History of the Balliol Hall

The story of the building that we know today as the Balliol Hall is rooted in the story of the development of education in the 19thcentury. 

Prior to 1800, education for the children of the poor was provided only by charity schools which were few and far between. Many had no schooling at all and indeed the idea of universal education of poor children was unpopular in many quarters because it would reduce the availability of child labour and give people ideas above their station! 

In 1811 ”The National Society for the Promotion of the Education of the Poor in the Principles and Practices of the Church of England” (the National Society) was founded with the aim of having a Church of England School for the poor in every parish in England and Wales. The National Society helped to establish a number of schools providing elementary education to children of the poor, in accordance with the teaching of the Church of England.

In 1814, a similar organisation was established to support education for the members of non-conformist churches – The British and Foreign Schools Society.

Against this background, the start of what was to become the Balliol Hall occurred In 1824 when the Rector of the Parish of Huntspill, the Rev Noel Ellison, established a Sunday School with the support of the National Society in a private schoolroom.

In 1828, the part of the building that to this day is called the School Room was built on the site of an earlier dwelling at the edge of the Churchyard to house the Sunday school and also a day school. 

The school was funded by subscriptions, church collections and a trust fund set up by Thomas How (rector 1804-19) and was managed by the Rector, church officials and subscribers. It was open to children whose parents who did not have the means to pay for their education.

By 1833, there were 150 pupils at the Day School and 104 at the Sunday School.

The Elementary Education Act of 1870 paved the way for district School Boards to oversee the provision of education to children up to the age of 13. A school board was formed for the parish of East and West Huntspill in 1875. The board leased the West Huntspill school building and extended it to increase the size of the school.

A new school was built on the corner of Main Road and New Road within the village in 1898 and from this point education for the parish was established at the new school. The 1828/1875 building continued as a Sunday school.  

In 1936 the incumbant rector, the Rev Vere-Hodge, paid for an extension to the building, to be known as the Balliol Hall, for use as a young men’s club. This was gifted to the parish church. The whole building then became the social centre for the village. 

After World War II the Harvest Supper committee raised funds for the upkeep of the building. 

The Hall is now managed by the Balliol Hall Committee, reporting to the Church Wardens. The committee are responsible for the day to day running of the Hall for the benefit of the village community.