Maria Georgina Grey facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Maria Georgina Grey
Born	Maria Georgina Shirreff 7 March 1816 Blackheath, London
Died	19 September 1906 Kensington, London
Education	Paris
Occupation	Educationist
Spouse(s)	William Grey

Maria Georgina Grey (born Maria Shirreff; 7 March 1816 – 19 September 1906) was a British writer and educationist. She worked hard to improve education for girls and women. Maria Grey helped start an important group called the Girls' Day School Trust. A college for training teachers was also named after her: the Maria Grey Training College.

Biography

Early Life and Family

Maria Georgina Shirreff was born on 7 March 1816 in Blackheath, London. Her parents were Admiral William Henry and Elizabeth Anne Shirreff. Maria was the third of four daughters. She was very close to her older sister, Emily Shirreff. They worked together on many projects later in life.

Education and Travels

In the 1820s, Maria's family lived in France. Maria and Emily were first taught at home by a governess. In 1828, they went to a boarding school in Paris. A year later, they left the school due to Emily's health.

Even without formal schooling, Maria and Emily kept learning. They traveled a lot, visiting France, Spain, and Italy. This helped them become experts in different languages. They also read many books from their father's large library. They met many smart people through their father's friends.

In 1834, Maria and Emily returned to England. They started writing together. Their first book, Letters from Spain and Barbary, came out in 1835. In 1841, they wrote a novel called Passion and Principle.

In 1841, Maria married her cousin, William Thomas Grey. He was a wine merchant. Their marriage was happy, but they did not have children.

Writing for Women's Education

Maria stayed close to Emily even after she married. Emily moved into Maria and William's home. The sisters continued to write together. In 1850, they published a book about women's education. It was called Thoughts on Self Culture Address to Women. Maria's husband paid for the book to be published.

In their book, they said that women should not only be educated to find a husband. They believed girls should learn subjects like math, science, and history. These subjects were often not taught to girls back then. They also argued that learning should continue throughout a woman's life.

Working for Change

Maria's husband died in 1864. After this, she became very active in public life. She joined Emily in working to improve education for girls. Maria was especially worried about how little money was given to girls' schools.

In 1870, Maria wrote to The Times newspaper many times. She wanted to raise money for the North London Collegiate School for Girls. She also encouraged Frances Buss, a famous headmistress, to use student teachers.

That same year, Maria tried to become a representative for Chelsea on The London School Board. She was one of the first women to try this. She did not win, but her speeches were later published. Maria saw this election as a key moment. It made her and Emily work even harder for women's education.

Maria and Emily also supported women's right to vote. In 1870, Maria wrote a booklet asking if voting was "unfeminine." Maria believed girls needed an education that would prepare them for more responsibilities in society.

The Women's Education Union

In 1871, Maria suggested creating a national group to promote women's education. She presented her idea to the Society of Arts. Her plan received a lot of support. Later that year, she gave another speech at a big meeting in Leeds.

Because of this, Maria and Emily started a group called the National Union for Improving the Education of Women of All Classes. It was later called the Women's Education Union. This group wanted to create good, affordable day schools for girls. Maria and Emily were very active in the Union. Emily was the organizing secretary until 1879.

The Union also led to the creation of The Girls' Public Day School Company (GPDSC) in 1872. This company is now known as the Girls' Day School Trust. It was set up to create new secondary schools for girls from different backgrounds. Maria was an active member of the GPDSC Council until 1890. She had to stop due to poor health. Maria also encouraged the GPDSC to start training departments for new teachers.

In 1878, Maria helped start a college to train teachers. It was called The Teachers' Training and Registration Society. In 1885, the college was renamed The Maria Grey Training College for Women. This college later became part of Brunel University.

Later Years

Maria continued to give speeches and write in the 1880s. By 1890, she became too ill to be active. For the last 15 years of her life, Maria lived quietly due to her health. Even after Emily died in 1897, Maria wrote her book Last Words to Girls on Life in School and after School in 1889. She passed away on 19 September 1906, in Kensington, London. This was the house where she had lived with Emily.

Images for kids

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  Maria Grey Training College (1946)

See also

• Emily Anne Eliza Shirreff
• Girls' Day School Trust