Purton School Papers

The papers from a box originally labelled 'Purton School Papers'. Purton school was a missionary school in Gloucestershire, UK funded by the Müller foundation until 1930, when it was closed down due to lack of funding. The school was one of the three English schools maintained by the Müller foundation, the others being at Exeter and Devonshire. Purton School was where potential teachers were sent as 'Pupil Teachers' for training from the Ashley Downs Orphan Houses, and so it was considered as particularly important. The papers are mostly accounts of expenses and accompanying correspondence between the men responsible for running the school, as well as some correspondence with the teachers. The earlier papers are concerned with the general running and upkeep of the school, the payment of teachers' salaries, rent and landlord issues, teacher relations, and the wellbeing and health of the students. The later papers deal with the closure of the school in 1930, and are concerned with the sale of furniture and other items, as well as the sale and trusteeship of the school buildings and land, which were purchased by the Müller foundation for the purpose of establishing a school. Some of the corrspondence also relates to the progress of the pupils and their lives and careers after school. The collection also contains a large bundle of papers relating to the missionary schools in Italy.