Teaching the Heathens

This story is about the long-lost schools at the heart of a Sussex village - Mannings Heath - in the parish of Nuthurst. Researching and writing the story has been a project of the Nuthurst Local History Society. The result has been a record of 150 years of "teaching the Heathens," and of village life through the 19th and 20th centuries. It includes religious, educational and political events that shaped the teaching of the children and the life of the village through times of major social and industrial change including violent riots, rebellion and harsh punishment. The story reveals the far-reaching and positive developments in the education of children, the impact of two world wars on village life, village politics and rivalries, battles with County and National authorities, clashes between the Methodist and Church of England leaders and, most importantly, acts of individual generosity and endeavour - all the stuff of real life. For this novice author, the process of researching and telling the story has been a voyage of discovery - both of historical research and of the 150 extraordinary years in the life of a small West Sussex village.