ALLEGED VIOLENCE IN SHEFFIELD SCHOOL - 1878
"(Isabella Buckley) whose death is alleged to have been caused by corporal punishment"
When I was researching my family history, I found that my great grandparents Alonzo and Mary Ann Hemsworth were married on Xmas Day 1878 at St John's Church, Wybourn, Sheffield. On their marriage certificate, they gave their address as "Norwich Street" which is in the Park District of Sheffield. When I entered "Norwich Street, Park" in a newspaper archive, I came across the following report which I found rather disturbing to say the least. It is from the Manchester Guardian dated 25th September 1878
Daily News (London, England), dated Wednesday, September 25, 1878 added further detail in it's report of the assault
The next report I have is from the local newspaper The Sheffield and Rotherham Independent dated the same day
The Manchester Guardian in their edition dated 27th September 1878 updated its readers with the following information.
The final report is from a supplement to The Sheffield and Rotherham Independent and gives a detailed account of the resumed inquest and the verdict
And the reason why Isabella was assaulted. The Derby Mercury (Derby, England), dated Wednesday, September 25, 1878; stated
A SCHOLAR KILLED BY A PUPIL TEACHER
The Sheffield coroner today investigated the cause of a child named Buckley who had died on Saturday. She was a pupil in one of the board schools. Some months since a pupil teacher struck her a severe blow on the back of the head because she asked twice to go to the closet: a fit resulted and she has never been well since. Death resulted from an effusion on the brain. The Inquest was adjourned."
The Liverpool Mercury briefly reported the Jury's verdict in their edition dated 28th September 1878
The inquest on the body of Isabella Buckley aged ten whose death is alleged to have been caused by corporal punishment, inflicted in a board school at Sheffield was concluded on Thursday. An OPEN VERDICT was returned, the jury expressing a strong opinion that the school board should prevent corporal punishment. (The site of the Inquest was the Norfolk Hotel)
I should add that an open verdict is a finding by a coroner's jury of death without stating the cause - The verdict strictly means that the jury confirms that the death is suspicious but is unable to reach any of the other verdicts open to them. It therefore affirms that a crime has been committed without stating by whom
The Hull Packet and East Riding Times also reported on the Inquest in their edition dated 4th October 1878.
Based purely on these newspaper reports - the inquest papers will in all likelihood have been destroyed many years ago, I would state that Florence Asman was extremely fortunate not to face criminal charges. It must be admitted that the case against her was based on allegations from Isabella's mother Sarah who did not see the actual attack and two of Isabella's school-friends who stated that they did witness the assault. The cause of death was "serum on the brain" but whether this was due to natural causes or the alleged assault the jury could not decide, and returned an open verdict. I am of the opinion that Florence should have been at least arrested and charged for the alleged offence. It is clear that the jury were uneasy about the verdict as they issued a strong recommendation to the School Board requesting that they should exercise "great vigilance" in ensuring that the rules are kept. In other words they more or less inferred that Miss Asman did assault Isabella otherwise why did they issue their advice. And if the Derby Mercury's report is correct in that Isabella received "a severe blow" across the back of the head from Miss Asman, I really cannot see why criminal proceedings were not initiated by the Coroner.
Two other fairly minor points are worth noting. There is no indication that Isabella was a sick child prior to the assault. The 1881 Census seems to indicate the family were exceedingly robust especially given the rampant child mortality rates in the district. And secondly the assault seems to have occurred just around the time Florence Asman was getting married to William Steer. Knowing that she was leaving the school as was the norm when getting married, was she unduly stressed at the time, and lost her temper with Isabella?. Pure conjecture I must admit but if the case had gone to court, the lingering suspicion that an assault had occurred would have been resolved one way or the other.
As for Isabella, I had difficulty locating her grave. I have records from the Sheffield FHS and so it was a matter of trawling through
them. I eventually found her in the churchyard of St Mary's Bramall Lane (next to the football ground)
BUCKLEY Isabella 25 Sep 1878 age 10 Address Park,Hague Lane
The church is still there but all the memorials have been laid flat or removed
Notes
1. Schools under the control of locally elected School Boards were made
possible by the 1870 Education Act. Drafted by William Forster, Education
Minister in the government headed by William Gladstone, the act stated that any
area which voted for it could have a school board. These new board schools could
charge fees but they were also eligible for government grants and could also be
paid for out of local government rates.
Boards provided an education for the five to ten age group. School boards came
to an end with the passing of the 1902 Education Act.
