Now! Then! The Rev Henry Nussey – St John Rivers in Jane Eyre – attends his church’s Sunday School festival at Birstall

24 August 1832: The Rev Henry Nussey – St John Rivers in Jane Eyre – attends his church’s Sunday School festival at Birstall

Ellis. H. Chadwick. 1914. In the Footsteps of the Brontës. London: Sir Isaac Pitman and Sons. Pseudonym of Esther Alice Chadwick (1882-1928). Get it:

Excerpt

Today the Church Sunday School Festival was celebrated. The ladies and gentlemen connected with the school, the teachers and children, met in the school at half past one. A hymn was sung, and prayers were read by the vicar, after which the prizes in books were distributed. All then proceeded to church, where there was singing and an address from Mr W. Heald, Jnr., to parents, teachers, and scholars. They then walked round the village, and returned to the school, where they sung in the school yard, and after this all the scholars were regaled, the girls with buns and tea, and the boys with buns, beer and porter. These were afterwards dismissed, and the ladies and gentlemen sat down with the female teachers, having had beer and porter, etc. At eight o’clock supper was introduced, consisting of the Old English cheer, roast beef, plum-pudding and good beer, to which from 80 to 100 sat down. The day then concluded with music and singing.

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To facilitate reading, the spelling and punctuation of elderly excerpts have generally been modernised, and distracting excision scars concealed. My selections, translations, and editions are copyright.

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Original

Friday, Aug. 24th (1832). To-day the Church Sunday School Festival was celebrated. The ladies and gentlemen connected with the school, the teachers and children, met in the school at half-past one. A hymn was sung, and prayers were read by the Vicar, after which the prizes in books were distributed. All then proceeded to Church, where there was singing and an address from Mr. W. Heald, jnr., to parents, teachers, and scholars. They then walked round the village, and returned to the school, where they sung in the school-yard, and after this all the scholars were regaled, the girls with buns and tea, and the boys with buns, beer and porter. These were afterwards dismissed, and the ladies and gentlemen sat down with the female teachers, having had beer and porter, etc. At eight o’clock supper was introduced, consisting of the Old English cheer, roast beef, plum-pudding and good beer, to which from 80 to 100 sat down. The day then concluded with music and singing.

166 words.