I was contacted by a lady named Jacquie in April 2016, who wrote, “Hi, I’m researching a relative who was a schoolteacher. The 1901 census gives this as her occupation and she lives on Priory Place. Is there any way to find further information on what school she may have taught at. Her name was Elizabeth Ross Fraser born 1877. After 1901 she married George Milller in 1906. Thanks for any help you can provide. Jacquie”
I was able to reply with:
Hi Jacquie, thanks for your email. The 1901 census has a spelling error and says ‘Pablie Schoo’l, which is surely meant to read “Public School”. Elizabeth appears to be 24 years old at that time and perhaps she stayed in Blantyre for only a short time, with other census entries before and after confirming she wasn’t in Blantyre in 1891 nor in 1911? She likely was making her way in the world.
Priory Place was at the corner of Logan Street and Glasgow Road. Elizabeth was living with the Roberts family who then occupied the Priory Bar. She would have stayed right on the corner above the pub. The street was certainly have been full of life, busy in her time in Blantyre.
As for teaching, she likely didn’t teach at High Blantyre Primary, nor Auchentibber both of which would have been too far too walk. Blantyre Works School was closed by then, St Joseph’s School wasn’t built yet, Calder Street Secondary wasn’t built until 1912, leaving the only options as:
Stonefield Parish Primary School (opened Oct 1875)
nearby Stonefield Infant School (opened Oct 1875) and
Auchinraith Primary School (opened 31st Aug 1900)
A teacher arriving to the area, may have suggested the backfilling of roles for a new school, and I’m inclined to go for Auchinraith Primary School, but truth be told, all 3 schools were within very short walking distance from her rented home. (I’m marked Priory Place with a red dot for you and these 3 schools with a blue dot) on a map of the era. She could have worked in any one of the three, all public schools.I think some public school records are held in the Mitchell Library in Glasgow, but unfortunately, this is as far as I’m able to help in regards to the initial query with limited information at hand. I hope this helps.
Like this:
Like Loading...
Related
