Mary Alice Douglas was born at Salwarpe, a little country village in
Worcestershire, on November 29th, 1860. She was the eighth child and
fifth daughter of William and Frances Jane Douglas. All the sixteen
children were born in the big Rectory; and except for one little
delicate sister who died young, they all grew up in that happy
home, and on rare occasions, as when the sailor brother came back
from a voyage, they had the great joy of all meeting together. The
beautiful little Early English church faced the Rectory, a little
iron gate leading from garden to churchyard. Mr. Douglas was the
loved and trusted father to his people in the different hamlets of
the scattered parish, carrying out his duty with scrupulous
faithfulness ; and as he could speak his mind freely to men, women
and children he could and did inspire a certain amount of awe. His
people learnt, however, full well that they could rely on his sound
judgment and ready sympathy. Mrs. Douglas was half-sister to Bishop Walsham How who married Mr. Douglas's sister, so there was a double
and very close relationship, much cherished on both sides.
Mrs. Douglas, with the work and responsibilities entailed by so
large a family and household, and taking her full share of work in
and beyond the parish, was nevertheless the centre of all that made
for a peaceful, happy influence among those she dwelt with or came
in contact with. Very rarely did she utter a word of reproach to any
of her children, though she was heard to say that if a little one
should get into a regular tantrum a slap was the most effective way
to restore the child's self-control! The example of her transparent
goodness was surely rebuke enough for any naughtiness. Possessed as
she was of a constant and beautiful serenity and sweet humility, she
had a brave and adventurous spirit, making her ready for example to
take sail for Gibraltar to be introduced to her sailor son's fiancee;
and being caught in a great storm she had her deck chair lashed to a
mast and so must have got what excitement she could from the
experience. As a young girl, the precious only-surviving daughter of
a well-to-do man, she and her pony once joined a hunting party and
finding the hunt hesitating before a forbidding looking hedge, she
ascertained that there was no ditch on the other side, and then over
she went, leaving the rest of the hunt to follow for very shame or
admiration. Naturally, however, intellectual in her tastes, her
reading was wide and varied, sharing her brother Walsham's love of
poetry and in sympathy with his great interest in botany, she could
have had little occasion or liking for the use of her needle, yet
when her little sons demanded the work of her hands she would set to
and do her part in rigging them out, though more especially she
trained their little minds by preparing them one by one for their
Preparatory School, so that when they left home at nine years old or
so they were already grounded in the beginnings of Latin. Though she
kept the actual housekeeping in her own hands she was much eased and
helped in her responsibilities by two exceptional women, both
forming part of the Rectory establishment for many years.
So
Mary's very early life was spent mainly under the loving and wise
care of Houghton, the devoted nurse of one after another of the
children. Her domain, the nursery, was a most happy place under her
wise rule. Then, when Mary grew older she would take her place in
the schoolroom, where Miss Costerton ruled with the same devotion as
the dear nurse, and with a great love for her pupils. The
educational methods of the Salwarpe schoolroom would astound and not
a little amuse school teachers of these days, and their pupils. The
room was quite small, and yet four or five of the girls (and more
often than not a cousin or friend as well, sent to take advantage of
" Cossie's " teaching) were all kept busy with study, drawing,
music, or " the use of the globes." Her own tiny adjoining
bedroom would sometimes accommodate one or two, but even then her
musical ear was on the alert to detect any false notes on the piano
next door. Then, the dancing class, when she would dispense with any
accompaniment, standing in one corner, gently clapping her hands to
mark time while the very sedate, so-called dances were performed,
e.g. the shawl dance, the cachuca, which was accompanied by
castanets. Whatever might be confessed about some of the rest of the
tribe she had to deal with, it seems unlikely that Cossie ever had
to complain of Mary's laziness or lack of interest, though even she
may sometimes have wished for something a little more exciting than
what the schoolroom provided. The weekly half-holiday was certainly
the gala occasion to which the children most keenly looked forward.
An extra "half" was almost unheard of; only specially persuasive
people-such as a favourite aunt, or the sailor brother, Harry-migh t
be able to wheedle one out of the extra-conscientious governess.
Mary was of an enterprising spirit, and encouraged enterprise in
her younger sisters. For example they, with her at the head, started
what they called "The Blue Paper Secret." Each girl was expected to
write a kind of essay on some given subject, such as "Your Favourite
Hero," etc., written on sheets of blue foolscap paper; the results
of these very amateurish literary efforts were read out for judgment
when the juvenile party met in a bedroom to enjoy each other's
productions. She was fond of riding, as were most of the children,
and, besides the carriage horse, ridden by her father, there were
generally two ponies, so that a party of three could trot off
together. Then of course, there were games of various kinds-out-door
and in-door. Rounders, Hide-and-Seek over garden and stable yard
were among the favourites, and in the evening their father would
often challenge one of them in a game of picquet, or their mother
would join them in a pencil game, such as " Con-glomerations," when
each play er had to answer a question and bring in a particular
word, and make them fit together in a poem. The results of the
mother's ready brain were naturally applauded and enjoyed by the
family. Lucy's stories, every word having to begin with the same
letter, were among the most notable and witty of the family's
efforts with pencil and paper, for example the story which began "
Colin covertly climbed convent."
