One of my 3rd great grandfathers (John Richard Bott) 1792-1862 was born in Alderney and emigrated to Prince Edward Island, Canada in 1822. While living in Charlottetown he ran an Evening School where he taught French to the English and English to the French. He also was a Clerk of the Small Debts Court and a school teacher in the French community of Rustico.
What I am wondering is what levels of education existed in Alderney in the early 1800's when he was a young man. Although he wouldn't have needed a professional license to teach in Prince Edward Island in 1833, he must have been considered well educated. He wrote his own Will which is posted on line at the Islandregister.com website and it is well written.
One of my cousins has suggested that he may have had a military background in the navy or something and that is where he would have learned to write his Will and other things. I don't think he was in the navy myself as he ended up teaching in PEI and running an Inn and maybe did some farming.
Is there any where where I could find any educational records for that period or did they even have schools in the Channel Islands back then.
Thank you.
