School Life
DCH 175 Treves Trail
YouarenowstandinginBarnesWay,namedforourDorsetpoetwhowasFrederickTreves’sfirstteacher.
BarnesSchool,SouthStreetIn1860,attheageof7,
TreveswenttotheschoolinSouthStreetkeptbytheDorsetPoet,Rev.WilliamBarnes,whosewriKngs
preservetheDorsetdialect.
TrevesalsoaLendedDorchesterGrammarSchoolforafewmonthsbeforeaLendingTheMerchantTaylors’SchoolinLondon.
StatueofRev.WilliamBarnes,courtesyofDorset
CountyMuseum
Inhisbook"HighwaysandByways:inDorset“,Trevesdescribestheschoolandhisexperiencethere:‘...WilliamBarnes.HecametoDorchesterfromMere,andthedwellinginquesKonwasthethirdhehadoccupiedsincehetriedhisfortuneinthelarger
town.Itwashere,atatenderage,thatIhadmyfirstexperienceofschoollife.’
‘MyrecollecKonofthepoetandphilologististhatofthegentlestandmostkindlyofmen.Hisappearancewaspeculiar.Hehadwhitehairandalongwhitebeard,andalwaysworekneebreechesandshoeswithlargebuckles.OutofdoorshedonnedacuriouscapandasKllmorecuriouscape,whileIneversawhimwithoutabagoverhisshoulderandastoutstaff.During
schoolhourshewasinthehabitofpacingtheroominareverie,happilyobliviousofhisdullsurroundings.’
‘IrememberoncethatsomeforbiddenfruitofwhichIwaspossessedrolledacrosstheschoolroomfloor,andthatIcrawleda[eritinthewakeofthedreamingmaster,Heturnedsuddenlyinhiswalkandstumbledoverme,tomyintensealarm.Whenhehadregainedhisbalanceheapologisedveryearnestlyand
resumedhiswalk,unconsciousthattheobjecthehadfallenoverwasascholar.Ihaveo[enwonderedtowhichofhischarming
poemsIowedmyescapefrompunishment.’