Waterhouse's Blue Coat Schools
Colour image of Waterhouse's Blue Coat School & Almshouses, Halifax.
Author: Unknown
Date: not dated
Location: Halifax
Format: Postcard - Colour
Document ID: 100152
Library ID: 34241611
Nathaniel Waterhouse (1585-1645) was born at The Hollins, Warley and lived at Wood Hall, Skircoat. He made a fortune in trading in oils, salt and dyestuffs. In 1636, he donated a large house in Halifax to be employed as a workhouse, so that the poor people within the town and parish could work. A charitable institution was established under a charter from Charles I by Waterhouse's will, which provided for the establishment of several charities, schools and alms-houses, including the Blue Coat School. It was called a Blue Coat School because the children wore blue coats. He left further sums for local ministers to preach the annual Waterhouse Sermon and for the upkeep of roads in the district.
The original workhouse stood near Halifax Parish Church and was rebuilt in 1855 at Harrison Road. The new building provided for 20 local orphans at the school, and the alms-houses were for the poor. In 1848, the number of scholars increased to 60. From 1921, the children attended Holy Trinity School.
The Blue Coat School closed in 1958, with the buildings being demolished in 1965 to make way for a sheltered accommodation project, which opened in June 1967. The old alms-houses on Harrison Road were demolished in 1963.
