Page 25 - Hindsight Issue 26 April 2020

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to be a urinal, with a line of similar vessels in front of him. the ape was used to demonstrate the poor regard for the medical profession at the time.
Religious subjects were in the minority even on church choir stalls, but the symbols of the Passion of Christ cover a complete panel. the Five Wounds are in the centre and the cock for Peter’s denial above. Below is a ladder and the seamless cloak with the dice used to decide its owner. shields in the centre carry the instruments associated with the scourging, crucifixion and deposition. the Pelican in her Piety, representing the resurrection, is carved elsewhere. Perhaps the most interesting subject is the representation of st Veronica’s handkerchief. st Veronica came from the crowd to wipe Christ’s face on the cross and His image appeared on the cloth. this is a very rare subject on medieval woodcarving but does appear elsewhere in the county on a misericord at Higham Ferrers. on either side of the Abington example are angels dressed in feathers. this was the usual garb for actors taking the parts of angels in the medieval miracle plays.
the woodcarvings in Abington museum are excellent representations of the kind of subjects often to be found in medieval times on church bench ends and misericords but probably rank among the finest to be found anywhere in the country in a domestic building. they are complemented by some fine linen fold panelling coming into fashion at the time of their construction. In recent years the room has been opened up to allow the public to see them closely and their story forms part of monthly guided tours of the museum.
ROWLETT SCHOOL, CORBY OLD VILLAGE
Billy Dalziel
Billy Dalziel is the Heritage Development Worker for Corby Heritage Centre which is administered by Corby Borough Council. The Heritage Centre opened in 2011.
Up until the 19th century the education of the working classes had always been limited. Although the children of the poor were accepted by a few endowed and charity schools, the majority received no education at all. Corby was no different in this respect, but the story of its education provision is fascinating. Many visitors to Corby may be forgiven for believing that the town’s education system is a recent development but Corby people strove for better education for their children from the very beginning of what could be termed education for all.
the 1818 ‘Digest of returns to circular letter from the Select Committee on Education of the Poor’ records that Corby, with a population of 627 had no endowments for the education of youth. It did however have the Corby Anglican school (later the
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