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Bearnes is a small, town-centre Primary School in Newton Abbot with around 100 pupils on roll.

The school's patron was Hanna Maria Bearne who, in 1788, wanted to establish a school "For the teaching of poor children of the parishes of Highweek and Wolborough in reading, writing and arithmetic".  This finally became a reality in 1843 when the school was established in buildings at the end of a court in Wolborough Street, Newton Abbot, formerly occupied by the Wolborough National School.

You can find out about the present day school on their website.

An insight into the founding of the school is available through an excerpt from Public Charities of the County of Devon – Hundred of Haytor pp188-189 entitled Bearne’s Gift. A copy of this document formed part of Air Vice-Marshal Guy Bearne's research and is transcribed below.

Public Charities of the County of Devon – Hundred of Haytor

pp188-189

Bearne’s Gift

By indenture, bearing date 14th February 1788, and enrolled in the court of Chancery between Hannah Maria Bearne, widow of Robert Bearne, gentleman, of the one part and Michaiah Towgood, John Follett and Henry Baynham, ministers of the gospel, James White and John Merivale, esq. and John Stoodley and George Short, gentlemen of Exeter, of the other part; reciting, that the said Hannah Maria Bearne, was possessed of two mortgages, one for the principal sum of 700l. and the other for the principal sum of 750l. with lawful interest; and reciting, that she was also possessed of 1,000l. three percent consols, which she had transferred into the names of the said Michaiah Towgood, John Follett, Henry Baynham, and James White, in the books of the bank of England; ad that she, in pursuance of a request by her late husband, was desirous of making a more competent provision for the minister, for the time being, of the meeting house belonging to the Protestant dissenters of the Presbyterian denomination in Newton Abbott, and parish of Wolborough, of which the said John Follett was then the officiating minister, and of establishing an evening lecture weekly in the said meeting-house, on every Thursday; and that she was also desirous of establishing a school for teaching poor children of the parishes of Highweek and Wolborough, in the manner therein-mentioned, and had determined to assign and transfer the said monies and securities to the said parties of the second part: it was witnessed, that the said Hannah Maria Bearne assigned and transferred to the said parties of the second part, their executors, &c. the mortgaged premises respectively, and the said two principal sums of 700l. and 750l. thereby secured, and all interest to grow due for the same.  And it was declared and a deed between all the said parties, their executors &c. should stand possessed of the said monies, securities, stock and premises upon trust, to receive and take all the dividends, interest and produce of the same, yearly, as the same should arise, and pay and apply the clear annual sum of 30l. unto the minister for the time being, of the meeting-house belonging to the Protestant dissenters at Newton Abbott, whereof the said John Follett was then officiating minister, during so long time as such meeting-house should continue to be used of the Presbyterian denomination; provided, that such minister should have been duly elected by a majority of the contributors belonging to such congregation, whose contributions respectively should be after the rate of 10s or more by the year, and who should have been bona fide members of such congregation and contributors to the same full six calendar months previous to such election; but in case the minister for the time being should not be elected such manner as aforesaid, then upon trust to apply the said annual sum of 30l. or part thereof, as case might happen, to the use of the charitable institution thereinafter mentioned, until another minister should be elected in the manner above expressed, and upon condition that such minister should weekly, on every Thursday evening, preach a lecture in the said meeting-house; and upon further trust, to pay an apply the residue of the dividends and interest of the said stock, monies and securities, after payment of the said 30l. and the charges of the trust, and the whole of the dividends and interest, in case the said meeting-house should be discontinued, or the minister thereof should neglect of refuse to preach a Thursday evening lecture as aforesaid, during so long rime only as the discontinuance, neglect or refusal should be, in teaching poor children of the parishes of Highweek and Wolborough, in reading, writing and arithmetic, and in purchasing a Bible for each of such children, on his or her first admission, and in paying the salary of master of mistress for the aforesaid purposes, in performing which it should be lawful for the trustees either to establish a new school, or to cause the said children to be instructed at some school then established in on eof the said parishes, and to make such rules and orders for the admission, education, regulation, or dismission of such children, as they or their successors, duly appointed, in their discretion should think fit, it being the desire of the said Hannah Maria Bearne that the benefits of the institution, should be rendered as extensive as the funds appropriated for that purpose would admit of; and that no preference should be given to children whose parents were of any particular persuasion or sect of the Protestant christian religion, but that the choice of the objects of the said charity, and the regulation of the manner in which it should be carried into execution, should be left to the judgement of the trustees.  By this deed power was given to the said trustees to call in the said mortgage monies, and to lay out the same in the purchase of stock in any of the public funds, or lay out the same in land.  A power was also given, when the trustees should be reduced to three of appointing new trustees, as to the survivors should seem meet.

It appears from the account of this charity, that the mortgage for 750l. was redeemed by Mr. Carter, the mortgagor in 1789; that the mortgage money was laid out in the purchase of 946l. 7s. 5d stock in the three percent consols; that in 1797, the mortgage for 700l. was redeemed by Mr. Furze, the mortgagor, and that the money due thereon was invested in the purchase of 1,375l. 4s. 11d. stock in the same fund.  Purchases have been since made by the trustees at various times in the same stock out of the surplus of the income, and they are now possessed of 4,471l. 12s. 4d. three per cent consols, producing an annual dividend of 134l. 3s. subject to a small deduction for commission. 

Of this sum, 30l. is annually paid to Mr. Robert Crook, as minister of the Presbyterian congregation at Newton Abbott, who preaches a lecture at the meeting-house on every Thursday evening.  A portion of the dividends has also been applied, yearly, in educating poor children in the parishes of Highweek and Wolborough.  The sum thus employed, and the number of children taught, has been increased from time to time.  In 1821, the sum of 60l. was paid to a schoolmaster of Newton Abbott, for teaching reading, writing and arithmetic, to 50 boys and girls of the above-mentioned parishes, and 26l. to a schoolmistress for teaching 40 children reading only,.  The last-mentioned school is considered preparatory to the former, into which the children are not admitted till they can read the Bible.  The master is paid after the rate of 1l. per annum for the instructing of each scholar, and 4s. each for supplying them with pens and ink; and the mistress, after the rate of 3d. per week for each child.  The children are allowed to remain at school four years in the whole.  Bibles are provided for them from the funds of the charity.

Link to a scan of the photocopy we hold (in Gallery).