Berwickshire consolidated tax return, 1798

I'm preparing my notes on various tax returns for uploading to my website
and have noticed something odd. In the earlier Window Tax records, only the
more substantial houses are mentioned, and I assumed that the lack of
mention of the schoolhouse was due to the standard of housing of the
schoolmaster. However the Consolidated Tax returns list the Head of
Household of every house in the parish - right down to the ag labs in their
tied cottages - and there's still no mention of the schoolmaster or
schoolhouse. I'd expected that the church and the school wouldn't appear,
but since the Manse is mentioned, it seems a little odd that the schoolhouse
isn't.
Any thoughts anyone?

viv.dunstan...

Is there any chance there wasn't a resident schoolmaster at that
particular time? Do you know who the schoolmaster was then?

Lesley Robertson...

Yes. David Knox was in the job then (from 1791-1809). Whitsome's had a
parochial school since the 16th century, at least.

viv.dunstan...

Ok so that seems to rule out a temporary gap in 1798.

The other thought that occurs to me is that these tax records can be
very hit and miss but I'd have expected the consolidated returns to have
the best lists, and the schoolmaster to be there.

Lesley Robertson...

It seems very complete, otherwise. The only buildings I know to have been
there that are not mentioned are the church, the school and the schoolhouse,
and there's no mention of Mr Knox despite the fact that all the HoHs are
listed. The only thing I can think of is that the school and house were
parts of a single building, which therefore wasn't registered. The current

viv.dunstan...

Or the schoolhouse was part of one building and the schoolmaster lived
elsewhere, not head of household?

Lesley Robertson...

That is a possibility - his first child was bap 1797 so he could have been
staying with in0laws or something, although he'd been in post since 1791 so
he would have had plenty of time to prepare for a family.

Are there any other tax records he could show up in, whether in the E
category or lurking under Gifts & Deposits as sometimes happens?

Lesley Robertson...

I didn't find any wih him in. I've looked at Windows, Working Horses,
Carriage&Horse, Clock&Watch, Male Servants, Female Servants, Carts and Dogs.
I has the impression that was the lot.
I'm beginning to think that the school and schoolhouse were all one
building - there's a detailed description of the "new" school (built 1844,
improved 1866) and the schoolmaster's housing is simply 2 rooms in the same
building as the 2 fairly large schoolrooms (and separate "offices" for the
boys and girls). It seems reasonable that if that's what they had before,
that's what they rebuilt...
Lesley Robertson

Puzzling anyway!

school is a 19th century affair, and there's no description of the earlier
building.
Lesley Robertson

Lesley Robertson