Witney is an historic market town on the River Windrush, 12 miles (19 km) west of Oxford in Oxfordshire, England. The place-name 'Witney' is derived from the Old English for 'Witta's island'. The earliest known record of it is as Wyttannige in a Saxon charter of AD 969. The Domesday Book of 1086 records it as Witenie.
Witney has been famous for the manufacture of woollen blankets since the Middle Ages. The water for the production of these blankets is drawn from the River Windrush, which was believed to be the secret of Witney's high-quality blankets. Mops were also traditionally made by the blanket manufacturers, at one time every ship in the Royal Navy had Witney mops aboard. The Blanket Hall in High Street was built in 1721 for weighing and measuring blankets. At one time there were five blanket factories in the town but with the closure of the largest blanket maker in 2002, Early's, the town's blanket industry completely ceased production. But Witney United FC retains its nickname 'The Blanketmen' from the town's traditional trade.
History of WEF
The charity exists to provide educational grants for young people who have been educated or born locally and who are under twenty five years of age. The charity has a long history and today makes it possible for local young people to enhance their opportunities in lots of ways by providing grants. Requests for support are received from schools, youth clubs, teachers, social workers and parents or carers themselves to enable all to benefit from the school curriculum and extra-curricular activities, irrespective of their ability to pay. WEF is a charity that has helped many in the past and still continues its good work.
Education in Witney
The Bluecoat School building sits on Narrow Hill in the West End of Witney. Thomas Early (1655-1733) persuaded John Holloway, a wealthy clothier born in Witney but then living in London, to found the Bluecoat School in 1723 and make provision for it under the terms of his will. The schoolhouse that was provided was actually a house that John Holloway had had newly built for himself, it was divided up so that the master of the school could live in one part and the boys in the other. It was originally set up to educate sons of journeymen weavers in reading, writing and accounting with a view to them becoming apprenticed when they left. In the terms of John Holloway's will ten boys from Witney and five from Hailey were to be educated at the school and were given blue coats to wear. The idea of wearing blue coats came from the Bluecoat Hospital for boys, a charitable foundation in London. By 1833 the master also taught up to 45 fee-paying pupils as well as the Bluecoat foundation boys who attended free. John Wright, who was a native of Witney but then living in the USA, gave a financial boost of £4,800 to the school in 1867. When the Blue Coat School was closed down in 1902 funds from his endowment as well as that of John Holloway were transferred to the Grammar School on Church Green; £150 a year was then available to benefit blanket workers' children in the form of scholarships, apprenticeships or clothing on starting a job, The Grammar School also named one of their in-school houses 'Holloway'.
The original Scheme of WEF was approved and established in 1901 by order of the Charity Commissioners and was comprised of the Technical School (this building was at the rear of the Methodist Church) established in 1897, the John Holloway Charity of 1727 and the John Wright gift of 1860. The school of the foundation would be a secondary school, enabling it to earn grants from the Board of Education. Children between the ages of 8 and 14 years were admitted and both girls and boys were allowed to board. The school was known as The Witney Grammar and Technical School. The Almshouses in the churchyard and Curbridge Farm were not educational and were administered separately but the Grammar and Technical School was included in the scheme and the whole was governed by the WEF.
The Governors were as follows:
The Scheme was amended in 1902, providing for Governors to be appointed to serve for 3 and not 4 years.
As early as 1909 the Governors wanted to increase the scope of the Scheme to include other educational establishments and in 1912 the Board of Education gave WEF permission to sell land in West End and the buildings in Narrow Hill which had previously been the Bluecoat School. The Governors of WEF spent a great deal of time on the administration of Witney Grammar and Technical School, but this was a time when some very useful investments were made which provided solid income in later years. The advice of the Charity Commissioners is always sought and taken when stock is moved. WEF continued to manage the Holloway and Wright Apprenticeships which included their travelling expenses.
The Board of Education began to pursue a more uniform policy, and in April 1927 asked the Education Committee of Oxfordshire County Council to arrange uniform fees for all secondary schools in the County. The Governors of WEF agreed on an annual fee of twelve guineas. In January 1928 the Governors of Witney Grammar School were recommended to sell their Technical buildings. At this time WEF had authority over the Grammar School but in the 1930s WEF widened its interest to Evening School members and in March 1936 separate accounts were submitted. In November 1937 the Grammar School was to be handed to Oxfordshire County Council but agreement could not be reached until May 1938.
