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SCHOOLS
The first recorded schoolmaster recorded in the Parish of Shotts was one
Thomas Dechmont. He was deposed from office in 1650 for breach of the
Sabbath and was debarred from keeping school in the Parish. The salaries
offered in today's terms were ridiculous - in 1697 he was paid a hundred
punds (£8. 6s. 8d - at the turn of the twentieth century).
In 1799 there were several schools in the Parish.
There was one at Harthill, one at Benhar and one at
Shottsburn.
The last parochial schoolmaster was Mr William Paterson, who died in
1875, having been connected with the Parish for forty-six years.
Management then passed into the hands of the Shotts School Board and
Calderhead School Board. The school for Calderhead was formerly in the
buildings known as the Hall, on Hospital Road (now Benhar Road).
The Wilson Trust School was built in Stane in 1820, owing to the
liberality of Mr James Wilson, Merchant, Whitburn. Mr Robert
McNab was headmaster of this school and accepted the mastership of
Calderhead School built by the Calderhead School Board in 1878. (He is
buried in the old churchyard of Calderhead Church and his obelisk is
there to this day to be seen). The school was enlarged on two occasions
to accommodate 700 pupils. Around the beginning of the twentieth century
the roll was 640 and under the management of Mr James Heard, appointed
in 1896, the school maintained a high state of efficiency.
The Free Church School in Dykehead was under Mr D Mackintosh, in
buildings adjoining the Free Church.
The population of the district far outgrew the accommodation of the
school, and a new school was built on the side of Dykehead
adjoining the railway. The building was clearly seen on entering Shotts
station from the Glasgow side (this is now the site of the Co-operative
supermarket).
At the beginning of the last century the accommodation was increased to
750. Mr John C Miller was headmaster. Calderhead Board also had an
interest in Allanton School, where Mr Lornie was headmaster.
St Patrick's School was opened in the late nineteenth century in the old
Wilson Trust School in Charlotte Street by Father Prendergast. By the
turn of the twentieth century there was a role of over 300 - Mr J B
Daniel was headmaster around this time.
At this time the Shotts School Board had under its charge schools at
Shottskirk (of which Mr Paterson, son of the Wm Paterson already
mentioned, was headmaster), Harthill, Benhar, Cleland, Greenhill
and Northrigg.
Before we go on to discuss education as we know it today, around these
times there were "Adventure Schools". These were, I suppose, " inferior"
schools in today's terms, within a Parish, inaugurated by the Education
Act of 1696 which regulated Scottish elementary education until 1872.
Calderhead School
As noted above, this came into being in 1878 under the headmastership of
Mr Robert McNab.
Compiled by Ella |
