The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-11-12 00:00:00

THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.

TOWN EDITION.

OPENING OF THE NEW SCHOOLS
CONNECTED WITH
ST. MICHAEL'S CHURCH, TOXTETH-PARK

T:re schools were opened on Wednesday last, and though
the weather was unpropitious, the attendance of friends
was numerous. Shortly after twelve o'clock a number
of the influential members of the congregation assembled,
with their families, and several of the clergy, at the house
of the Rev. W. Hesketh, the incumbent ; and about one
a procession of the children of the schools, followed by a
number of ladies and gentlemen, and headed by the band
of the Blue Coat School, moved towards the site of the
new schools, in Lark-lane. The buildings are arranged
in three divisions of nearly equal dimensions, under the
same roof, for boys, girls, and infants respectively ; and
have been most substantially built and suitably furnished
by Mr. Edward Roberts, of Washington-street. When
the children had taken their places in the lower school-
room, the Rev. W. Hesketh opened the meeting with
prayer, which was followed by appropriate collects, and
concluded by a fervent and impressive prayer prepared
for the occasion. This service being brought to a close,
the children sang th. Hundredth Psalm, and the Rev.
Chairman addressed the company to the following effect :
—He expressed his deep and cordial gratification at the
generous and prompt contributions already given in the
neighbourhood towards the erection of the schools, and
the speedy manner in which they' had been applied, little
more than twelve months having elapsed since the build-
ing, (now completed for use,) was first contemplated.
Their high object in view, inprospective, was well known ;
their present object was not to establish schools where
none were before, but, in proportion to the enlargement
of the neighbourhood, to enlarge the previous school ac-
commodation, and, upon the solid and unerring principles
of divine appointment, to carry out those texts of Scrip-
ture inscribed on the walls of the schools, and thereby to
mould the heart in obedience to their restraints and obli-
gations. This was the only system upon which God had
promised his blessing in his Holy Word—that children
being trained in his fear and love, might possess an eternal
inheritance. With respect to the infant school, the only
new branch proposed in their system, he would not delay
them, as he was pledged to bring the subject (more ap-
propriately) before them on
.Sunday next. He thanked
all present for their contributions, and requested them to
unite with him in a vote of thanks to their kind friend and
neighbour, Mr. Beckwith, who had proved himself not
only a liberal benefactor, but a skilful architect and able
superintendent. In conclusion, he addressed the children
in an earnest and affectionate manner, urging them to
early attendance, diligence, and good conduct.
The rev. gentleman then proceeded to award prizes of
books to four of the children, two boys and two girls, who
had attended the school the longest period with diligence
and punctuality. The national anthem, " Lord of Heaven
and earth, and ocean," was then sung by the children,
who then passed in order to the upper, or girls' school-
room, where a substantial dinner of roast beef and plum
pudding was provided for them, and where they were
speedily joined by numbers of the company, who seemed
to derive as much gratification from the inspection of the
scene as the children did in the enjoyment of it. Thus,
though not till nearly four o'clock, terminated the inter-
esting and important ceremony of opening the Saint Mi-
chael a School—a festival which will be long remembered
by all, both young and old, who were engaged in it.