Historical directories was OK this morning - although very slow . try again later. Following up Mrs Sarah Mills ---- from 1851 census - at no 9 Crescent Bedford, is Sarah Mills Widow born 1801 in Sussex ; Governess . There were 6 pupils listed going on to 1881 census, at no 4&6&8 the Crescent (one property) is listed a headmistrss & loads of boarders/scholars For info , The Crescent is just behind the Harpur Trusts, Girls High School in Bedford cheers John ----- Original Message ----- From: "H N" <h.napier@gmail.com> To: <BEDFORD-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Friday, April 14, 2006 4:42 PM Subject: Re: [BDF] Schools in Bedford town >i tried the historical directories link, does not work. > the direct resource one is excellant. > > > On 14/04/06, john partridge <john.partridge10@ntlworld.com> wrote: >> >> found this by Google >> >> http://www.direct-resources.uk.com/bedford.htm >> >> one line is Mrs Sarah Mills - Academy young ladies seminary - in the >> Crescent, Bedford >> >> sems to extract from Kellys Post Office 1847 Beds >> >> have you tried in >> http://www.historicaldirectories.org/hd/findbylocation.asp >> >> regards John >> >> >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: "Eve McLaughlin" <eve@varneys.demon.co.uk> >> To: <BEDFORD-L@rootsweb.com> >> Sent: Thursday, April 13, 2006 12:39 PM >> Subject: [BDF] Schools in Bedford town >> >> >> > In message <4439BF43.8080801@tpg.com.au>, Hilary Scott >> > <hilary.s@tpg.com.au> writes >> >> >> >> >> >>1871 - 1881 was there a school called: Young Ladies Seminary, Bedford? >> >> Maybe known by a different name back then? >> > >> > This was a description of the type of school, rather than its actual >> > name. In life it would be known by the name of its owner, probably a >> > maiden lady (or a couple of them) or widow of respectable birth, >> > running >> > a school where young ladies learned 'accomplishments' rather than went >> > in for any of this deep academic stuff. So unsettling for the dear >> > child, you know. The lessons, apart from basic three Rs, would be a >> > little French (not enough to read naughty novels, just enough to order >> > food and dresses), a little piano playing, a little water colour >> > painting (oils were too brash for ladies), deportment and how to handle >> > servants. >> > The school would probably not keep records (beyond receipts for fees >> > for >> > a time) and when the lady owner died, the school probably died too. You >> > can see exactly what it would have been like by reading Thackeray's >> > Vanity Fair, where the saucy Miss Sharp was an uneasy pupil at one. >> > >> > The parents must have been able to afford the fees (Becky Sharp, kep[t >> > on as a sort of pupil teacher, was unusual) so that looking for their >> > wills is a sensible move. >> > The school will be listed in any Bedford Directory of the time as Miss >> > de Bloggs, Ladies Seminary' and there will be an entry in the 1881 >> > census with any children then boarding at the school (there may have >> > been day pupils too). One thing to embellish the history, when you >> > have >> > found the likely name, if to get someone to look at the front page of a >> > Bedford paper in any early January issue, when the local schools >> > announced the beginning of term and also often stated exactly what >> > subjects they offered. >> > >> > >> > -- >> > Eve McLaughlin >> > >> > Author of the McLaughlin Guides for family historians >> > Secretary Bucks Genealogical Society >> > >> > >> > ==== BEDFORD Mailing List ==== >> > The Bedfordshire Surnames List can be viewed at: >> > http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~hughw/bedf.html >> > >> > >> > >> > -- >> > No virus found in this incoming message. >> > Checked by AVG Free Edition. >> > Version: 7.1.385 / Virus Database: 268.4.1/311 - Release Date: >> 13/04/2006 >> > >> > >> >> >> ==== BEDFORD Mailing List ==== >> When REPLYING to a message sent to the list decide if this is information >> that all the list members would like to know about or whether it would >> only >> be of interest to the individual you are replying to. >> >> > > > ==== BEDFORD Mailing List ==== > For any updates our info about the status of this list go to > http://helpdesk.rootsweb.com > > > > -- > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG Free Edition. > Version: 7.1.385 / Virus Database: 268.4.1/311 - Release Date: 13/04/2006 > >