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October 7, 1900
"Firing for the School"
At the end of the mass on Sunday, October 7, 1900 the parish priest at the Roman Catholic Cathedral in St. John’s (now Basilica) took to the pulpit to make the usual announcements. On this particular Sunday the priest also took great pains to explain because of the increase in the price of coal that the families of the children in the parish would have to take on some of the responsibility for “firing for the school”.
The priest told the congregation: “Owing to the increase in the price of coal His Lordship the Bishop (Michael Francis Howley) wishes the parents of the children attending schools in the neighborhood of the city to understand that he cannot supply fuel as usual from the education money and they are expected to help provide firing for the school. “ (Source: Book of Publications, Sunday, October 7, 1900)
Until the 1950’s most schoolhouses in the province were outfitted with nothing but a small wood or coal -burning potbelly stove in the corner or center of the room. It was up to the students to heat the classroom.
A common sight in small towns and villages was a child trudging off to school carrying a couple pieces of wood or coal, his or her contribution to the day’s supply of fuel. The older boys took turns lighting the fire and during the cold winter mornings all the children would bundle around the stove until the temperature rose high enough to make it sufficiently warm to sit in their regular places.
With one small stove fighting against sub-zero temperatures, it was often not warm enough for the pupils to remove coats and mitts until well after recess. Students would huddle in a circle around the stove, younger children in the inner circle older children around the periphery.
The expression “firing for school” lseems to have fallen into disuse. Have you seen the expression “firing for school” in other sources?
For more information on this and other related subjects contact the Archives of the R.C. Archdiocese. www.stjohnsarchdiocese.nf.ca
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Larry Dohey
Archives of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. John’s
P.O. Box 1363
St. John’s, NL
A1C 5M3
709-726-3660
E-mail: archives@nf.aibn.com
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