Sgts SLI 1897

[Toby Purcell]

Originally Posted by grumpy

To clarify:

Originally ranked as a sergeant and chosen from within the battalion (and included as such by the Rifle Corps in 1800), the schoolmaster, more highly educated and qualified than almost all the other ranks (and very possibly some of the officers) had varied fortunes during the period. An essential reference for deeper study is the doctoral thesis by Elaine Ann Smith .

In 1811 all regiments were instructed to establish a schoolmaster to improve the education of the boy soldiers, the adult soldiers and the children borne on the strength. In 1846 two Royal Warrants formalised the instruction of sergeant schoolmasters, created the Corps of Army Schoolmasters, raised their pay to 2/6 and allowed an extra 6d for ‘efficiency and good conduct’.
Once the Corps was created they were essentially attached, not 'of'.

A warrant of 1854 further improved their status, indeed the most senior were junior only to commissioned officers, warranted, and thus senior to the sergeant major for a short period. They were not allowed executive command and did not go on active service although they did work with battalions or garrisons and cantonments all over the expanding empire.

1878 schoolmasters were posted to locations not units. (RACD).

Thereafter they do not appear in any of the Peace or War battalion establishments I have in hand.

In unit portraits they are the most frequent absentees if any.

Yes that is more aligned with what I recalled from this linked history that I previously found most useful as a point of reference. https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprin...6/1/283368.pdf
A very significant change was brought about when state schooling was improved sufficiently that it was no longer felt necessary for soldiers in barracks to attend compulsory lessons on a weekly basis in literacy and numeracy. From that point the focus shifted away from individual battalions and more to the garrison schools.

Returning to the subject of the subject photo I still think that the oddly dressed individual is most likely the schoolmaster associated with the battalion. He was probably a member of the mess, as he was required to be member of a sergeants’ mess by Queen’s Regulations and few garrisons had central sergeants’ messes.

[grumpy]

Originally Posted by Toby Purcell

Yes that is more aligned with what I recalled from this linked history that I previously found most useful as a point of reference. https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprin...6/1/283368.pdf
A very significant change was brought about when state schooling was improved sufficiently that it was no longer felt necessary for soldiers in barracks to attend compulsory lessons on a weekly basis in literacy and numeracy. From that point the focus shifted away from individual battalions and more to the garrison schools.

Returning to the subject of the subject photo I still think that the oddly dressed individual is most likely the schoolmaster associated with the battalion. He was probably a member of the mess, as he was required to be member of a sergeants’ mess by Queen’s Regulations and few garrisons had central sergeants’ messes.

He did better than belong to a battalion Mess.
QVR 1893 VII. 130:
Army schoolmasters, when posted to a garrison school, will be honorary members of the Sergeants Messes of the units whose men attend the school; they will not be required to pay any entrance fees in respect of this advantage.
Thus one man might appear in several unit group photos.

This was done similarly in JHQ BFG Rheindahlen; I was a member of the RAF Officers' Mess, the Army Mess, and the Civvy Officers' Mess but only paid Mess subs [at extortionate Group Captain rates] to the RAF Mess.

[Toby Purcell]

Originally Posted by grumpy

He did better than belong to a battalion Mess.
QVR 1893 VII. 130:
Army schoolmasters, when posted to a garrison school, will be honorary members of the Sergeants Messes of the units whose men attend the school; they will not be required to pay any entrance fees in respect of this advantage.
Thus one man might appear in several unit group photos.

This was done similarly in JHQ BFG Rheindahlen; I was a member of the RAF Officers' Mess, the Army Mess, and the Civvy Officers' Mess but only paid Mess subs [at extortionate Group Captain rates] to the RAF Mess.

That doesn’t surprise me in the least and still applies to some appointments as you’ve pointed out. I doubt though that the schoolmaster appeared in every single unit photograph and, although a member of all messes within the garrison, it’s more likely that he had a favoured watering hole and a unit with which he felt most at home. That might be for all kinds of reasons ranging from a national sense of identity (Scots, Irish, etc.), to having originally been with the regiment and subsequently transferring to be a schoolmaster. New recruits to the corps came from a mix of civilians with suitable civilian qualifications to SNCOs who attended courses of education to fit themselves for transfer, as explained in the history thesis that I attached.

[grumpy]

Originally Posted by Toby Purcell

That doesn’t surprise me in the least and still applies to some appointments as you’ve pointed out. I doubt though that the schoolmaster appeared in every single unit photograph and, although a member of all messes within the garrison, it’s more likely that he had a favoured watering hole and a unit with which he felt most at home. That might be for all kinds of reasons ranging from a national sense of identity (Scots, Irish, etc.), to having originally been with the regiment and subsequently transferring to be a schoolmaster. New recruits to the corps came from a mix of civilians with suitable civilian qualifications to SNCOs who attended courses of education to fit themselves for transfer, as explained in the history thesis that I attached.

Yes, as I said upstream:

An essential reference for deeper study is the doctoral thesis by Elaine Ann Smith. I summarized it in my recent book.
.
Malta just before the Great war had five battalions and six WO schoolmasters, plus NCO schoolies