Wrexham’s Victorian Trams, Trains, Transport – and Schools

Miss Elizabeth Davies (33), School Mistress.

For Years 5-6

My name is Miss Davies and I’ve been the Principal Teacher here at the Bersham School for a while now. It’s a great responsibility with all these children to think about. But I press on – teaching Grammar and Composition, Arithmetic and Geography. And for one of our lessons, I agreed that some of the older children could have a trip into Wrexham to see the Art Treasures Exhibition there. So many wonderful things for them to see and they all enjoyed going on the omnibus together from Johnstown – and the driver even let them feed the horse! The town was so very busy, though. Hundreds of people arriving on the excursion trains. That was a geography lesson in itself, learning about all the places those steam engines had come from. And in a few months we’ll have our very first tram service running from Johnstown into Wrexham – they’ve already finished laying the rails. Oh, this wonderful age of learning and travel. They say it broadens the mind, you know.

For Years 7-8 (or older)

My name is Miss Davies and I’ve been the Principal Teacher here at the Bersham School for a while now. It’s a great responsibility with all these children to think about. This year hasn’t been easy, either. All that knocking and banging, building the hall for the little ones. Then the new desks failed to arrive until weeks after they should have done. Then so many of the children missing through sickness – and the teachers too. Scarlet Fever, you know?  It’s been difficult. But I press on – teaching Grammar and Composition, Arithmetic and Geography. And for one of our lessons, I agreed that some of the older children could have a trip into Wrexham to see the Art Treasures Exhibition there. So many wonderful things for them to see and they all enjoyed going on the omnibus together from Johnstown – and the driver even let them feed the horse! The town was so very busy, though. Hundreds of people arriving on the excursion trains. That was a geography lesson in itself, learning about all the places those steam engines had come from. And in a few months we’ll have our very first tram service running from Johnstown into Wrexham – they’ve already finished laying the rails. Oh, this wonderful age of learning and travel. They say it broadens the mind, you know.

What can you tell me about Bersham? Why is it so very famous? And do you think you would have liked coming to my school? Would it have been very different from your own? How might you have got to school in those days? How was transport different back then?