Church
Ruishton Church
When, on the eve of the Reformation, the builders left unfinished a fine west Lower for St.George’s Church, the origins of Christian worship in Ruishton were lost already in the distant past. It is likely that the spread of the Gospel to the communities of the vale had begun as early as the 8th century with the foundation in Taunton of a Saxon minster church; likely as well that its missionary priests had come to Ruishton long before the Conquest to establish here a chapel or preaching-place. The site they chose was probably that on which the present church stands, overlooking the rush-grown river lands that had given the village its name.
Thornfalcon Church
There was a Church on this site by the second half of the 13th Century; the font certainly belongs to that period and the first Rector known Simon de Insula, was appointed during November 1265 Most of the datable parts of the present building are the result of extensive alterations from the late 14th Century onwards, but the walls of the nave and the chancel may well contain some of the earlier work.
The alterations of the 14th century onwards include the windows of the nave and chance the latest being those to light the former rood loft over the screen. The window over the pulpit still contains a fragment of its original glass he chancel may well have been rebuilt entirely during this period for the arch is wide and high, well in the fashion when people were wanting to let in more light and to form a suitable background for the rood the figure of Christ on the cross with the accompanying figures of Mary and John which stood on the rood loft.
There may have been a plan, perhaps in the early 16th century, to rebuild the porch in Lie grand style with a room above it. This would account for the presence of the small doorway just west of the south door, originally designed as the entrance to the stairs.
School
The old school opened in 1861, the new school was built in 1975.
Ruishton School (now called the Bell House) is at the crossroads that marks the centre of the old village, having served many generations of village children since its foundation in 1861. Before 1861, children’s education in the village, was conducted by two Dames schools in the village, for a fee of fourpence to sixpence a week, which many parents could not afford. Most of the children attended the Baptist church in the next village, as the fees were only a penny a week.n 1873 a school an inspectors report said it was efficient and there was no deficiency in places available. Village life sometimes effected school activities, for example, in 1889 the school log recorded “Haymaking makes attendance irregular” and in 1891, “School closed as Headmistress wishes to accompany the Choir Outing”.
In 1890, the inspectors reported that a single teacher was insufficient so an additional infant teacher was appointed in 1892 (the people of Ruishton always took their time). On September 4th. 1891, school fees were dropped.
On December 31st. 1894, an old man died in Utica, New York, U.S.A. leaving a fortune of millions. This was the Honourable John Thorne. By birth he was a native of Ruishton, by trade, originally a candle maker, but later he made his fortune by land speculation, selling it to the railways at a fantastic profit. He never forgot the village where he grew up, giving a generous charity that benefited the Church, school and children of the village.
In 1903 an unfavourable inspectors report was issued, then in 1906 the Board of Education demanded that things be improved, this was complied with, although at a leisurely pace. The school was later ordered to make more changes in 1910 and received a severe slap on the wrist, when things did not happen quick enough. In 1914 the room was removed from general use and the school was removed from the black list.