“M. G. Fawcett.”
This sub-committee received from the Royal Commission £100 to send a representative to report on American education, as shown at Chicago and elsewhere, and appointed Miss Hughes of the Cambridge Training College for Teachers. Five other ladies went with Gilchrist Scholarships for the same sum, and eight with Scholarships from the City Companies of fifty guineas each. Among the latter was Miss Sara A. Burstall, an old pupil and present member of the staff of the North London Collegiate School for Girls.
The work connected with this committee was very pleasant to Miss Buss, and she was able to attend many of the meetings. She was also able to be at the concluding reception, when Mrs. Fawcett and Miss Gurney entertained those who had taken part in it. This was the last public occasion on which Miss Buss was present, but Miss Gurney was struck with her enjoyment and energy, in spite of her too-evident failure in health.
In medical education for women she was from the first full of interest, as well as in the allied branch of trained nursing. There is some animated correspondence with Mrs. Grey, in which the question of women medical inspectors of the girls’ gymnasiums is discussed, Mrs. Grey not seeing her way to it in the Company’s schools. But, as soon as it was possible, Miss Buss had secured this supervision, of so much value in the case of delicate girls. Miss Julia Cock, M.D., now holds the post at first occupied by Mrs. Hoggan, M.D.
Mrs. Garrett-Anderson, M.D., was for several years a member of the governing body of the North London Collegiate Schools for Girls, elected as one of the representatives of the Brewers’ Company. She pays affectionate tribute to the memory of a friend of many years, as she says—
“There are very few people whose memory I would wish so much to honour as I do Miss Buss’, and it is a real distress to me not to be free to be present on Monday.
“It is difficult to say how much all who care for the uplifting of women owe to her, both as a pioneer and in her splendid work as a school-mistress. I hope and believe that her name will long be cherished and honoured.”
Mrs. Thorne, also among medical pioneers, speaks strongly too—
“She has been such a good friend to women that all will feel her loss, more particularly those who had the privilege of her personal friendship. From time to time, in the course of the past fifty years, I have been in occasional contact with her, and, though so many had far greater claims upon her interest than I, I always knew that I could turn to her as a good friend if necessary. She was one of the earliest supporters of the medical education of women, and was one of the governors of the London School of Medicine for Women.”
The question of the employment of women was one that touched Miss Buss more closely than any other, since the needs of women was the very mainspring of her efforts in education. Any opening that would attract the girls not fitted for teaching was sure of her support. Here is a note, dated March 11, 1875, of interest at the present date—