SCHOOLS 



children under 8 years of age.' 1 Instruction was to include the liturgy of the 

 Church of England, grammar, geography, history, arithmetic, French, music, 

 drawing, and needlework. The college was to be confined to day scholars, 

 and the fees were to be from 6 to 20 guineas a year. Shares of 10 each to 

 the amount of about 2,000 were taken up, and the entire management and 

 control were vested in the hands of the founders, the Rev. H. W. Bellairs, 

 Rev. W. Dobson, Principal of Cheltenham College, Rev. H. A. Holdcn, 

 Vice Principal, Lieut.-Col. Fitzmaurice, Dr. S. E. Comyn, and Mr. Nathaniel 

 Hartland. They appointed as Principal Mrs. Procter, and as Vice Principal 

 her daughter, Miss Annie Procter, who was understood to be the actual head. 

 A well-built stone house, with good gardens, Cambray House, was taken on 

 lease at a rental of 200 a year, and a schoolroom was added before the 

 opening of the college, on 13 February, 1854. It started with over 100 

 pupils, and the numbers steadily increased for the first two years, but by the 

 end of 1857 there were only 89 pupils. There was some disagreement 

 between the Principal and Vice Principal and the council, and eventually 

 Mrs. and Miss Procter resigned. Miss Procter opened a private school 

 in Cheltenham, which she carried on for 30 years. 



Miss Dorothea Beale, mathematical tutor at Queen's College, London, 

 was appointed Principal on 16 June, 1858, and Miss Brewer, who was already 

 on the staff, Vice Principal. Of the subscribed capital of 2,000 only about 

 400 was left, and there were only 69 pupils. Rigid economy had to be 

 practised, but in spite of all care, at the end of 1860 the college was still 

 being carried on at a loss, and the lease of Cambray House having expired 

 no member of the council was willing to take the responsibility of renewing 

 it. Fortunately, Mr. J. Houghton Brancker was asked to be auditor, and 

 he drew up a financial scheme, lowering the fees, but making music and 

 drawing extras. The owner of Cambray House agreed to grant a yearly 

 lease, and from that time things began to mend. In 1864 the first regularly 

 constituted boarding house was opened under Miss Caines. In the same 

 year a change was made in the school hours, which caused an outcry, 

 and the numbers declined for the first time since Miss Bealc's arrival. 

 The hours had been 9. 1 5 a.m. to 12.15 P- m - anc * from 2.45 p.m. to 4. 1 5 p.m., 

 but now the morning hours were lengthened and afternoon school abolished. 

 This was found to work satisfactorily, and next year the numbers once 

 more increased. 



In 1871 a portion of the site of the present college was bought, and the 

 college entered into possession at Lady Day, 1873. In 1876 Miss M. 

 Newman offered to provide a house for not more than 10 girls preparing as 

 governesses, who should attend the college, paying Miss Newman unrc- 

 munerative fees. Her offer was cordially accepted, and the house started, 

 but Miss Newman unhappily died after one year. In January, 1878, Miss 

 Beale issued an appeal for subscriptions to carry on this work, and about 

 1,200 was immediately collected, one-half from the staff. This sum was 

 vested in trustees, who kept on the students in a private house till 1885, 

 when St. Hilda's College was opened. It was the first training college 

 established for secondary teachers. 



1 H'utorj of the Cheltenham Ladle? Collegf, 1853-1904 (Cheltenham Looktr-tn Printing Works), from which 

 most of these facts are taken. 



a 433 55 



