Frances Mary Buss and her work for education

by Annie E. Ridley

“A Practical Teacher.”

This last dream never came true. But the advance in the elementary schools met all need of this kind. The higher Board Schools form now the connecting-link with the Camden School.

It may be of interest here to show how Miss Buss carried out her thought about the Camden School, now housed as nobly as she could have desired. From Miss Elford, the first head-mistress of the Camden School, as well as from her successor, there are touching notices of their relations with the founder of their school—

“Miss Buss had long felt the need of such a school, and for her to feel the need was for her to leave nothing undone until the need was supplied. It was as far back as the summer of 1868, when Miss Buss intimated to me—an old pupil—that in all probability a school would be founded in connection with her school, the fees of which would be four guineas a year. And would I like to be its head-mistress! The lowness of the fees rather alarmed me; but without hesitation, in full confidence of the success that must attend any scheme she took up, I said yes!

“Foresight and forethought were two of Miss Buss’ many and great qualifications. I have frequently heard old girls say, ‘If Miss Buss told me to do a thing of which I could not quite see the advisability, I should do it, knowing that she could see the necessity for it, and the good that would result from it, for she never makes a mistake.’

“The Camden School for Girls, however, was not started until January, 1871, in the old school-houses, Nos. 12 and 14, Camden Street, which had been until that time occupied by the North London Collegiate School. It began with the head-mistress and Miss Buss as superintendent, and was opened with 45 pupils on the first day, January 16, 1871; 78 entered during the first term, and the first year closed with 192 pupils.

“Miss Buss, deeply interested in its success, watched carefully its progress, and entered fully into the whole working of the school. In the early days, the curriculum of work was entirely under her supervision. She had the power of making others capable of carrying out her suggestions, and of making them realize their own ability. The teaching was precisely on the same lines as those for girls of the same age in the North London Collegiate. The visits of Miss Buss to the school were frequent, sometimes she came alone, sometimes with visitors; but Thursday afternoons, for several years, were specially set apart for work with us. She would visit every class, and, for the first year or two, knew most of the girls, encouraging some, stimulating others. All were so glad of her kind word. Her dress was pulled timidly by a little child to obtain the desired smile.

“Thursday thus became the red-letter day of the week. No question ever arose but she might be depended on for the wisest solution of the difficulty.

“The need for the school soon spoke for itself, for at the end of the second year, 1872, there were 331 pupils. And in January, 1873, as many as fifty were unable to be admitted. Girls from all parts of London, north, south, east, and west, were anxiously waiting to come in; for at this time there existed no Polytechnic day schools, nor middle schools for girls. The enthusiasm to enter was so great that one case may be mentioned of a little girl and her mother, who hearing that there were so many new ones applying, got up at six o’clock in the morning to catch the first train from Acton ‘to be in time.’ Alas! there was no vacancy.

“In 1871, seven pupils passed the College of Preceptors’ Examination in the lowest class. In 1872, seven passed the Junior Cambridge Local, and 17 the College of Preceptors’. This would be but little now, but Miss Buss said, let them feel they can do something, or, as she so often said, ‘Aim high, and you will strike high.’