Sedgley Park circa 1797

According to Canon W. Buscot ( historian of Sedgley Park & Cotton College and from whom most of this is cogged) , a Catholic Education " ...implies the training of the whole man - of his soul and body." Underpinning this was , as you would expect , religious studies. Religion was after all the raison d'etre for establishing the Park in the first instance.

Its Headmasters ( proper title being 'President')  were men specifically selected as those of an exemplary religious character. The general educationary principles were based on the English College of Douai , in Amiens , France. As most of the boys were intended to follow their fathers into the family business , a full rounded education was offered. The Classics were offered as an option. Latin & Greek were deemed necessary for priesthood or life as a member of the gentry , but were not thought neccesary for those going into business.

Though founded for the middle classes , certain of the gentry did actually send their boys to Sedgley Park- and all were treated the same. They often came as a 'parlour-student' (an older student who lived seperate from the younger boys in the Parlour) and paid twenty five guineas per annum. Though not the purpose to produce priests for the Holy See , many from the Park did go over to Douai for eventual ordination. Challoner's sole intention  was to give a good faith-based education to England's middle class and prepare them for life as good Catholics , in whatever walk of life they chose - and in doing so , increase Catholicism in England which had been declining pre-Challoner.

Geography , arithmetic and handwriting was offered as a basic. Arithmetic combined book-keeping and land measuring , very useful to a future in commerce. Drawing , music , dancing and singing , 'deportment'  and elocution were also part of the curriculum.

It wasn't all study - games were recognised as an important part of the Park life. Not just for the physical development but also for the spiritual - how to win without bragging ,  how to lose gracefully and how to retain self control. Obeying authority and applauding good play by opponents was also deemed very important. Boys came from all over the country and brought with them 'local rules' , which were basically swallowed up , digested and spat out as 'Sedgley Rules'. Games such as Cricket and Football were popular with the boys. Kite flying was another , as was marbles. One game brought over from Douai was 'Cat' , a game of stick & ball. The word cat derives from the French 'Quatoze' , it being played by 14 , with 7 aside. Another game was 'soldiers' , sometimes involving parties of children walking to Dudley Castle to enact battles.

In winter , cards and draughts were popular in the playroom , in front of a roaring fire. If you could get near it. The bigger the boy , the nearer the fire. Often the Masters would play violin or hornpipe to entertain themselves and the boys.

Boys were admitted between the ages of seven and fourteen. The fees were fifteen guineas per year with an entrance fee of one guinea. If a boy was to take Latin , that was an extra half guinea. The Park provided clothing , but boys had to bring their own wigs. Clothing had to be durable rather than fancy , probably made from corduroy ,  and would include a short jacket with waistcoat and knee breeches. If parents themselves wanted to supply the clothes , the fee reduced to twelves guineas. French , drawing and dancing were also charged extra as Masters had to be brought in.

"Have wig , will travel."

In my day at Cotton , we were early risers ( 6-50 a.m.) but the Park was even earlier. It was up at 6 o'clock all year round , winter or summer. The local cobbler was the first man employed to rouse the boys from slumber , his voice enough to raise the dead. Once he left they replaced him with a bell which did the trick. The bell continued until the end of Cotton College. Boys started the day with short prayers at the bedside followed by a wash in the open air ( it was Dr. Bowdon who had an indoor 'lav' built.). Cotton wasn't exactly open air but the 'Profs' always ensured the windows were fully open , particularly in winter. A wash was followed by a run around the 'bounds' until the first lesson at 6-45 a.m. ( catechism.)

Breakfast was at 7-30 a.m. , consisted of porridge , bread , milk and scrapes. Scrapes lasted up to Cotton days , it being that you scrape your bread along a tray serving the meal to lap up the leftovers. Scrapes was the term used by Bowdon House. Milner House used the term 'dips' , and Challoner House 'wipes'.

Classes then took place from 9 a.m. until 12 noon which was followed by dinner -  meat , vegeatables and a pudding which was served on one large metal plate. Then it was playtime until 2 p.m.followed by more lessons , with a small break for a crust of bread and a drink of water from the water pump at 4 p.m. Supper was the same as breakfast - though sometimes broth , cheese or buttermilk was added to the menu. There were also 'College Biscuits' which all but the very hungry never touched - they could only be broken if dipped in tea. Unfortunately tea was a rare commodity and seldom made an appearance. When supper was over it was more play until chapel for prayers at 7-45 p.m. Then it was sleep.

Disciple included the usual hundred lines , and also corporal punishment. This was called flogging or tanning , or sometimes 'fishing' after one of the Prefects of Disciple owned a leather whip which had fish bones in the handle. Punishment was normally meted out on the palm of the hand , or on the bottom. 4 or 6 stripes were given , depending on the crime. At Cotton I had a 4 for giving cheek or running , and I had a 6 for fighting.

" This will hurt me more that it will hurt you."

Certain traditions and titles were passed down from Douai to Sedgley Park ( and afterwards to Cotton). The Priests were referred to as 'Mister' rather than 'Father' in Sedgley days. The title Father was considered Irish "...and should be left to Ireland." This tradition carried on to the Cotton College era when the teaching clergy were called 'Sir'. The terms President , Prefect of Studies , Prefect of Discipline and Bursar were all instituted at Douai and carried on via Sedgley through to Cotton. The boys Public Man (or PM) was begun at Sedgley Park and was used at Cotton College to refer to Head Boy.

