Seaford Museum

AMY CHAMBERS: SEAFORD’S REMARKABLE HEADTEACHER

Miss Amy Chambers was for 39 years the first headmistress of Seaford’s first state school in Church Street. During all that time she kept a School Log – a daily diary – that provides us today with an exceptional example of living history from 1890 to 1928. These school logs record Miss Chambers’ work, representing some of the highlights of the school years – some of them joyous, some of them sad., but all expressing the care, the warmth, and the love that Miss Chambers had for ‘our little ones’. Kevin Gordon has collected and edited the most poignant of the entries in the logs and with a foreword by Ron Vince, and these have now been published by Seaford Museum in a booklet on sale in the Martello Tower.

Miss Chambers, at the age of 21, was appointed to run the newly built Church Street Infants’ School from January 1890. Within only two weeks of the school’s opening, the headmistress wrote: ‘The school closed today for two weeks on account of the prevailing illnesses among the children.’ From the height of Victorian England, to the Boer War, the passing of Queen Victoria and the awfulness of the Great War itself, Miss Chambers kept a meticulous and detailed record of events in her school and Seaford at large.

Debilitating illnesses often caused the school to close and is a serious theme in Miss Chambers’ notes. Her comments provide a much wider and colourful picture of the school life during those first four decades.

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Deadline for the October issue is 6th September. ‘December 20 1911 The children are to break up tomorrow afternoon, but first they are to secure a beautiful toy and sweetmeat from a magnificent Xmas Tree. The teachers have dressed 40 dolls at no small amount of time and trouble, but I feel they will be repaid when they see the happy recipients tomorrow.’

A Sad Memorial Service

There is a touching reminder of the devastating loss of life in the 1914 – 18 war:

‘We are holding a Memorial Service this afternoon in Honour of the 34 laddies from this school who have given their lives for us.’ (November 1918)

In September 1923 Miss Chambers wryly reported: ‘A circus has visited the town today and, as usual, it has made havoc with the attendance.’

There is joy, sadness and humanity in Miss Chambers logs, right up to her last entry in 1928: ‘October 31st 1928 I sincerely regret to state that I am relinquishing the post of Head Teacher in this School today after 39 years of very happy work.’

Amy Chambers retired from teaching, and went on to be elected to the on Seaford Urban District Council, serving for nine years before passing away in 1939 at the age of 71.

The original manuscripts of Miss Chambers’ school logs are now conserved in The Keep, and Seaford Museum have permission to reprint extracts from these valuable social documents. The booklet is a charming and poignant view the world of a schoolteacher from 100 years ago, and well worth reading.

Is there anyone with experience of being a Treasurer, and who would be interested in a role at Seaford Museum? Please contact Chairman Jane Keel via info@seafordmuseum.co.uk.