At Abbey House Museum, the former gatehouse to Kirkstall Abbey, there is an interesting exhibition, “Storytime” of children`s books, jigsaws, toys and games devised to encourage children to learn and continue to read. The oldest book on display is one from 1810 called “Jack Sprat and his Cat”.
The Hunslet firm of Waddingtons is well represented with over a dozen exhibits, the earliest of theirs being a “Storytime Jigsaw” dated 1935. Other Waddington jigsaws followed called “Pondo” 1960, “Stingray” 1964, “Walt Disney” 1977, “Disney Alphabet” 1981, “Cinderella” 1985, “Huga Bunch” 1985.
And, of course, in the 1960s following the widespread of television, books and games were produced such as“Chitty Chitty Bang Bang”, “Dr Doolittle”, “The Jungle Book”, “Walt Disney board games”, “The Magic Roundabout” book, “Pinky and Perky” pop-up book, “Batman” jigsaw, “The Jungle Book” game, “Z Cars” game and “Blue Peter Annual”.
Inevitably, most of the exhibits date from the twentieth century and the late nineteenth century when manufacturers spotted a market for the desire of parents to help their children to improve their reading ability, not only for the pleasure of doing so but also for better job prospects.
It was not until 1870 that school attendance was compulsory when the Education Act came into force and local corporations were obliged to provide schools for children in their areas. Prior to that, parents had to be wealthy to pay for their children to learn to read and be educated. In 1822, the Church of England and the Methodist Ministry encouraged its clergy to set up schools for the poor in their parishes. This was not universal, and schools tended to be in rural villages and needed a local wealthy person to sponsor them.
The setting up of such a school is well described in Charlotte Bronte’s “Jane Eyre” first published in 1847. After fleeing from Thornfield Hall after her aborted marriage, Jane becomes destitute and is taken in by the Parson St John Rivers and his sisters. St John asks Jane to become a teacher in his poor parish of Morton. He says:
“When I came to Morton, two years ago, it had no school. The children of the poor were excluded from every hope of progress. I established one for boys and I now propose to open one for girls. I have hired a building for the purpose, with a cottage of two rooms attached to it for the mistress’s house. … this is done by the kindness of a lady, Miss Oliver; the only daughter of the sole rich man in my parish – Mr Oliver the proprietor of a needle factory and iron-foundry in the valley.”
Miss Oliver is obviously attracted to the handsome Parson but that is another issue. Not all clergy were handsome and much depended on the disinterested philanthropy of sponsors.
The exhibition Storytime is packed with exhibits and most of us adults may look back with nostalgia when we see exhibits we recognize from our childhood. With the Easter school holidays coming up, Kirkstall Abbey and the Abbey House Museum is well worth a visit.
Not only is the Storytime exhibition absorbing, but there is an extended gallery of children’s toys including Dolls Houses. And, of course, there is the famous three reconstructed streets full of items our parents and grandparents used in their homes. Of special interest to many is a reconstruction of Victorian “Hark to Rover” public house.
The bus numbers 33, 33A, A1 and, temporarily now bus No 50, stop at Kirkstall. Alternatively, there is a free carpark adjacent to Abbey House Museum.
This post was written by Hon Ald Elizabeth Nash
Photo: Leeds Museums
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