Lucy Harrison 1844 – 1915
Educationalist
17 January 1844 – 15 May 1915
Education:
Taught at home by her eldest sister. Learned German during a visit with her sisters to Heidelberg. Learned French in Dieppe, where her family lived for a year and where she went to a Catholic school. When an adult, taught herself Latin and Anglo-Saxon.
1861-1863 Studied at Bedford College. Later in life attended lectures at the College.
Was naturally skilled in drawing and acting.
In Leicester learned wood-carving.
Some Key Achievements and Interests
Taught at the Working Women’s College in Queen’s Square for many years. She gave lessons, including in wood-carving.
1866 Started teaching Latin, English and natural history at Bedford College School.
1868 Co-founded Gower Street School for Girls, a junior school for Ladies’ College after the Bedford College School closed. The aim was to prepare girls with the educational background needed to study at university level. While offering needlework and cookery it also offered science based courses and Latin.
1875-1885 Head of Gower Street School for Girls, during which time the school went from strength to strength.
Supported Octavia Hill with her housing projects, collecting rents. At Hill’s request she supervised weekly swims for children in the Marylebone slums.
Became a member of the Schoolmistresses’ Association and one of the first members of the Teachers’ Guild promoting the education of women.
1890-1902 Was Head of The Mount School, York where she made innovative changes to improve students’ welfare and set high academic standards only appointing university graduates to teaching posts. She introduced sports and established different societies.
Taught English Literature at the school and after her retirement.
Issues
Pursued a relationship with Amy Greener in the late 1800s which drew public criticism.
Her health was affected by the strains of her responsibilities.
Connection to Bloomsbury
Lived in Gower Street.
Bedford College School (which closed in 1868).
Gower Street School for Girls.
The British Museum where, for years, she researched and read.
Female networks
Amy Greener, Charlotte Mew student at Gower Street School, Frances Martin, Jane Chessar, Octavia Hill.
Educational committees
Writing/Publications include:
Harrison, Lucy & Greener, Amy. A lover of books: the Life and Literary Papers of Lucy Harrison; London: Dent. 1916
Harrison, Lucy. A Teacher’s Ideal 1896 (about her teaching philosophy)
Harrison, Lucy. Spenser for Home and School, Bentley, 1883
Further reading:
Harrison, Lucy (1844–1915), headmistress | Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (oxforddnb.com)