2. Florence was the daughter of Wilfred and Marina Asman. The 1871 census finds Florence living at 81 Washington Road in the Sharrow district of Sheffield. Both her parents are 37 years of age and her father's occupation is given as "silver finisher." The census also states that he was born in Birmingham
Baptism 27 Dec 1859 • St. Mary's, Sheffield, York, England
3. Marriages Mar 1878
ASMAN Florence Kate Sheffield Volume9c Page450
STEER William George R Sheffield Volume9c Page450
Household Record 1881 British Census
Name Relation Marital Status Gender Age Birthplace Occupation Disability
William G.R. STEER Head M Male 33 London, Middlesex, England Clerk (Steel
Merchant)
Florence R. STEER Wife M Female 21 Sheffield, York, England
Albert R. STEER Son Male 7 m Sheffield, York, England
Annie M. JACKSON Servant U Female 19 Sheffield, York, England Domestic Servant
Source Information: Dwelling 34 Kearsley Rd Census Place Ecclesall Bierlow,
York, England
Family History Library Film 1342120 Public Records Office Reference RG11 Piece /
Folio 4637 / 38 Page Number 12
1901 Census
1911 Census
Name: Florence Kate Steer
Age in 1911: 51 Estimated Birth Year: abt 1860
Relation to Head: Head
Gender: Female
Birth Place: Sheffield, Yorkshire, England Civil Parish: Ecclesall
Street Address: 76 Steade Rd Sharrow Sheffield
Marital status: Widowed
Occupation: Setting Apartments
Registration District Number: 509
Sub-registration District: Ecclesall South
ED, institution, or vessel: 02
Piece: 27780
Household Members:
Name Age
Florence Kate Steer 51
Kate Elizabeth Steer 12
BURIAL RECORD
B2 63 General Cemetery
Albert Rowley STEER Son of William George Knoley Steer, Book Keeper, 34 Kearsley Road
age: 7m, buried: 20 Apr 1881
William Charles STEER Artist, Ecclesall Union age: 70, buried: 8 Jun 1892
Percdy Wogon STEER Chaser, Summerfield Street age: 45, buried: 6 Mar 1896
William George Rowley STEER Book Keeper, 237 Abbeydale Road age: 56, buried: 4 Aug 1903
Florence Kate Steer BIRTH 1860
DEATH 8 Jan 1939 (aged 78–79)
BURIAL Sheffield General Cemetery Sheffield, Metropolitan Borough of Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England
PLOT B2 63 MEMORIAL ID 220660149 ·
The irony is that three years after being in part responsible for the death of Isabella, Florence was burying her own son Arthur in Sheffield's General Cemetery
4. 1881 Census Household:
Name Relation Marital Status Gender Age Birthplace Occupation Disability
Robert BUCKLEY Head M Male 37 Sheffield, York, England Shoemaker
Sarah A. BUCKLEY Wife M Female 35 Sheffield, York, England
Charles BUCKLEY Son Male 15 Sheffield, York, England Pen & Pocket Knife Grinder
Annie BUCKLEY Daughter Female 10 Sheffield, York, England Scholar
Edward BUCKLEY Son Male 7 Sheffield, York, England Scholar
Henry BUCKLEY Son Male 5 Sheffield, York, England Scholar
Albert BUCKLEY Son Male 3 Sheffield, York, England
Walter BUCKLEY Son Male 7 m Sheffield, York, England
Source Information:
Dwelling 77 Hague Lane Census Place Sheffield, York, England
Family History Library Film 1342125 Public Records Office Reference RG11Piece /
Folio 4655 / 13 Page Number 20
5. The graves of Isabella's parents and brother
Buckley, Albert (Book binder, age 20).
Died at 150 Lord St; Buried on July 4, 1898 in Consecrated ground;
Grave Number 12692, Section X of City Road Cemetery, Sheffield.
Buckley, Robert (shoemaker, age 41).
Died at 77 Haigh Lane; Buried on July 21, 1885 in Consecrated ground;
Grave Number 12692, Section X of City Road Cemetery, Sheffield.
Buckley, Sarah Ann (Widow, age 65).
Died at 158 Lord St; Buried on January 17, 1912 in Consecrated ground;
Grave Number 12692, Section X of City Road Cemetery, Sheffield.
Sources
Manchester Guardian dated 25th - 27th September 1872
The Sheffield and Rotherham Independent dated 25th September 1878
Supplement to The Sheffield and Rotherham Independent
The Hull Packet and East Riding Times dated 4th October 1878.
Liverpool Mercury dated 28th September 1878
Sheffield Indexers
UK Census
This page was last updated on 06/11/24 16:05