CovSoc member, Peter James, tells us about John Hough and the Coventry Ragged School. Peter writes…..
John Hough was born in Warwickshire in 1821 the second of five children. His parents were Thomas Hough and Ann Powell. By 1845 he was living at 20 The Burgess working as a pork butcher and provision merchant. Some years later aged 50 he married Sarah Elizabeth Warden on 5th December 1871 in Warwickshire. He spent most of his adult life promoting religion and temperance and was involved with the Coventry Ragged School for about 40 years.
The Coventry Ragged School opened in 1847 in the back room of a leather seller with 21 children in attendance. On October 27th 1860 the school re-opened in new premises at the Factory in New Buildings. The schoolroom had been provided by John Gulson a renowned Coventry benefactor. John Hough also taught the preparatory class every evening.
Although he could have retired he continued to work so that he could support the school.
He died on 21st October 1888 with hundreds of people attending his funeral service. There were a number of tributes from boys of the Ragged School as well as his friends and family.
John Hough’s grave in London Road Cemetery can be seen in the photo below:
The inscription on the grave reads: “In Loving Memory of John Hough who died Oct 21 1888 aged 67 years. Beloved by all who knew him. Also of Sarah Elizabeth the beloved wife of the above who entered into rest Nov 21 1903 aged 71 years. Well done thou good and faithful servant enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. Also her brother Charles Warden who died Jun 27 1909 aged 70 years. Sleep on beloved.”
Ragged Schools
Ragged Schools aimed to provide free schooling for poor children. They were generally funded by wealthy individuals donating large sums of money. Without them these children wouldn’t have received any form of education. The reasons for establishing these schools appears to have been varied. Some were formed on the basis that all children should be educated whatever their background. Others wished for training which would provide skills suitable for the workplace. An alternative was where people advocated a religious education aimed at reducing the juvenile crime rate. This diversity of ideas meant that all schools were different with a mixture of different motives and outcomes.
In Coventry as well as the Ragged School in New Buildings , the Spon Gate School opened in Spon End in 1873 in leased premises. By 1897 there were 564 children and 84 teachers enrolled in Coventry Ragged Schools.