There is no real need to think that the pupils of the Park were particularly hard done by. All schools in England were similar and anyone who has ever attended one can empathise with life at the Park. Admittedly Sedgley Park may have been more austere than some other boarding schools , just as Cotton may have been a lot harder than others in its day. Most boys leaving the school did genuinely retain a great deal of affection for the place, this proved by generations of families attending down the years.

Canon Edward Hymers , Old Parker and last President of Cotton College , wrote in The Cottonian in 1933 of some of his time at Sedgley Park.

" You had to wash in a horse trough in an out-house , hadn't you? " said a gentleman to me recently. We certainly had not. We had quite a respectable washing room , not fitted it is true , with hot and cold.  We had to be satisfied with cold water even in the bitterest winters , but this is not very spartan and as far as I know , did us no harm , but probably some good.  The food was certainly not luxuriuous. Dry bread morning , noon and night , was never adorned with butter , jam or honey. The highest reach of luxury was to secure a round of dry toast at supper - the prize for those who scored goals at football on playdays. On great Feasts , the members of the choir received before the sung Mass a cup of egg flip to strengthen them in their work. No , there was no pretence at luxury in the Sedgley Park diet. but again , is not luxury a metter of degree , and the round of dry toast was as tasty to a Sedgley Park boy as a piece of cake or a cream horn to more pampered youths? Anyway , the food provided was plentiful , if not such as an epicure would have favoured. As for studies , I can hardly speak so favourably. The programme was meagre and haphazard. We had some good Professors but not all. In later years one of them said to me , "What did you fellows think of my Greek? You know , you youngsters knew a great deal more about it than I did." My teacher in Euclid gave us the impression that the Pons Asinorum represented the limit of his knowledge of Euclid. There were no public examinations to be prepared for , but every year we were brought before a bench of venerable and formidable-looking examiners , the most venerable and formidable to us being the good old President of Oscott , the Very Rev. Dr. Northcote. I cannot but think that the test was of a very searching kind , seeing how easily we came through it.

Dress of the boys: From The History of Sedgley Park.

"The mind's eye goes back to the old days and old scenes , and distictly sees a Park boy in his primitive & ordinary habiliments. These were generally of fustian , corduroy , or velveteen; and most of the boys wore knee breeches , innocent of braces , with cloth or light waistcoats of all patterns , and coats cut round in front , and having only one pocket , which was on the left side. The breeches had only one pocket either , but this was on the right side. So that a Park boy usually walked on a cold day with one hand in his coat pocket and the other in his breeches pocket on his right side. They wore hard felt hats , or caps of black leather , shaped like a half moon and edged with fur. These were worn like cocked hats, generally forwards or sometimes crosswised. These caps were pressed into service for various reasons. They served as cushions to kneel upon in the chapel. The boys would hollow out the top so as to use the outside of the cap for a drinking cup. Those who found there own clothes were dressed rather better. No difference of dressed was observed on sundays. On Wedneday , each boy had a clean shirt. These were laid on the bed by Thomas The Tailor (Thomas Simpson).The Park had three or four tailors , constantly at work for boys always needed buttons sewing or tears repairing.The most remarkable of the tailors was John Crewe , who later kept a Draper's Shop in Wolverhampton. Another , George Gibbons , stayed for decades and died at the Park. William Simpson , brother of Thomas , had his own establishment as a Master Tailor. Another , a Welshman , was called 'Old Rogers'. Also a female , Sally Mark , named after her husband , a deaf old man called Mark Richardson. There was also a Cobbler's Shop , where Master Cobbler Francis kept is leather. Francis Cheadle served Sedgley Park for mamny years. He also looked after the beehives. Another cobbler was Lewis Grinsell , another long servant , who died of TB. John Spears , aka John Go-Lightly , was a well known character. Old William Davis , yet another cobbler , could repeat whole speeches from Shakespeare. He died in 1819. In 1815 , James Parkes came as a shoemaker.

The female part of the staff was run by a Housekeeper. In 1790 , this was Mrs. Pardoe. She left in 1802 and was succeeded by Molly Simpson , wife of Thomas the Tailor. She was known as Molly the Hag. she thought it was Molly the Egg. She asked Charles Rattery ,  a boy , why they called her the nickname." Don't I give them enough eggs?" She was succeeded by Mrs. Thorp , sister of Rev. John Roe and aunt of Rev. Jos. Birch. She died in 1818 and was succeeded by Mrs. Hemmings. , then Mrs. Perry , then Mrs. Cheadle ( sister of Francis the Cobbler) , then Mrs. Hawkins Other staff: - Nanny Fletcher , first cook. She was due to be married to Francis the Cobbler but died that very day. Nanny Perks , housemaid , who married Francis Cheadle. Hannah Gretton , servant , married John Crewe. Betty Butts died of smallpox in 1805. Haggy Pendril had a hare lip and spoke unintelligibly and who was one of the Pendril's connected with the preservation of King Charles II.  Good old Hannah Southall. Came to the Park 1802 very young and was called Young Hannah."