This post is dedicated to two Victorian ladies who devoted themselves to the children of Marlow, working in sometimes difficult conditions, only stopping when their health failed. Both were the head mistresses of the National schools in St Peter Street in the late Victorian period.
First we have Harriet Thimblethorp(e). Harriet was in charge of the girls school. She arrived in 1881 to a school building less than 20 years old. It was not however in good condition, and regular reports were made of a leaking roof and smelling toilets. The school was also crowded by modern standards, with about 50-60 girls per class. Average attendance for the school was about 143 pupils a day, which was actually as few less than the buildings were designed to deal with however.
Image courtesy of ©Colin Groves
Harriet also suffered the closure of her school on a number of occasions because of outbreaks of disease. Scarlet fever and measles reared their ugly heads sometimes, and a nasty outbreak of small pox in 1893 caused a break in lessons of several weeks. As a result when the school inspector came round that year, he was willing to make some allowances for a lack of progress in the young girls education. The inspector concluded however that the main reason for unimpressive attainment in the children was that the particular intake of children it had lacked natural intelligence! He did mention their nice sewing and singing at least.
Singing was an favourite activity of Harriet's. It is nice to think of those walking down St Peters Street in the Victorian period catching the happy sound of the girls' singing through the open windows of the school. She may have been described as naturally reserved but she was able to show affection and kindness to her girls and it seems to have been reciprocated. She was also described as absolutely devoted to her charges and always just in dealing with them.
By 1898, Harriet was not well. She refused to give up her work, though that was the advice she received. Sadly her condition deteriorated and it was clear she was suffering badly. She received news that her condition was now deemed incurable but it seems she wished to carry on at work as long as possible. In June 1898 however she was so ill that she had to give in and resign. She left Marlow for the sort of places people went in the hope of improving their health, or delaying it's decline. But a little over 2 months later, she died at Brighton. During the time of her funeral, the children sang her favourite hymn at the school. It's hard to imagine she would have preferred any other farewell.
Our second devoted teacher is Elizabeth Harriet Hunt (AKA Lizzie) who was born in London in 1847. She was the head teacher at St Peter's Street School infant's department by 1876. She had accommodation provided for her in St Peter's Street, along with Harriet and the mistresses of both schools.
The South Bucks Standard in 1893 said she deserved "the highest praise" for her work at the school. Her assistants then were Miss Evans and Miss [Florence] Nicholls. Between them they educated an average of 131 children each day. There would have been pupil monitors too.
Ill health forced Elizabeth to teach her last lesson on Tuesday 27th July 1909. That evening in the schoolroom local dignitaries and school teachers gathered to thank her for her years of service. She was praised for the "love she displayed for her work and for her children". A purse of £35 was presented to her by way of thanks.
Elizabeth went to live with her brother in London where she died in 1917. Thankfully she got to enjoy the retirement that Harriet never did.
To find all mentions of an individual here, use the A-Z person index on the top drop down menu. For other posts about St Peters Street use the Specific shops, streets etc option there. For a list of 75+ historic schools in Marlow see the post here. A fuller list of Victorian/Edwardian teachers for the national schools will follow.
Sources
GRO Birth and Death Registration Indexes by the General Registry Office.
National Union of Teachers report 1888, 1893.
Kelly's Post Office Directory 1883 (Kelly's Post Office Directories Ltd)
South Bucks Standard 3rd March & 12 December 1893,1 September 1899, and 30th July 1909. Copies held in the British Library archives. Accessed via the BNA March 2021.
Harris Royal Country Directory 1876.
"England and Wales Census, 1901," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X9YB-P1F : 20 May 2019), Elizabeth H Hunt, Marlow, Buckinghamshire, England, United Kingdom
Researched jointly by Charlotte (Elizabeth) and Kathryn Day (Harriet)
©Marlow Ancestors.