Victorian school slates, marbles found in London

"An excavation in central London has uncovered the remains of a boys school complete with artifacts from the students' schoolwork and their playtime. The objects include a slate tablet used as an erasable notebook to practice handwriting, a slate pencil and several ceramic alleys marbles made of decorated white ceramic from the Victorian era. Artifacts related to children's lives are less frequently found than ones relating to adults, so these objects give us a special glimpse into the lives of schoolboys."

"The school was founded in 1536 by Sheriff of London Nicholas Gibson and his wife Avice. It was dedicated to the education of 60 poor boys. The couple also founded the alms houses for widowed women of limited means in the same location. After Nicholas Gibson's death, Avice handed over management of the institutions to the Worshipful Company of Coopers, the barrel-makers guild which was well-funded and charitably inclined."

"The marbles date to the last stage of the school's presence at the site. They were discovered in a Victorian-era brick lined drain. It's possible they were lost in a rousing game of marbles during recess at the school. The name alleys is short for alabaster, and they were decorated with green, red, purple and blue stripes and swirls to make them look like veined alabaster. (I think they look more like planets or plaids.)"

An excavation in Wapping, central London, uncovered the remains of a boys' school and artifacts from students' schoolwork and play. Found objects include a slate tablet used as an erasable notebook for handwriting practice, a slate pencil, and several Victorian-era ceramic alleys marbles decorated to resemble alabaster. The site also yielded a chapel, alms houses, terraced housing and cesspits dating between 1500 and 1800. The school was founded in 1536 by Nicholas and Avice Gibson to educate 60 poor boys and later came under the Worshipful Company of Coopers. The school moved from Wapping in the late 19th century and survives today as the Coopers' Company and Coborn School in Upminster.

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