Education
In the Middle Ages the peasants of England were unlettered. The monks at
Newstead would teach a few of the youth of neighbouring parishes in the western
cloister up to the time of the dissolution of the Priory.
A long dark interval of time elapsed between A.D. 1539 and A.D. 1788 when
next a centre of education was to be found in Hucknall itself—at the Parish
Church—taught by George Green, the Parish Clerk. It is possible that
the Byron Charity Trustees had many years previously provided for the instruction
of some children, but no books or documents are to be found to tell us.
A hundred years ago a school at Bog End, in Greasley parish, attracted the
youth of the district; the Widdowsons and Shaws, of Hucknall attended this
school.
The Church marriage register at that period shows that out of 63 people
who were required to sign their names, only 26 could write, although George
Green was still teaching a few in the Parish Church.
So highly unlikely that Thomas or William could read