Properties change their uses and pubs change their names. Near the bottom of Bolton Road, Bradford, stands a pub called the Corn Dolly. That, though, wasn't its name in 1959 when historian Wade Hustwick looked at its past for his column in the Telegraph & Argus.

It was then known at The Wharf Hotel - rather aptly, given that it faces the top of Wharf Street, which now winds up from Canal Road. But it wasn't always a pub. Even before Bolton Road was made (in about 1825) it was a private house, home for nearly 20 years of the Reverend Edward Baldwyn, headmaster of Bradford Grammar School.

At the time he lived there, at the end of the 18th century, the house had gardens extending down to the edge of the Bradford Canal, which had been cut from Dockfield at Windhill to Bradford a few years before (and might be cut again as part of Bradford's regeneration, though ending short of Wharf Street).

Wade Hustwick quoted a description of the schoolmaster by one of his pupils in a supplement to James's History of Bradford published in 1866. He wrote: "I went to school to Mr Baldwyn, who came from Ludlow. He was under middle size, of light fresh complexion, with bright blue eyes and sandy hair. His walk was very upright and sprightly. He lived in the house, now the Wharf Tavern, and the gardens, where he used to walk much, extended to the canal side. He was a good master and not severe, was a very delicate person and had to take great care of himself."

At that time Bradford Grammar School was at the bottom of Church Bank. According to Wade Hustwick it contained a large, lofty room which was used as a writing room while on one side was a lower room used by the second master, who taught classics. Mr Baldwyn and his class occupied an upper room.

The playground was at the bottom of Well Street, which was named after the schoolhouse well. This was approached by a few steps and supplied the lower part of the town "with excellent water". The Eastbrook ran on one side of the playground and joined the Bradford Beck lower down.

School hours would have daunted modern youngsters. The day started at 7am and went on until 5pm except on Wednesdays and Saturdays when the school closed at 3pm.

The Reverend Baldwyn was headmaster from 1784 until his resignation in 1802. He was reputed to be a good schoolmaster who increased the number of scholars from 30 to 50 and introduced a third master to teach writing and arithmetic, founding the modern side to what had been a classical school. After his retirement he retired to a living in Shropshire where he produced a collection of fables illustrated by the artist William Blake.