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Institution for the Deaf and Dumb, 3 Park Row (1859–1874) [also referred to as being at 11 Park Row]
This point on the map shows number 3 Park Row, and the second location in the street of the Bristol Institution for the Deaf and Dumb. Opened in 1859, the building had previously been a 2-story house, but a third floor was added for the boys’ dormitory. Girls at the school slept on the first floor above the school room, which was made by knocking through the two sitting rooms of the original house. The cost of the building in 1859 was £1800.
The Master at the school was Mr Clyne, from previous Park Row Institute, accompanied by his wife as Matron to the school. Like others in charge of the school, the Clynes left under a cloud in 1862, to be replaced by Robert James Jackson. At first, a Miss Bannister was appointed as Matron, but she was later replaced by the new Mrs Jackson. Jackson stayed as Master until 1874 and was generally supported by committee. But in 1865, he was discovered to be teaching sign language to the pupils, as opposed to manual finger-spelling as had been the case up to then. The school Committee accepted that signing was useful for communication between pupils, but were of the opinion that signing was not useful in talking with parents and friends; Jackson was told to limit the use of signing at the school.
In 1874, 3 Park Row was abandoned for a new, purpose-built school for the Deaf in Tyndalls Park. Years later, the old Deaf Institute was taken over by the Army and used as the Headquarters of the South Midland Division Royal Engineers, a Volunteer Reserve unit of the First World War. The site is now a block of flats.
