[School] [School Photos] [Photos from 1920] [Photos from 1934]

The school in Stormontfield was originally a room above one of the byres, in Stormontfield Farm, and is known to have been in existence prior to 1816. Sometime between 1816 and 1820 a petition was handed to the Earl of Mansfield for a ‘proper’ school to be erected, and the result of the petition, and due to the generosity of the then Earl of Mansfield, the school was built.

In 1872 State Education became Law and the school came under the jurisdiction of the Scone School Board, and remained in use until it was forced to close 100 years later, in February 1973, when a disaster was to hit the community. A fire at the Bleaching Mill, which was the main source of income for the area, forced most of the local people to move away, so along with the loss of a major industry, the school had to be closed. The original desk from the school is now used at the entrance, inside St David’s Chapel.  The School now serves as the local community hall.

STORMONTFIELD SCHOOL :  1816 - 1973

1816 - 1820 - Sometime between 1816-1820 a petition was signed by 41 inhabitants, thanking the Earl for his assistance in the setting up of the school, and requesting aid in its rehousing. At that time, the school was housed in a room above a cow byre, and had been in existence for three years, and was inspected by Perth Presbytery.  Unfortunately, it was freezing in winter and insufferably hot in summer.  The smell from the cows underneath rendered it unfit for the children and teacher, and no teacher was willing to continue, so this would result in closure. There were 40-60 pupils, none of whom could go to school either in New Scone or St. Martin’s.   The Earl was requested, most humbly by the petitioners, to provide a teaching room near to Stormontfield, which could be achieved at very small expense with the petitioners assisting. The petitioners came from an area covering Guildtown, Balboughty and Sherifftown, and included the farmers and millers of Innerbuist, and the innkeeper/ferryman/farmer of Waulkmill. The School was subsequently built by the 3rd Earl of Mansfield.

1824 - 1829 -  In the years 1824-1829 an allowance of £4 per annum was paid to D. Smith, teacher at Stormontfield, and a further £2 per annum by John Maxton.  This salary was augmented by the preaching of a sermon annually in Stormontfield. An allowance was also made by the Earl, for the provision of books for Premiums at the Examinations of Stormontfield School, the allowance being 13/-9d in 1824, and on 1st January, 1825 - 14/-.

1872 - State education became law, and Stormontfield School came under the jurisdiction of Scone School Board. It continued to flourish with one short interruption in Mrs. Bathgate’s time, when the school roll fell to three.  For a short while the pupils, and Mrs. Bathgate, travelled to the Robert Douglas School in New Scone. The Stormontfield School was later reopened, but closed in July 1973, when the school roll had once more fallen to three, after the disastrous fire at the Bleach Mill in 1971 resulted in dispersal of most of the local population.

1973 - Stormontfield School closed in 1973 - exactly 100 years after being taken over by the Scone School Board.