Caithness Field Club

Broubster & District Educational Records
J K Butler

As part of the detailed study of the settlements in the Broubster area by the Buildings and Settlements Group the following information on the educational records of the schools at Shebster, Brubster and Brawlbin. In addition a list of families living in the Brubster area at the time of opening the school on 30.4.1880 has been drawn up.

Shebster
No log books exist but school known to have been built c.1849. The roll in 1872 was 80 and is described by the Ordnance Surveyors as 'conveniently situated for the surrounding district.' The school and its eccentric teacher. Evander Matheson, in the 1850s are described in Donald. Mackay's THIS WAS MY GLEN. Although it was about 4 miles from Reay village, the school and nearby church served Free Church adherents in the parish. By the time it came under the ad hoe Education Authority in 1921 the roll was only 14, by 1927 it was 7, and in 1937 when it was closed it was only 6. The school had neither water nor electric power.

Brubster
Offers to build a school were invited in the JOHN O' GROAT JOURNAL of 21.7.78 and the school opened on 30.4.1880. This was not the first school however for the JOGJ of 12.6.1840 mentions that 'the school at Brubster established by Captain Macdonald of Shebster eight months ago had been examined' and the '54 pupils present had acquitted themselves, reflecting great credit on their excellent teacher, Serjeant William Campbell.' First log book has been lost and the second starts, in Jan. 1913, when the roll had fallen to 4. In 1921 the school came under the ad hoe Education Authority and rolls were as follows:

Brawlbin
Donald Mackay in MEMORIES OF MY PARISH (1925) mentions a small school here in 1780 run by Marjory Gray. School log commences on 18.10.93 with a roll of 17. Six had come from Brubster, three from Scotscalder, and one from Stuart's school in Thurso. In 1919 roll was down to 5, reached peaks in 1930 and 1938 at 10, and fell to 3 in 1934. Closed in 1949.

Families living in Brubster area at time of opening of School (30.4.1880)
Based on subsequent admission to school.

Comment
Note relatively young population. Why were there no older children aged 10 years and up? Perhaps the 15 families listed above were farm and other servants chosen for youth and fitness and absence of families with older children is result of clearances.

School roll was never very big and became even smaller after opening of Brawlbin School in 1893 when a number of children transferred from Brubster, including families of William and Colin Sutherland, Christopher McBeath and Joseph Ritchie.

Published in October 1980 Bulletin