In 1939 the Governing body of WEF was altered and now consisted of:
The Schemes were updated several times over the years and in September 1939 the Governors of the Grammar School informed WEF they would not be meeting due to the war emergency. WEF continued to meet and was temporarily known as the WE Emergency Committee. On 23 May 1941 the house committee formed themselves into WEF (committee estates) so that estate business could still be dealt with while the Grammar School Governors were absent.
In the 1950s WEF were still only allocating grants to the children of those engaged in the blanket trade from Witney, Hailey or Crawley but in 1960 the Minister of Education altered the latest Scheme so that it read 'assisting any institution of Witney Urban District Council which is held in trust for the provision of facilities in the interest of social welfare, for recreation or other leisure-time occupation with the object of improving the life for the inhabitants of Witney UDC and its neighbourhood'. The words 'Witney Grammar School' were substituted by 'any school or educational establishment in the said UDC'. This Scheme was implemented in June 1963.
In 1966 the County Education Department sought the views of WEF about their plans to reorganise secondary education on comprehensive lines and the proposal that Witney Grammar School would be known as Henry Box School to commemorate the 17th century founder of the school The County Education Department sought the views of WEF.
In 1976 WEF realised it was no longer suitable to award the William Viner Memorial Prize and the Charity Commissioners amended the Scheme once again. But the Mrs J H Early Travelling Scholarship was to be awarded to full time Upper School students at Henry Box School. The Ben Causor Memorial Fund would also continue to be available for students of Henry Box School.
In 1983 grants were being made to schools and other institutions at the discretion of the Governors of WEF. Clothing grants, where money had previously been given to local shops, were no longer provided as parents wanted to buy clothing elsewhere. In fact not many clothing grants were by then being given and in the following year these were restricted and alternative educational pursuits promoted.
In 1984 WEF felt a formal advertisement promoting their work should be produced as this had not happened for some time.
WEF is indebted to Pat Hobday of the Local History Group of Witney U3A for her research into the archives of the charity.
Witney has been famous for the manufacture of woollen blankets since the Middle Ages. The water for the production of these blankets is drawn from the River Windrush, which was believed to be the secret of Witney's high-quality blankets. Mops were also traditionally made by the blanket manufacturers, at one time every ship in the Royal Navy had Witney mops aboard. The Blanket Hall in High Street was built in 1721 for weighing and measuring blankets. At one time there were five blanket factories in the town but with the closure of the largest blanket maker in 2002, Early's, the town's blanket industry completely ceased production. But Witney United FC retains its nickname 'The Blanketmen' from the town's traditional trade.
History of WEF
The charity exists to provide educational grants for young people who have been educated or born locally and who are under twenty five years of age. The charity has a long history and today makes it possible for local young people to enhance their opportunities in lots of ways by providing grants. Requests for support are received from schools, youth clubs, teachers, social workers and parents or carers themselves to enable all to benefit from the school curriculum and extra-curricular activities, irrespective of their ability to pay. WEF is a charity that has helped many in the past and still continues its good work.
Education in Witney
The Bluecoat School building sits on Narrow Hill in the West End of Witney. Thomas Early (1655-1733) persuaded John Holloway, a wealthy clothier born in Witney but then living in London, to found the Bluecoat School in 1723 and make provision for it under the terms of his will. The schoolhouse that was provided was actually a house that John Holloway had had newly built for himself, it was divided up so that the master of the school could live in one part and the boys in the other. It was originally set up to educate sons of journeymen weavers in reading, writing and accounting with a view to them becoming apprenticed when they left. In the terms of John Holloway's will ten boys from Witney and five from Hailey were to be educated at the school and were given blue coats to wear. The idea of wearing blue coats came from the Bluecoat Hospital for boys, a charitable foundation in London. By 1833 the master also taught up to 45 fee-paying pupils as well as the Bluecoat foundation boys who attended free. John Wright, who was a native of Witney but then living in the USA, gave a financial boost of £4,800 to the school in 1867. When the Blue Coat School was closed down in 1902 funds from his endowment as well as that of John Holloway were transferred to the Grammar School on Church Green; £150 a year was then available to benefit blanket workers' children in the form of scholarships, apprenticeships or clothing on starting a job, The Grammar School also named one of their in-school houses 'Holloway'.