The year 1883 saw the
beginning of the Worcester High School, later known as the "Alice
Ottley School," after the first remarkable and saintly Head
Mistress, and Mary, aged 22, received the post of second mistress
the same year. She had the added privilege of being guest at the
Deanery, and she much valued the kindness and friendship of the
Dean, Lord Alwyne Compton, and Lady Alwyne during the months she
spent with them whilst teaching at the school. She soon, however,
felt the need of further training herself, and went to Westfield
College in 1884, under Miss Maynard. She much enjoyed the new and
interesting experience of College life and study, and the making of
new friends, Miss Frances Gray, later Head of St. Paul's Girls'
School, London, being one of the most intimate among them : but 1885
saw her back again at Worcester, She started a small Mistresses'
house "Ivy Bank," and here again her enterprising spirit found
scope. One member of the happy little party at Ivy Bank-still living
in her old age at Worcester-tells how Mary suggested they should
read the Greek Testament together after breakfast.
She would
certainly not have pretended to be a Greek scholar, but must have
picked up enough during the time at college to make her zealous to
improve her knowledge. The same old friend, a former French
mistress, relates how, when she was suddenly summoned to France
where her Mother had been taken ill, Mary insisted on accompanying
her to London and remaining with her in the Charing Cross waiting
room at night till the boat train came in. This serves to illustrate
Mary's constant and practical sympathy and readiness to give
unsparing help where it was needed.
From time to time debates
took place-not of too serious a nature-between the Ivy Bank friends
; and on one occasion she carried off her VI Form girls for a
delightful Reading Party at Malvern when her brother at Malvern Link
lent her his school for a week, in the holidays. Then none of those
who were on the Staff at that time, nor indeed the Salwarpe Rectory
family, will forget the annual delightful afternoon on Ascension
Day, when Miss Ottley and her staff would take train to Droitwich
and walk out to Salwarpe by the side of the winding canal. A jolly
picnic was usually the form of entertainment, and Evensong in the
lovely old Church ended the happy day, before they all trooped back
to the station.
Mary had a very happy breezy way with
children, never rubbing them up the wrong way. Finding the girls in
one of the boarding houses in anything but a peaceful mood, and
thoroughly on each others' nerves, she carried them off for a jolly
expedition to Malvern and a walk on the hills. When they returned
home they were hardly like the same children, all clouds and
ill-temper blown away ! Children could never have had cause to
accuse her of being unjust, and at the same time she would act
towards them with a quiet and honest directness.
n November
1889 after seven years’ of teaching experience, Mary Alice Douglas
was appointed Head Mistress of Godolphin School. in Salisbury. She
is regarded as an accomplished educationalist and the ‘second
founder’ and headmistress of Godolphin School for three decades. She
was considered to be a ‘headmistress of genius’. Mary was also a
suffragist who chaired several of the large women’s suffrage
meetings held in Salisbury, where she was praised for her ‘clear and
balanced statements’.
During her time at the school Miss
Douglas worked extremely hard and had a huge impact on the school,
increasing the number of pupils attending (approximately a tenfold
increase in the three decades, from 23 to 230) and changing the
ethos. Mary’s time as an educationalist was reflected in her
presence on a number of committees and boards including the
Consultation Committee Board of Education (1913) and the Salisbury
Education Committee and After Care Committee (1920-1929). During her
time at Godolphin she was also invited to have the school join the
Union of Girls’ Schools for Social Service, setting up a link with
schools in South London. During her three decades as headmistress
she was very well-liked and respected amongst the pupils and fellow
teaching staff.
The Godolphin School Archives say: “Miss
Douglas was, from the start, eager to give every girl and every type
of girl, the opportunity to do her own best work and to express all
that was in her, in the best possible way. So, whenever anyone had
an idea for some new project, it was always given an opportunity for
thorough trial and investigation.
Her life plainly was a
dedicated one. She seemed to live with the eternal things whence
came her strength, her courage, her patience, her serene
hopefulness. Her deep belief in the power of goodness and in the
possibilities before every human soul won for her from grateful
hearts their devoted love, service and effort.”
Died unmarried: 7 November 1941
See also:
|
