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Liverpool Record Office states that the first school here was built in 1845, shortly after the originaly church (build 1842). May have been rebuilt in 1855 to accommodate 693 pupils. The original building is used for other purposes; there are separate Infant and Junior schools in more modern accommodation, the juniors in Montague Rd and the infants in St Oswald St. The photo here is of the old parish hall. The Record Office holds log books from 1863 - 1961, as well as a photograph album (boys’ class) dating from the late 1920s. The school was run by the Sisters of Mercy for many years; in 1911 it is listed as being next to the convent.

I’m gradually building up information about the teachers - once I’ve looked at the log books that will help! In 1891, the boys’ mistress was Mary DEVLIN. In 1894 the Infants’ Mistress was Sister Mary Ambrose, the girls’ mistress was Sister Mary Mercy. Mary DEVLIN was still listed as the Boys’ Mistress.  

The building in the photo dates from 1892. The exact date is apparently on a statue in the grounds of the new school. The infant school was rebuilt in 1973. Thereby hangs a tale!..
St Oswald's
St Oswald's Jun_2006

Workmen were demolishing houses for the site of the new infants’ school when they found 3,561 unmarked coffins were buried there, stacked sixteen feet deep. The parish priest had thought there might be ‘five or six’ graves there, although the site had never been a graveyard. The bodies were of children aged about 10 to young adults, and were grouped according to age. To this day no-one knows how they died or why they were buried there, although one expert did estimate that the graves dated from about 1700. The bodies were cremated before any investigations could be carried out. 

Below Right - Parish Hall

Left - old school building, built 1892

Below left - current Junior School
St Oswald's_2006

See the PASTLIVErpool site for group photos from 1927 and 1927!
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