more than half a century a teacher and superintendent of Sunday schools in St Day going to the church in the morning and to the Wesleyan Chapel in the evening. He said that Village schools, like those at Blackwater and St Day, though comparatively unimportant individually, were by virtue of their number a significant factor in our educational system; and it was cheering to see the interest they evoked in that somewhat deserted part of Cornwall. After a service in the church the party processed to the school room where Passmore Edwards was given the key with which to open the new building. A short service of dedication followed. | ||
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The front of the building was of local quarried stone with granite dressings and with gothic style windows, lead lights and cathedral glass. Directly inside the entrance there was a lobby with side doors opening into the main room which is was 48' by 30'. At the extreme end a platform was erected so that the room could be used for entertainments. The interior fittings were of varnished red pine. The old school room, which was adjacent was also almost entirely rebuilt by Symons and Sons in keeping with the new room. A brass plate was fixed to the wall to commemorate the opening ceremony. | |
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October 3, 2007