The original Scheme of WEF was approved and established in 1901 by order of the Charity Commissioners and was comprised of the Technical School (this building was at the rear of the Methodist Church) established in 1897, the John Holloway Charity of 1727 and the John Wright gift of 1860. The school of the foundation would be a secondary school, enabling it to earn grants from the Board of Education. Children between the ages of 8 and 14 years were admitted and both girls and boys were allowed to board. The school was known as The Witney Grammar and Technical School. The Almshouses in the churchyard and Curbridge Farm were not educational and were administered separately but the Grammar and Technical School was included in the scheme and the whole was governed by the WEF.
The Governors were as follows:
- 3 representing Oxfordshire County Council
- 3 representing the Worshipful Company of Grocers (one of the "Great Twelve" Livery Companies of the City of London)
- 3 representing Witney Urban District Council
- 1 representing the Hebdominal Council of the University of Oxford
- 3 representing Holloways Almshouses Charities.
The Scheme was amended in 1902, providing for Governors to be appointed to serve for 3 and not 4 years.
As early as 1909 the Governors wanted to increase the scope of the Scheme to include other educational establishments and in 1912 the Board of Education gave WEF permission to sell land in West End and the buildings in Narrow Hill which had previously been the Bluecoat School. The Governors of WEF spent a great deal of time on the administration of Witney Grammar and Technical School, but this was a time when some very useful investments were made which provided solid income in later years. The advice of the Charity Commissioners is always sought and taken when stock is moved. WEF continued to manage the Holloway and Wright Apprenticeships which included their travelling expenses.
The Board of Education began to pursue a more uniform policy, and in April 1927 asked the Education Committee of Oxfordshire County Council to arrange uniform fees for all secondary schools in the County. The Governors of WEF agreed on an annual fee of twelve guineas. In January 1928 the Governors of Witney Grammar School were recommended to sell their Technical buildings. At this time WEF had authority over the Grammar School but in the 1930s WEF widened its interest to Evening School members and in March 1936 separate accounts were submitted. In November 1937 the Grammar School was to be handed to Oxfordshire County Council but agreement could not be reached until May 1938.
In 1939 the Governing body of WEF was altered and now consisted of:
- 4 representing Witney Urban District Council
- 2 representing Witney Rural District Council
- 2 representing Oxfordshire County Council (as the local education authority)
- 1 representing the Worshipful Company of Grocers
- 1 representing the Trustees of Witney Town Charities
- 2 co-opted (1 of whom must be a woman!)
The Schemes were updated several times over the years and in September 1939 the Governors of the Grammar School informed WEF they would not be meeting due to the war emergency. WEF continued to meet and was temporarily known as the WE Emergency Committee. On 23 May 1941 the house committee formed themselves into WEF (committee estates) so that estate business could still be dealt with while the Grammar School Governors were absent.
In the 1950s WEF were still only allocating grants to the children of those engaged in the blanket trade from Witney, Hailey or Crawley but in 1960 the Minister of Education altered the latest Scheme so that it read 'assisting any institution of Witney Urban District Council which is held in trust for the provision of facilities in the interest of social welfare, for recreation or other leisure-time occupation with the object of improving the life for the inhabitants of Witney UDC and its neighbourhood'. The words 'Witney Grammar School' were substituted by 'any school or educational establishment in the said UDC'. This Scheme was implemented in June 1963.
In 1966 the County Education Department sought the views of WEF about their plans to reorganise secondary education on comprehensive lines and the proposal that Witney Grammar School would be known as Henry Box School to commemorate the 17th century founder of the school The County Education Department sought the views of WEF.
In 1976 WEF realised it was no longer suitable to award the William Viner Memorial Prize and the Charity Commissioners amended the Scheme once again. But the Mrs J H Early Travelling Scholarship was to be awarded to full time Upper School students at Henry Box School. The Ben Causor Memorial Fund would also continue to be available for students of Henry Box School.
In 1983 grants were being made to schools and other institutions at the discretion of the Governors of WEF. Clothing grants, where money had previously been given to local shops, were no longer provided as parents wanted to buy clothing elsewhere. In fact not many clothing grants were by then being given and in the following year these were restricted and alternative educational pursuits promoted.
In 1984 WEF felt a formal advertisement promoting their work should be produced as this had not happened for some time.
WEF is indebted to Pat Hobday of the Local History Group of Witney U3A for her research into the archives of the charity.