Originally Published in Heritage Happenings, November 1989
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In 1941, Arthur Newell¹ recalled his school days at Victoria for a series of articles “Early Days in Carlisle”, published in the Waterdown Review.²

“Situated on the extreme corner of the field where the present school now stands, so close was it to the two roads that when we stepped out the door, or fell out a window, we were on the roadside. We did not have any playground, but the roadside. The building was a rickety old structure when I first attended that school in 1868, but I have been told that it was moved there from a corner across the road.

The next school was build in 1872 near where the present building now stands, was built of brick, two stories high and the present one also two stories high, brick, built in 1922.

In the old school we did not have the conveniences we should have for instance, often there was not a timepiece in the school, the teacher had a mark on the window sill for 12, 1, and 4 o’clock. That was all right when the sun was shining, otherwise, a boy was sent to a farm house to get the time for four o’clock. Sometimes the “time” would “gain” considerably in his head before he got back, then we would get out early.

Water too, had to be carried from the farms, a quarter mile away. Two boys would be sent, and when it arrived, there would be jostling for who would have the cup next, all drinking from the one tin cup and pail. In the present day when we hear so much about “germs”, it is a wonder any of us lived 80, 90, and even more years.

In those days we had mostly male teachers. One was a very short corpulent man. One day he was walking along the road past a house, when suddenly he heard a small dog barking furiously close by, but he could not see hum, stepping back a few steps the dog was in front of him!! A few years later this teacher married one of his former pupils, who’s stature ran to extremes the other way, being very tall and slim. They were soon nicknamed “Thick” and “Thin”.

On Friday afternoons we usually had a change from our regular studies in the nature of a program of entertainment, consisting of recitations, readings, dialogues, singing, etc. Our teacher Mr. Marshal B. Rymal played the concertina and everybody would sing, such hymns and songs as:- “Over There”, “On the Sweet Bye and Bye”, “Happy Greeting”, “Shall we gather at the River”, “Hold the Fort”, “Faded Coat of Blue”, etc.

In the summer we used to bother the teacher once a month on Friday, to let us scrub the school floor. The request being granted, it was hurrah boys and girls, get pails, brooms, mops and water from the farmers, others removed desks and benches which were loose. When the water arrived, the floor was soon flooded and scrubbing and splashing was in order. Perhaps when done conditions were not much better than when we started, but we had a lot of fun. Sometimes the teacher would take the young “fry” across the road in the bush, and hold school seated on the ground — that was a “picnic” for them too.

The swimming hole in the creek at Carlisle was a great attraction for the boys during the noon hour, but the plunge had to be short, for by the time we ate our lunch, ran a mile there and a mile back, inside the house, there was not much time to lose. Barefooted of course, we did not need much time to undress, we got over the fence where Union Hall now stands, and by the time we reached the “hole” (a short distance downstream) we were ready for the plunge. If anybody had mentioned “Bathing suit” we would have asked what’s that?

On the last afternoon before Christmas holidays, we had what we called Zamination or Open House to show our parents and friends how smart we were in our different studies, as well as a programme of entertainment which consisted of readings, recitations, music, speeches, dialogue or plays representing different sciences.

Some of the games we used to play under the big willow tree at the corner of the field across the road were, “Hop Scotch”, “Ring around the Rosy”, “Drop the Handkerchief”, Marbles, “Crack the Whip”, Shinney, snowball fights and hunting chipmunks in the bush across the road from the school, which was very exciting for both the boys and master.”

1. Arthur Newell, son of Charles Newell and Emily Blagdon was born 1858. He grew up on the family farm Lot 1, Concession 7, East Flamborough Township, and attended Victoria School. Married to Harriett M. Freeman, Mr. Newell died 29 September 1951, aged 92 years. He is buried in the Union Cemetery, Waterdown.
2. Waterdown Review, Volume 24, Nos. 18-21, August 1941.

© The Waterdown-East Flamborough Heritage Society 1989, 2021.

Editor’s Note:

Victoria School was originally built in 1865, and located extreme north corner of school grounds at the 8th Concession East and Centre Road. The school was so close to the road that students were in danger of being run over by passing horse and wagons. A new school was built in 1872, a two storey brick building. The upper floor was for the seniors, while the lower storey was for juniors and primary classes. As the c.1872 school aged, it was evident a new school was needed. The final Victoria school was erected in 1922 with all modern conveniences of the time. Additions were added over the years. Victoria School has since been demolished and the lot now stands empty.