| Description | In July 1507, William Smith, bishop of Lincoln, gave the prior and convent of Laund, Leics. enough money to appropriate the estates of the parish and parsonage of Rostherne on the condition that they made an annual payment of £10 to the Mayor and citizens of Chester who were in turn to pay this to the Master of Farnworth School.
At the Dissolution of the Monasteries the £10 payment was preserved by the Court of Augmentations to be paid out of the tithes of Rostherne by the Dean and Chapter of Oxford (or whoever leased the tithes from them).
Various other grants were made in favour of the School. In 1547, Matthias Smith (first principal of Brasenose College, Oxford) bequeathed a tenement and lands in Sutton (Prescot) to his nephew on condition that a yearly payment of 20s. was made to the School (this payment was known as Sutton Chiefs). In 1638, Henry Plumpton bequeathed lands in Rainhill to feoffees in trust to uses of the School and c.1694, J Plumpton gave land in Penketh to both Farnworth Chapel and School.
Farnworth School was under the control of the Mayor and Corporation of Chester up until c.1623 when the inhabitants of the chapelry of Farnworth elected ten trustees to manage the School. By 1805, the trustees were being elected from each township in the chapelry. The trustees made the appointment of headmaster.
In 1877, the School closed due to lack of adequate accommodation. A "New Scheme" was drawn up by the Charity Commissioners in 1879 and, despite some opposition, was implemented. Management of the School was placed in the hands of ten governors (six representative and four co-opted). The existing trustees became governors, thereafter to be appointed by the Widnes Local Board (2), Widnes School Board (2) local magistrates (2), the remainder appointed by the general body of governors subject to the approval of the Charity Commissioners. The new School commenced in temporary accommodation in October 1883 and in January 1884 the new building was opened.
In January 1906, Farnworth School was amalgamated with Widnes Secondary School which had been opened in 1897. Until 1931, the School shared buildings with the Municipal Technical College. In that year it transferred to new buildings and was renamed the Wade Deacon Grammar School. In 1974, it was re-organised as a comprehensive school.
For associated records see SL 348 especially SL 348/22 Terms and regulations of Farnworth School, Jul 1805 and SL 348/23 Print of Farnworth School. |