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Institution for the Deaf and Dumb, Tyndalls Park (1874–1907)

Bristol’s first purpose-built school for the Deaf was officially opened on 16 June 1874 at the corner of Elmdale Road and Queens Avenue, Clifton. The site, now occupied by an office block, was bought in several stages between 1872 and 1874, cost £7000, of which £2000 came from public donations. Robert James Jackson, Master of the previous Deaf school at 3 Park Row, was heavily involved in the planning of the school, which opened with a total of 35 pupils. Jackson, however, left at the same time, and he was replaced as Master by William Barnes Smith.

Smith’s time at the school coincided with the Milan Congress, and international meeting of teachers of Deaf-Mutes in September 1880. The Milan Congress is a highly controversial milestone in Deaf culture because it demanded that signing in Deaf education be stopped.

Up to this point, some British schools had been teaching the Deaf with a combination of manual (finger-spelling and signing) and oral methods. Bristol was unusual in that Smith tried introducing lip-reading in 1877-1878 to boys who had previously been hearing but had become deaf. This experiment failed, and showed Smith that the oral method(s) was suspect. Up until 1884, the Bristol committee overseeing the Deaf school had not dictated teaching methods one way or the other, but in that year the committee recorded that the institute should pursue the Oral method as follows: ‘[They should] endeavour to repress signs as much as is practicable, and to encourage the children … to express their wants and thoughts in ordinary phrases – in words not signs (which, however, is most natural and easy to them) …’ A year later, Smith was using the Oral method only for the youngest pupils, but by 1889 another class, to be exclusively Oral Method, was introduced to the school, probably due to pressure from the national Deaf Education establishment.

In 1887, classes for Deaf schooling also began in the city, in the basement of Castle School, Castle Green; a year later, the state-funded Bristol School Board Kingsdown Institution for Deaf Children opened in Kingsdown Parade. Bristol could not justify two Deaf schools, and in March 1906 a Government Inspector confirmed that the local Board of Education had decided to close the school.

Notes

sylvia ede

6 years ago

I have an ancestor John Church born abt 1858 Purton Workhouse Wilts lived in Wootton Bassett but was a pupil at The Institution of the Deaf and Dumb 3 Park Row Bristol ref.1871 census. His name was John Church..He learnt to be a shoe and bootmaker and went back to Wootton Basset ref.1881 census and with the skills taught by the school.managed to.take over the Shoe Shop in High Street Wootton Bassett that used to belong to (William Church possibly his father or close relation).I.m searching for his entry details into the Institution prior to 1871 so it may throw some light on his mother Harriet (Henrietta) Church the widow of William Hiscock who married my Ggandfather Thomas Brien in 1869.Thomas disappeared after producing 2 boys one my Grandfather Joseph Brown b.1872 Wootton.Bassett. Harriet remarried after 7 years of Thomas Brown.s absence only to find that Thomas Brown was still alive ref.marriage cert. Herbert Brown the other son in 1886 Merthyr Tydfil. .Harriet produced other boys from the first Farmer.s son in 1851 Mark Church.I have found out quite a lot about the ancestry of my Church family but my nee Brown ancestry is a mystery. It would be good if the deaf institution still hold records of John Church...Thank you. Sylvia Ede

nnourse

6 years ago

Sylvia, This is very interesting information about the Institute. If you wish to look into this further, I suggest the Bristol Record Office might be worth a call; they hold many of the city's Deaf Institution records, and that just may include class lists and other registers that might add to your family history.