Frances Mary Buss and her work for educationRidley, Annie E.
History
Frances Mary Buss and her work for education
Ridley, Annie E.
Buss, Frances Mary, 1827-1894
The work connected with this committee was very pleasant to Miss Buss,
and she was able to attend many of the meetings. She was also able to be
at the concluding reception, when Mrs. Fawcett and Miss Gurney
entertained those who had taken part in it. This was the last public
occasion on which Miss Buss was present, but Miss Gurney was struck with
her enjoyment and energy, in spite of her too-evident failure in health.
In medical education for women she was from the first full of interest,
as well as in the allied branch of trained nursing. There is some
animated correspondence with Mrs. Grey, in which the question of women
medical inspectors of the girls’ gymnasiums is discussed, Mrs. Grey not
seeing her way to it in the Company’s schools. But, as soon as it was
possible, Miss Buss had secured this supervision, of so much value in
the case of delicate girls. Miss Julia Cock, M.D., now holds the post at
first occupied by Mrs. Hoggan, M.D.
Mrs. Garrett-Anderson, M.D., was for several years a member of the
governing body of the North London Collegiate Schools for Girls, elected
as one of the representatives of the Brewers’ Company. She pays
affectionate tribute to the memory of a friend of many years, as she
says—
“There are very few people whose memory I would wish so much to
honour as I do Miss Buss’, and it is a real distress to me not
to be free to be present on Monday.
“It is difficult to say how much all who care for the uplifting
of women owe to her, both as a pioneer and in her splendid work
as a school-mistress. I hope and believe that her name will long
be cherished and honoured.”
Mrs. Thorne, also among medical pioneers, speaks strongly too—
“She has been such a good friend to women that all will feel her
loss, more particularly those who had the privilege of her
personal friendship. From time to time, in the course of the
past fifty years, I have been in occasional contact with her,
and, though so many had far greater claims upon her interest
than I, I always knew that I could turn to her as a good friend
if necessary. She was one of the _earliest_ supporters of the
medical education of women, and was one of the governors of the
London School of Medicine for Women.”
The question of the employment of women was one that touched Miss Buss
more closely than any other, since the needs of women was the very
mainspring of her efforts in education. Any opening that would attract
the girls not fitted for teaching was sure of her support. Here is a
note, dated March 11, 1875, of interest at the present date—
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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