John was Master at Hall’s School, Reading and then Master at the Blue Coat School in Reading, Berkshire. Taken from ‘A History of the Reading Blue Coat School (Aldworth’s Hospital) 1660-1960’ published in 1977 and written by H.F. Burgess, M.B.E., M.A. (Reading), A.C.I.S. and past scholar at the school :-
“On 28th November, 1721, aged 33, John Barnard was appointed by the Corporation as schoolmaster of Mr John Hall’s Charity “to hold the said office from 25th March next during pleasure”. He had a successful career as a schoolmaster ahead of him for some 35 years, the latter part of which was to be spent as Master of the Blue Coat School in Reading. Under him, the affairs of Mr Hall’s Charity appear to have prospered. The admission of boys into the school appears to have been left to him, at any rate there are no records at this period of elections by the corporation itself. This is also true of the Blue Coat School. But at a meeting of the corporation on 7th October, 1738, John Barnard was ordered not to admit any Charity boy into his school without an order from the Mayor and Company, which suggests that he had been in the habit of so doing. Thereafter, records begin to appear in the corporation’s official diaries of both elections into the school and of apprenticeship premiums awarded. On 28th September 1748, Mr Barnard, who was more generally referred to as ‘Mr Barnet or Barnett’, was elected Master of the Blue Coat School in the room of Mr Wilson, deceased. Mr Barnard had served Hall’s school as it’s Master for about 27 years. He was to give to the Blue Coat School another 8 years before resigning in April, 1756, when his son Francis, was elected to succeed him.”
Note: It is believed that the name ‘Blue Coat School’ was derived from the fact that pupils wore long blue coats with broad leather belts to signify their standing in society. |