The building which we all recognise as Barrow Conservative Club had another life before it was bought by the Barrow Conservative Association in 1905.

Its original purpose was as the first Humphrey Perkins School. Humphrey Perkins belonged to a wealthy Barrow family and in his will, he left a sum of money to pay for a schoolmaster in the village. However the money could not be used until after the death of his wife who died in 1735.

There was no national system of education at that time and no structure to take the responsibility for carrying out Humphrey Perkins’ wishes. The vicar of Barrow, the Rev. Vere Foster, took on the role of setting up the school – but there was no building. It seems that other wealthy men in the village provided the money for the building. Rev. Foster selected a piece of land, near to the church, which was an orchard belonging to Joseph Thomson who was a framework knitter who also kept a few sheep. A contract was drawn up with a local builder, Thomas Moor, for the construction of the school. The Rev. Foster was determined that the school would be well built using only the best materials; this was true for the interior as well as the exterior. The school was to consist of two storeys with a garret in the roof for the servants. It was to cost £160.

The school opened in October 1735 and catered for about 20 boys. The master was a graduate of St John’s College Cambridge, and was ordained in the Church of England. There was some disquiet among parents of the boys as the curriculum was the usual grammar school one based on Latin; they wanted their sons to learn something which would be useful in their careers. There are several reports in the local press of meetings where parents expressed their concerns. There was also some annoyance that the master took fee-paying pupils in addition to those supported by the Humphrey Perkins bequest.

When local authorities were established at the beginning of the twentieth century, they were given responsibility for education which then became compulsory for all children: girls as well as boys. The school was no longer adequate, and the new school was built on Cotes Rd. The History of Humphrey Perkins School by Bernard Elliot (1963) gives a very full account of the history of the original school and the present school on Cotes Rd.

Kathryn Timmons
Barrow Heritage Group