Frances Mary Buss and her work for education

by Annie E. Ridley

Miss Ward gives us an interesting sketch of the growth of the work from the first.

“The aims of the society were mainly to provide for the professional training of teachers above the elementary. This training included both theoretical knowledge and practical skill. Unendowed as the society was, it was necessary to create a guarantee fund, and this was done by a few friends, while Miss Buss, sparing no pains to induce teachers to avail themselves of the advantages offered, contributed also from the first in money. At length, after the tentative stage of providing lectures for teachers, the council of the society were fortunate enough to secure from the Rev. Wm. Rogers the use of some rooms in Skinner Street, Bishopsgate, which served as a college for students, and leave for their students to practise teaching in the large and interesting girls’ school which now, thanks to the Dulwich Endowment Fund, lately available, is handsomely housed in Spital Square, E. In 1878, however, when the Training College opened, the school was in other and less convenient buildings. These have now disappeared, to make way for the Great Eastern Railway’s vast extension.

“Miss Alice Lushington was, in 1878, appointed principal of the college, and held the post till 1880, when Miss Agnes J. Ward became principal. Miss Buss lost no opportunity of urging the development of the work. She was indefatigable in her attendance at council meetings, and eager to show her strong appreciation of professional training by appointing as mistresses in her school those who had gone through a course partly theoretical and partly practical. Towards the end of 1880, owing to her strong feeling that the society should possess its own practising school, the council acquired the lease of No. 1, Fitzroy Square, and there, in January, 1881, under the headmistress-ship of Miss Lawford (now of the Camden School for Girls), a day school was opened and named after Mrs. Wm. Grey. In 1885, it became the chief practising school of the society which in that year transferred the Training College to Fitzroy Street from Bishopsgate. From that year, also, the college was called “The Maria Grey Training College.” Miss Buss was at that time desirous of affiliating the college to her schools; but after mature consideration the council held that it was better to pursue a more independent course, and wait until they could establish their work on a permanent foundation. This they accomplished in 1892, when their large College for Teachers, Day School for Girls, and Kindergarten were all transferred to Brondesbury, where they are finally located in a building which cost £13,000. This sum was collected by the energy and devotion of the council, and in this heavy task of collecting a fund for a work the value of which only experts could be expected fully to appreciate, Miss Buss took for years an active part. Her name on the council was of signal use in certain directions, notably in the matter of the Pfeiffer bequest. The sum of £4000 finally obtained by the college from the trustees enabled the council to complete their building and start their important work under Miss Alice Woods as principal. The council thus provided for pupils from three years old upwards, in surroundings at once adequate and suitable. Miss Buss’ strong faith in the importance of the council’s work, to education at large, her strenuous support in its early years of trial, her generous recognition and appraisement of the efforts of the staff, were as helpful as they were unflagging.”

The feeling of the council at the great loss which they sustained in the removal of one who had done so much for the college, is given in the minute which recorded that loss—

“It was moved by the Rev. T. W. Sharpe, chairman, seconded by J. G. Fitch, Esq., and carried unanimously: That the council of the Maria Grey Training College, in tendering an expression of their deepest sympathy with the family of the late Frances Mary Buss, desire to place on record their sense of the irreparable loss which the cause of education in general, and of women’s education in particular, has sustained by her lamented death; the council have also to deplore, on their own account, the loss of a highly valued colleague, whose long and active co-operation in their work of training women-teachers for secondary schools contributed largely to the success already attained, and to whose practical experience and wide-minded aims the council looked for still further support in the future.”

Nothing could show more distinctly the rapid growth of interest among women in higher education than a comparison of the help given to Mrs. Grey for the Training College with that given to Miss Davies and to Miss Buss for Girton and for the North London Collegiate School. Only a single decade had elapsed. In 1871, it was so hard to get even £10 donations, that the gift of £1000 to Girton from Madame Bodichon and from Miss E. A. Manning, and Miss Ewart’s £1000 for the Camden School, shine out like beacon-lights. In 1881, for the Training College, we are dazzled by the general blaze: Lady Farrer, Mrs. Pennington, and Mrs. Winckworth give each £1000, and Miss Ewart and Miss Soames each £500. Mr. Tomlinson also adds £1000, which, with £4000 from the Emily Pfeiffer Bequest, gives the college its start free from debt.

I have no record of Miss Buss’ gifts, but there is no doubt about her having done a fair share in this movement so specially interesting to her. When the Maria Grey College was safe, and pursuing its successful course, a fresh departure was originated by Miss Buss. It was hardly to be expected that graduates of Girton and Newnham would come to London to be trained, and it therefore seemed desirable to offer training at Cambridge.

On April 6, 1885, Miss Buss writes to me—

“I am begging for help towards starting an experiment at Cambridge for a class for training the Girton and Newnham students as teachers before they enter their profession. They will not go to Bishopsgate, but we (herself and Mrs. Bryant) think they may be induced to stay in Cambridge for a time.

“Cambridge is willing, and a suitable lady is ready. A house for seven students can be had. Mrs. Bryant is to harangue the Tripos students on the duty of fitting themselves for their work, and I am promised help to the extent of £50, but we must raise £200, and Cambridge cannot do this. I think, if we can induce the students to be trained, their fees will cover expenses, but we must guarantee at least £100 to Miss Hughes, the mistress.