BRACEBOROUGH VILLAGE HALL (formerly the SCHOOLROOM)
Francis Willis 111, a doctor, acquired Braceborough House in 1858 and began a massive reconstruction of the building, using the architect who was overseeing the restoration of the Church, a Mr. Charles Kirk. He continued the running of the mental institutions at Greatford Hall & Shillingthorpe Hall following the death of his uncle John Willis. He was the son of Francis Willis 1 who was physician to George 111 during his periods of madness.
Francis Willis 111 died in 1859 having just moved into the house although the work was not fully completed. He left a wife Henrietta & five daughters & a son living at home. Three of the daughters, Augusta, Eliza & Louisa remained unmarried & the last of these, Louisa died in 1927. The schoolroom was built in 1871 by the spinster daughters. The original building consisted of a single classroom & a small room for the teacher (the present bar area) from where she could ring the bell on the roof to summon the children to school. It was heated by an open fire. The teacher lived in one of the red brick semi-detached houses in Main Street. The Census return for 1881 lists 35 residents as scholars although some may have attended other schools. Most families in the village were involved in agriculture & the children were expected to help drive the beasts to weekly cattle market at Stamford before returning to start lessons.
The schoolroom was only half the size it is today. Not only did it serve as a school but also for village entertainments. In 1925 a garden party was held at Shillingthorpe Hall to raise funds to extend the building. Unfortunately, probably due to cost, the extension had a flat roof which leaked off & on for the next 70 years. Following this work whist drives & dances could be held & after the War the Starlight Band played regularly for these events. At some stage a wooden extension was added to the rear to serve as a kitchen. This provided a warm home for colonies of mice & prior to any event involving food all the crockery had to be washed. Mrs Talbot, wife of the Rector Canon Percy Talbot, obtained a set of crockery marked Braceborough Schoolroom & this was still in use in the 1980’s. A complete set is kept at Stamford Museum. The toilets were earth closets situated behind the kitchen but in a separate building. These remained in use until 1977 when a village working party was formed to fit septic drainage in time the party to celebrate the Royal Silver Wedding.
The school closed in 1907 when the children moved to Greatford. It continued as a nursery for a short time. In the 1970’s, the Rectors wife, Mrs Gwen Howell, ran a small private school. The first reference to a teacher living in the village is in 1972 & she is listed as a lodger, aged 22, from South Luffenham. Kelly’s Directory of 1905 lists a schoolteacher but in 1913 there is no entry.
The Trustees of the schoolroom are the Rector & two churchwardens but they leased it to the Village Hall Committee for 26 years. This was later extended in order to obtain grants from various sources, including the Millennium Fund. The alterations planned required over £50,000 to be raised & depended on at least £5,000 to be provided by the village. Thanks to an enthusiastic fund-raising drive this was achieved thus ensuring the grants became available. The plans included a new kitchen, toilet block, storeroom & most importantly a pitched roof to replace the 1925 flat roof.
Work could finally begin in 1998 & the hall reopened with a party in August 1999. Since then the Village Hall Committee have continued to improve the facilities. The schoolroom now known as the Village Hall continues to benefit the residents of the Parish as was the intention of the Willis sisters when it was built in 1871.
Mrs J GralkaJanuary 2010