Note: William was born in Leicester in 1857. He was the son of William and Selina Grant and was born after his father's death. He began work as an office boy and promoted to school attendance officer in 1890.
The post of school attendance officer originated with the 1870 Education Act
The Education Act of 1870
It was with the Education Act of 1870, also known as the "Forster Act", that we have the real birth of the modern system of education in England. This not only gave rise to a national system of stateeducation but also assured the existence of a dual system - voluntary denominational schools and nondenominational state schools.
The act required the establishment of elementary schools nationwide. These were not to replace or duplicate what already existed but supplement those already run by the churches, private individuals and guilds.
The country was divided into school districts and in those areas where there was inadequate provision school boards were to be elected. These were responsible for raising sufficient funds to maintainthe schools. The schools were often called " board schools".
These elementary schools had to be non-denominational. The school boards could charge a weekly fee not exceeding 9 pence. For a limited period the school boards could pay the fees if the parents wereunable to do so. The Voluntary Schools could also receive such payment of fees from the school boards.
They had to guarantee attendance for all children in their respective districts between the ages of 5 and 13. The School Board could appoint officers to enforce attendance. These officers or "Board Men", as they were commonly known, became one of those terribly menacing figures firmly implanted in the minds of young schoolboys. This figure was an effective deterrent in playing truant. All the moremenacing because the child could only picture him in his imagination (if he faithfully attended school, that is!!). He was also known as the School Attendance Officer.
Religious instruction was an integral part of the school curriculum but was not compulsory. This was to be nondenominational.
Since 1870 Voluntary Schools declined except Roman Catholic Schools because Boards Schools provided better buildings and higher pay for teachers.
Elementary education became effectively free with the passing of the 1891 Education Act.
Local authority attendance officers responsible for the enforcement of compulsory attendance changed their approach to truancy under the influence of child welfare legislation and changing views of the child in the first decade of the twentieth century. Some of the changes in their work emerged as a direct response to implementing the law in relation to child welfare, but at the same time, attendance officers themselves increasingly aspired to a new welfare role which emphasized support and help for the needy family in place of the punitive role they had previously undertaken. However, it wasfar from easy for them to transform their image from the familiar one of the ‘kid catcher’.
Attendance Officer's would also keep an eye out for children who had been mistreated and were undernourished.
In 1881 he was married to Emma Willis and the family announcement of the wedding gives his name as 'William Hastings Grant'... It's the only time I've seen the Hastings middle name, including his birth certificate!
William's daughter Vera was born about 1907 and wife Emma is shown as a widow in 1911. William died in 1910 and is buried at Leicester Welford Road Cemetery in a plot with his mother, sister and two aunts.
Data Changed
Data Changed:
Date: 3 May 2008
Time: 01:00:00
Prior to import, this record was last changed 01:00:00 3 May 2008.
WikiTree profile Grant-1943 created through the import of Rob-Grant-pruned.ged on Dec 28, 2011 by Robert Grant. See the Changes page for the details of edits by Robert and others.
Source: S10 Repository: #REPO1 Title: 1871 England Census
Repository: REPO1 Name: www.ancestry.co.uk
Source: S11 Repository: #REPO1 Title: 1881 England Census
Source: S12 Repository: #REPO1 Title: 1891 England Census
Source: S13 Repository: #REPO1 Title: 1901 England Census Page: RG13/2986 125 Data: Text: 16 Grape St, Leicester
Source: S14 Repository: #REPO3 Title: Marriage Certificate
Repository: REPO3 Name: Robert Anthony Grant
Source: S17 Repository: #REPO1 Title: 1851 England Census
Source: S18 Repository: #REPO1 Title: 1861 England Census
Source: S2 Title: Leicester School Exemption Registers
Source: S23 Title: Wrights Directory of Leicester 1911
Source: S3 Repository: #REPO1 Title: FreeBMD Death Index 1837-1983
Source: S4 Title: 1911 England Census
Source: S41 Repository: #REPO6 Title: Wrights Directory of Leicester 1887-1888
↑ Source: #S14 Page: MXD 825039 Data: Text: 1881 Leicester 7a p501 - Witnessed by John Brown & Sarah Annie King Date: 19 Nov 1881
↑ Source: #S96 Data: Text: Leicester Chronicle : 26th November 1881 : GRANT - WILLIS. On the 19th inst., at the Registrar's Office, Leicester, by licence, William Hastings Grant, second son of the late William Grant, to Emma Willis, daughter of H. Willis, parish clerk, of Rothwell, near Kettering.
↑ Source: #S23 Page: page 61 Data: Text: Grape Street - 19 Grant, Mrs Emma Date: 1911
↑ Source: #S7 Page: 1916 - page 202 Data: Text: Highcross Street CONT ============= CONT Friars Causeway --- CONT No 110 - down to CONT 82 Grant Mrs. Emma, apartments. CONT Blue Boar Lane ---
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