Wirksworth, JW Beeson's Excelsior School

JW Beeson's Excelsior School. Wirksworth

Please edit this article by adding some information, if you have any, relating to this school. I started this article as I have in my posession a delightful piece of school-work done by pupil John Dean in 1866, then aged 13, a pupil at this school in Wirksworth.

A chart of the solar system by John Dean aged 13, at Mr J W Beeson's Excelsior Schools, Wirksworth, Christmas 1866

John DEAN was only 13 when he completed this remarkable "Chart of the Solar System" in 1866. He was a pupil at "J.W.Beeson's Excelsior Schools" in Coldwell Street, in Wirksworth. His chart shows 7 planets (Pluto was discovered 70 years later) and many moons. It shows the Asteroids between Mars and Jupiter, explains how tides and eclipses work, and shows the orbit of a comet (on a nicely drawn parabolic orbit). The chart is still well preserved and in the private ownership of Nigel Aspdin of Derby, a descendant of John DEAN.

Astronomical note: The chart appears correct as the solar sytem was understood in 1866, except for 4 curious mistakes. Neptune is not shown, although it had been discovered in 1846. Uranus is shown with 6 moons, Herschel's mistaken sightings of 6 by 1794 were not corrected until 1851 by Lassell. Saturn is shown with 7 moons, the eighth was discovered in 1848. Only 4 asteroids are shown, all that were known before 1845, although 85 were known by 1866. It looks likely that John Dean was working from an almanac or astronomy textbook printed before 1845, 20 years before he drew his chart!

John DEAN was born in Kirk Ireton in 1853. His father Samuel was a farmer, as was his grandfather. Between 1854 and 1884 Samuel ran the well known Barley Mow Inn at Kirk Ireton, dating back to 1683, originally a farm house and coaching inn before becoming a public house. John was the eldest of 3 sons and 3 daughters (two of the girls were twins). Several Census entries show the family 1841-1901, although John disappears from the author's records after 1871, when he is shown as a draper's apprentice. See also the DEAN Family

John was a pupil at James W.Beeson's Academy in Coldwell Street, Wirksworth. James Beeson came from Derby to teach at Wirksworth Grammar School, which was doing poorly. After a disagreement with the headmaster Herbert Harris he set up a private school about 1861 for children when they left state education at 11 years old. John Dean was probably a pupil at the academy from 1864 to 1870. The school was well known for "mind-stretching projects", another example is the 1861 Cashbook.

John Dean's drapers shop in St Peter's Street, Derby, in around 1910

The marriage of William Slater and Muriel Dean

Nigel Aspdin writes: "John Dean ended up with a drapers shop in St Peters St, Derby, initially named Hurd and Dean, subsequently John Dean..... They were just up from Boots corner on East St,opposite the east end of St Peters church. John lived in Highfield Road, Derby and had two daughters, Muriel and Constance. Muriel married my great uncle, William Slater of 19 Vernon St, Derby.

The photo (above) of the wedding shows John Dean seated by the left hand of the bride. They had no children. Constance never married, and lived most of her life with Muriel and William. From the 1930s they all lived at Vesta Lynn, Kirk Ireton, a cottage set back behind the Barley Mow, as well as at Vernon St., where there was the house and also the Derby office of the WH&J Slater pipe and brickworks at Denby. Muriel Constance and William are all buried in KI churchyard....I discovered the other day that John was a one time director of Derby County, I came across his engraved directors pendant".

Another example of a project produced by a pupil at Beeson's Academy is the 1861 Cashbook, made by 14-year-old Walter Meller. Shown (right) is the Academy label on the front of the cashbook. A transcription and more photos can be seen on the Wirksworth website at www.wirksworth.org.uk/B51-CASH.htm, compiled by John Palmer, along with more details and pictures about John Dean's solar system.

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