Research Forum

My first question would be how do you know that this person attended a Grammar School? Do you know if they were a day pupil or a boarder?  Have you found the boy at home or at a school in the 1871 census?

What was the occupation of his father? Sometimes fathers and sons attended the same schools.  Did this boy later attend a University?  Records of University Alumni sometimes mention where they were at school.

Newspaper advertisements of that period often give details of schools in the area.  Look in the newspapers of Somerset especially Wells for possible local schools.

Some Grammar Schools were founded by charities or religious foundations.  Did this person leave a will because I have seen bequests to the school where they were educated.

Can you give us this boy's name? - someone else may have been researching him.

Thank you for replying to my query.  In the 1871 census my great-grandfather, William Thomas Star, was listed as a "scholar".  His father, George, became a solicitor through apprenticeship to a firm in Gloucester.  I believe my great-grandfather did go on to further study after school but did not complete the course.  All we know is that he attended a Grammar School and I wondered if there was one close to Draycott where the family lived. 
I would be grateful for any assistance in finding out this missing piece of family history.

There is a difference between attending a school with "Grammar School" in its title and receiving a Grammar School type education.  If you search the Somerset Archive catalogue for "Grammar School" limiting the dates to between 1860 and 1880 you will see references to Grammar Schools in Somerset for that period.  As it doesn't look as if your great-grandfather went to a boarding school (at least before 1871) you are looking for a school near enough for him to attend daily.  There was a school in Draycott itself - "Parochial School (mixed), built in 1866 on a portion of the glebe adjoining the churchyard, for 130 children; average attendance, 84"  from a Kelly's Directory. It was known as the Rodney Stoke and Draycott Parochial School - there is a record of it at the National Archives

• Reference: ED 21/15371
• Description: Rodney Stoke Draycott Parochial School
• Note: Includes Parish File
• Date:1872-1910
• Held by:The National Archives, Kew
• Former reference in its original department School No: 341

It is possible that William Thomas STAR might have attended this school first.  As I mentioned before a search of newspapers might show advertisements for private secondary schools in the locality.  There were certainly many such schools in Weston-super-Mare, Bath, Wells 

In the Western Gazette of Fri 21 Dec 1888 is a long article about the Distribution of Charities in Draycott which contains this paragraph

If there was any surplus of the third portion devoted to the school it could be devoted first to the creation and payment of annual scholarships not exceeding £5 each, to be eligible to meritorious scholars attending the Draycot School tenable for three years ; secondly, for the creation and payment annual exhibitions not exceeding £l0 tenable for three years for any efficiently-conducted school or class of grade superior to the elementary school, with the object of assisting scholars to obtain higher class of education .

Perhaps he received help in this way to attend a higher grade school.

Thank you for your suggestions.  I will do a little more research following your suggestions.