I continued to attend Benjamin’s school until I was about ten years of age; at that time my parents thought they would like me to attend the larger school, that my education might be forwarded thereby. I learnt the inscription on the fly-leaf of master’s book, which I had often read through. I could not remember the title. The lines were these:
Whose book I am, if you wish to know,
By letters two I will you show;
The first is B, to all men’s sight,
The next is C, to spell it right;
But if you chance to spell amiss,
Look underneath, and here it is:Benjamin Chenery.
Farewell! to my first schoolmaster, and gooseberry-pie book.
It was not very long before a vacancy occurred in the larger school, and I was elected to fill up the gap. I felt somewhat timid, but that soon wore off. I was placed at a desk with others, and had soon to go in for sums in earnest. All had to be worked out on a slate, and, when passed as correct, had to be set down in a book. This was our morning work; afternoon we had Bible-reading in class, spelling, and afterwards writing with ink in copy book. There was a very patient usher of the name of George Bilney; but he was not there long after I joined the school. The discipline here was more stringent; each free scholar had to wear a badge of distinction, a school cap, to be worn every Sunday, and to be present at church, two seats being set apart for the boys of this school, under the supervision of the master and his usher; and all absentees had to give a satisfactory account on Monday mornings of the why’s and the wherefore’s, or feel the weight of the cane in the master’s hand, however distasteful it might be.
At this school I made progress; we were allowed to use “Walkingame’s Tutor’s Assistant;” a great deal could be learnt from this useful work. Said tables on Fridays, and also Church Catechism, with hard and difficult spelling at the close thereof, and the first three boys were rewarded with a ticket each. Often heavy tasks were awarded for disobedience, and, altogether, the general routine was one of forced vigilance, obedience, and activity, as no trifling was permitted during school hours.
After a few months my being in this school, Mr. Bilney, the usher left, and his place was subsequently filled by Mr. Benjamin Moulton, who afterwards followed the occupation of an auctioneer and valuer, at Woodbridge, in this county. I wrote to that gentleman in 1878, enquiring if he was the same B. M. whom I had previously known at Mr. Goodwin’s school. He returned an answer, thanking me for the enquiry, that he was the same; that he was now about seventy years of age; that his health was fair; and that there was at least one of the old scholars who had thought about him; but said, also, he never much liked the situation, so he did not much regret leaving the village and its associations.
I attended at this school about one year and a half. There were a better class of pupils (farmer’s sons) on the Opposition benches, who were instructed in the higher rudiments, such as land surveying, mapping, printing, English grammar. “English Reader,” “Introduction,” and “Speaker” were books not prohibited to the free boys, and, for one, I was very fond of reading them at every opportunity, for we had the range of the school from twelve o’clock till two, when all could play outside in fine weather very comfortably together, regardless of station in life, as two in the same school were my future young masters.
I continued to improve in the acquisition of knowledge, as there taught, from Multiplication of Integers to Money, and so on, as in subsequent rules; Division short and long, Reduction, Practice, and “Rule of Three,” all requiring close attention to bring a “Good” mark, implying the approval of the master or usher before any sum was allowed to be entered in the book, and even that was a tedious operation. There must be no mistakes, no blots, nor any smearing on the surface; when the master came round, the cane accompanied him, and sad woes were inflicted on the careless, which were not soon forgotten.
But it came to be desired that I should begin to work more closely, and earn my support, for most likely it was thought that a little help in that direction was, no doubt, very needful, and being a final decision, I left the school in that eventful year, 1820, and forthwith I soon found my destiny was “buckle to work.” I have said “eventful” year, in proof whereof here is an extract from the Evangelical Magazine of that year:—“George III. died at Windsor Castle, on the 29th January, 1820 in his 82nd year. His son, the Duke of Kent, expired a few days previous, at Sidmouth, in Devonshire, in the 53rd year of his age, leaving an infant daughter—our good and virtuous Queen.” Long may she reign.
The way is now apparently open for the Prince Regent to occupy the throne, but the perplexing domestic troubles occupied the lawyers and barristers more than twelve months ere the ground could be anything like cleared; but the road in which I was destined to travel was not so mystified. A master was found for me, in the person of Mr. Simon Smyth, of Ubbeston, farmer. I was employed in hoeing, weeding corn, picking grass, and such-like jobs. I was there ten weeks, or about half that summer, and more happy was I than the Prince Regent. My next master was Mr. Robert Scace, of Laxfield, farmer, and was employed, first keeping sheep, then working in the hay field, and other odd jobs which might present themselves to my notice. I got on nicely with Mr. Scace, and after the hay season was told that I might continue on, and board in the house during the harvest, and have the same amount of money weekly. I was glad to hear that, and never found it a source of regret to anyone. Those were cheerful seasons to both men and boys, and for my own part I felt that I was advanced to a post of honour when entrusted with the commands of a horse or two, and was no longer compelled to go about the fields gleaning, which occupation I so much disliked. There was but one son in this family, but he had to work in harvest-time, and bend down with the sickle, as with that instrument the wheat-crop was reaped in those days, and it was my lot to assist Master Robert, when he sought a little rest. He was a little older than myself, being born in 1806. He lived near my parents’ dwelling, and I was often allowed to play with him before we began to work. His was but a short course. I have since read in Laxfield Churchyard, near the porch, upon a stone, this inscription: