HISTORICALEIGH - Leigh's First Free School

April 27, 2015 by Carole Mulroney

Leigh's First Free School

Near Church Hill there was once a free school which Sir Samuel Moyer, one of Leigh’s famous mariners, founded in 1716 ‘for instructing children in the principles of the Christian religion.’ The school disappeared later that century and the buildings were sold. It had been situated at the foot of Leigh Hill on what was known as Norman’s Hill.

In 1801, when the first census had been, the Leigh had a population of 570. There was no organised system of education for the ordinary people although there were small private schools and dame schools run by untrained elderly ladies, but these schools charged fees and for the vast majority of the poorer children there were no schools at all.

This article is by Carole Mulroney