At first it was intended that the college should be restricted to day pupils, but it was soon found that this would limit its usefulness, and some months before the opening of the school the proprietors had arranged for three boarding-houses, the fees of which were extremely low, being only £40 a year.
Cheltenham Ladies’ College was laid on good foundations. The founders had an ardent desire for a thorough and liberal education, and their ideas were well carried out from the very beginning of the school’s career. The teaching appears to have been of a high order, the teachers were people of conscience and ability. In her “History of Cheltenham Ladies’ College,” Miss Beale quotes from old pupils who spoke most highly of the early days.
The school was opened on February 13, 1854, in Cambray House, where the great Duke of Wellington had once stayed for about six weeks. It was a fine square-built house with a beautiful garden. By the end of the first year the 100 pupils had increased to 150; the second year also marked an increase. But after that the numbers began to go down, until at the end of 1857 the numbers had fallen to 89, and the capital had begun to diminish.
Some disagreement on educational methods then arose between Miss Procter and the Committee, with the result that the former resigned and started another school in Cheltenham, which was continued for thirty years.
The Principal’s letter to the Committee on her departure shows her scrupulous care of the property of others:—
“My Dear Sir,
“I thank you much for your kind letter enclosing your cheque for £41 10s. 6d.
“I take this opportunity of sending you the keys of the college. The house has been cleaned throughout. The chimneys have all been swept.
“Some few stores—nearly ¹⁄₄ cwt. of soap, some dip candles, and two new scrubbing brushes—are in the closet in the pantry.
“The new zinc ventilator is in the press used for the drawing materials.