William Frederick Brown (1841-1906), born at Boreham, Warminster, was married to Sarah and had four children, Roza, Annie, Mary and William Frederick junior. The two youngest were born in Chitterne.
In 1867 William took over as Headmaster of Chitterne School and stayed for 39 years. There was no schoolhouse so the Browns lived in the Post Office (where Syringa Cottage stands nowadays) as William was sub-postmaster, Parish Clerk and Churchwarden as well. His wife Sarah taught alongside him, and Henrietta Titt was the other teacher. After Henrietta left to get married and have her own family William and Sarah's daughter took her place. William was the only one of the three who was qualified. He studied in the evenings and took lessons in Warminster on Saturdays to obtain his teaching diploma, as required by the new law. He and his daughter attended weekly Art classes in Warminster, paid for by themselves and later he held a night-school for Agriculture and Drawing five nights a week, until the extra work became too much. He taught the Fourth Standard and his wife and daughter took the lower standards and the infants, alternating morning and afternoon. In 1892 the salaries for the three teachers totalled £100 per annum.
Some good results were achieved under his headship. The Bazell family, who lived in Clump Farm, for instance, had thirteen children and all the boys won scholarships to Dauntseys School (a public school at West Lavington). William said, of his boy pupils, that: "No young fellow of energy will stay in Chitterne." They didn't, there was nothing but farm work for them in the village, and for the girls, domestic service. Chitterne was too far away from a town to walk to work there and the nearest station was three and a half miles away in Codford, so most of those boys went away to live and became postmen, policemen or drivers, as did William's own son. (See William F. "Farmer" Brown link)
William and Sarah are buried in the local graveyard.