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A history of the Greenwich Blue Coat Schools


1700 ~ 2014
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The extensive School Archives contain a vast array of documents relating to the whole period of the School’s existence. The oldest documents are three books:


An Account Book, which dates from the founding of the school in 1700, has the title page:



The Accounts of Money’s Reacev’d and Paid for The Teaching, Cloathing, etc., Thirty Poor Girls, in ye Charity Schoole, At Greenwich. From Midsummer 1700.

The accounts in the book cover the period 1700 to 1745. There are also some ‘Memoranda’ in the back of the book one of which is reproduced below.


The second book is an Order Book which contains a lot of information about the early history of the school. There are minutes of the Ladies’ Committee for 1712 to 1739 and 1748 to 1758.


Details of money received from Sermons is included for the years 1712 to 1717 together with the Treasurer’s Accounts from 1748 to 1758. Lists of girls in the school are included for the years 1749 to 1757.

Memorandum from the Accounts Book 1722

June ye 28 1722 Delivered by Mrs Gastrell into the hands of Mrs Flamsteed the Lease of the Charity School in London Street belonging to the Girls for the Tearm of Fifty Years paying Fifty Shillings a Year Bearing date the Seventh of March in the fourteenth Year of the Reighn of King William. The Trustees are Dr John Maplecroft, Mr John Flamsteed, Mr George Fuller, Mr Gabriel Garret

Signed Katherine Richardson

Received the afforsaid Lease by Me Margaret Flamsteed

(Original spelling)

Two pages contain some very interesting information. One sets out the Scheme of Management adopted by the Ladies when the school was reorganised in 1748 and the other details the “Rules to be observ’d by the Mistress & Children”.


The third book is an Order Book which contains Minutes of the Ladies’ Committee from 1759 to 1793, lists of girls from 1759 to 1788, the Treasurer’s Account 1759 to 1792 and Memorandum 1790 to 1794. This book is written in the most beautiful calligraphic style, with every page carefully set out.

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