Until 1965, the following schools were operated by each district Board. At the beginning of the 1965 to 1966 school year, six districts were operating as one in the new St. Ann's Consolidated School, which accommodated students in Grades 1 to 8; St. Ignatius, St. Ann's, St. Mary's, St. Patrick's, Millvale and Toronto Road.

Over the years 1965 to 1990, some students from the following school districts attended classes at St. Ann's Consolidated. A short histo— ry of each of these schools is contained in this report. We thank the peo— ple of these districts for their contribution to our school and those who have supplied information for our history book of St. Ann‘s — Cavendish, Hope River, New Glasgow, Stanley Bridge, Mayfield.

CAVENDISH SCHOOL

By Heather MacNeill

In the history written by Harold H. Simpson, Cavendish, Its History, Its People, (1973), there is a reference indicating that Cavendish had its first school teacher in 1814. (Page 173). The founders of Cavendish, par- ticularly William and Janet Simpson, who settled in Cavendish in 1790, took on the responsibility of educating their children.

The next indication of schooling in Cavendish can be found in the Annual School Report of 1834 to 1835. It is noted that Sebastian Davidson was teaching school in Cavendish in 1834 to 1835. This report neglects to tell us the enrolment.

The original little Cavendish School can be located by reference to Lucy Maud Montgomery’s Autobiography, The Alpine Path.

In conversation with Jennie Macneill, she indicates that L.M. Montgomery said the little school house was located across the road from her grandfather's, (Alexander MacNeill), gate. This spot is marked by Parks Canada in the perimeter of the woods, across from the old land and adjacent to the new part of the cemetery in Cavendish. This same little schoolhouse was later hauled across the road and placed on a stone foun- dation, about two hundred feet or so behind the present Cavendish school. According to Jennie Macneill, John F. Macneill sold this land to the Cavendish School District in 1930. L.M. Montgomery attended this school in its first location. Some years later, this building was torn down.

Jennie Macneill, in an article in Harold H. Simpson's book, states: "In 1960, a new one room school was built in Cavendish. A second room was added in 1964 when Cavendish became a consolidated school. Because of increased enrollments, two additional basement rooms were

45

L_ _