The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1843-05-26 00:00:00

LIVERPOOL INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL.

The foundation-stone of the Industrial School, in con-
nection with the Liverpool Workhouse, intended to be
erected on a plot of land on the west side of Borde-lane,
Kirkdale, was laid yesterday, by the Rev. Augustus Camp-
bell, one of the Rectors of Liverpool, with considerable
ceremony. The day was exceedingly unpropitious, rain
having fallen almost incessantly, except just during theim-
mediate laving of the stone. There were present the church-
wardens, Mr. Houghton and Mr. Wilkinson ; Mr. Hen-
shaw, Mr. Urquhart, Mr. Bright, and several other members
of the select vestry. A procession was formed from the
Workhouse to the ground, of the authorities and the children
of the Blue Coat and parish schools ; and a few minutes past
two o'clock,
The Rev. STEPHEN CRAGG, Chaplain to the Workhouse,
commenced the proceedings by offering the following prayer :
" Almighty God, Sovereign Ruler over all things in Heaven
and in earth, without whom nothing is strong—nothing is
holy—vouchsafe, we beseech thee, thy blessing upon the
building, which is here to be commenced this day. Except
thou, 0 Lord, shouldst build the house, their labour is but
lost that build it. Bless its benevolent designs that they
may in all respects be fully realised—in its being erected not
only for a habitation for the children of the poor and needy,
but also for a seminary and nursery, wherein, under thy
grace, they may he brought up in the knowledge and service
of thee there God; that being trained up in habits of piety
and industry, they may, wher, they go forth into the world,
faithfully and creditably as thy servants acquit themselves in
the several stations of life which, under thy providence, they
may be placed. in imploring thy blessing upon this work of
our hands, we further beseech thee to hear us on behalf of
our most gracious and beloved Queen Victoria, in whose
benign reign it is undertaken : bless her, and likewise her
royal consort Prince Albert; bless their royal children, as
well as all the royal family—with all blessing temporal and
spiritual. Let thy blessing, we pray thee, ever descend upon
the great commercial town, for whose destitute and helpless
children this building is intended. Grant it prosperity,
permeney, and station amongst the cities of all the nations
of the earth, and dispose the recipients of the blessings of
thy providence, -always gratefully and dutifully to acknow-
ledge thee, the Sovereign and bounteous Disposer of them
all. These our several petitions we humbly offer unto thee,
0 Father Almighty, in the name and through the mediation
of thy dear Son, Jesus Christ, our only Mediator and
Saviour."

Mr. Churchwarden IloncirroN then presented a beautiful
silver trowel to Mr. Rector Campbell, adding a few general
observations in the importance of the present undertaking to
the rising generation.
Upon the trowel the following inscription was engraved :
" Presented to the Rev. Augustus Campbell, M.A., one of
the Rectors of Liverpool, upon the occasion of his laying the
foundation-stone of the Industrial Schools of this parish at
Kirkdale, upon the 25th of May, 1843."
The Rev. AUGUSTUS CAMPBELL having accepted the
trowel, proceeded to address the concourse of people nearly
follows :—I thank you for the favour which you have done
m in appointing me to this office ; and I rejoice sincerely
that the day has arrived on which we may co-operate in the
commencement of a work which I trust by God's mercy will
prove a blessing to- the unhappy and helpless children of
poverty for whom it is designed, affording them an asylum
in early youth in the sorrows and miseries of a sinful world,
and providing them with the means of Christian education,
by which they may be brought up in the faith and fear of
God, and accustomed to those habits of industry and honesty
which may in after life make them good Christians and use-
ful men, or in the words of the Apostle " not slothful in bu-
siness, fervent in spirit serving the Lord." But I rejoice, at
the commencement of this work for another reason, because
I think it will enable us to provide a tardy remedy for those
disorders in the workhouse which have recently obtained
such unhappy, and, with all the abatements that can he made
for exaggeration, such discreditable notoriety. You, who
have been so long connected with the parish, and our friend
Mr. Henshaw who has been so long labouring for the im-
provement of the workhouse, know very well what a constant
source of anxiety this has been to us, and although we have
been prevented from doing all that we ought to have done,
still it must be admitted that we have been baffled by that
which has baffled the Government in the improvement of
prison discipline—for want of room. It is very difficult to
keep such a house as that in order, a house which contains
many very respectable people who have been driven there by
misfortune—those who may without severity be called the
very scum and refuse of society, idle profligates, who prefer
idleness with slavery to work with liberty, and abandoned
women lost to all sense of shame. It is difficult to keep such
a house in order under any circumstances ; without classifi-
cation it is quite impossible ; therefore I trust, with the new
improvements, with the facility which will be given by the
building of this school, that we may commence a system of
classification which will restore discipline to the Workhouse.
I will, under present circumstances, detain you by any length
ened observations, but conclude with expressing my anxious
hope and prayer, in the spirit of that prayer which was ut-
tered by the chaplain, that this building may, by God's
blessing—and without God's blessing nothing can prosper—
tend to the moral elevation of the deserving poor, and the
correctiod of the disorderly poor. tGreat applause.)
The stone was then adjusted and laid with the usual cere-
monies by the worthy rector. A bottle containing the seve-
ral coins of the realm, a copy of Gore's Advertiser for the
day, also Gore's Directory, a list of the rectors, churchwar-
dens, and select vestry, was deposited in the stone beneath a
brass plate, which bore the following inscription :
" The foundation stone of this building, intended as an In-
dustrial School for the parish of Liserpool, was laid by the
Rev. Augustus Campbell, M.A., one of the rectors of this
parish, upon the 25th May, 1813. F. H. Lockwood, T.
Allom, architects, London."

The children then snug a hymn, and the Rev. Mr. Cragg
having pronounced the Apostolic benediction, the proceed-
ings terminated. Previous to leaving the ground the child-
ren were regaled with cake and ale, and a royal salute was
fired from the workhouse guns, which had been removed for
this special occasion.

The " Liverpool Industrial School," which is a little to
the north east of Kirkdale House of Correction, will be a
plain but handsome structure, of considerable dimensions.
It will be an ornament to the neighbourhood, and there will
be an excellent view of it from the river. The building.is
caculuted to accommodate 1200 children, so that the exist-
ing workhouse will necessarily be greatly relieved. Inter-
nally, there will be two school rooms, each i 0 feet by 35 feet,
one fur buys, and the other for girls; a dining romo'capacious
enough for 1000 children to dine at once ;,.ai►d roomy dormi-
tories for the entire number. Every boy. above 10 years of
age will s:e.p in a separate bed ; and masters will be provided
to teach them various occupations, by means of which, after
leaving the institution they may be enabled to` earn their
livelihood. The architects are Messrs. Lockwood and Al-
lam, of London. The building is contracted to be executed
for £19,500, and it is to be completed in August, 1844. The
land was purchased for £5OOO from the Earl of Derby and
Mr. John Shaw Leigh.