Opinions Sought Please ~ Ladies Group

[Treetotal]

Eliza Frances Stone nee Samuell (the recipient) was born in Blackheath, Kent on 26 Feb 1878 but by 1901 was in Fownhope with an aunt - Harriet Samuel, licensed victualler at the Green Man public house.

I suggest this is may be a photograph of her schooldays there, sent in reminiscence by schoolfriends Gwladys and Beatrice/Beatrix years later.

So Mrs. Samuel as mentioned in the message was Eliza's Aunt so a good clue.

Carol

[avm228]

I was thinking they were (mostly) pupils rather than teachers - the teachers being the ones in the academic gowns.

In other words the secondary-age young ladies of Fownhope c1900 - including somewhere in there Eliza, Gwladys and Beatrice ("can you see us?" as the postcard says).

I have to admit that the 10+ year gap in age between Eliza and Beatrice makes this rather tricky, as they wouldn't have overlapped much at school age - and the range in ages covered by the photo is hard to discern but seems more senior than junior, in educational terms.

So perhaps it is a college of some sort after all.  Presumably the photo is dated before 1907, when Eliza married.

[Ruskie]

Eliza may be a teacher and Gwladys and Beatrice are students? (or am I confused about who is what age?) 

[ShaunJ]

Hereford photographer, Hereford postmark. I am wondering if it might be Hereford Ladies College.

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7067214

[Treetotal]

I was thinking they were (mostly) pupils rather than teachers - the teachers being the ones in the academic gowns.

In other words the secondary-age young ladies of Fownhope c1900 - including somewhere in there Eliza, Gwladys and Beatrice ("can you see us?" as the postcard says).

I have to admit that the 9-year gap in age between Eliza and Beatrice makes this rather tricky, as they wouldn't have overlapped much at school age - and the range in ages covered by the photo is hard to discern but seems more senior than junior.

So perhaps it is a college of some sort after all.  Presumably the photo is dated before 1907, when Eliza married.

Having looked more closely at the photo some of the hairstyles appear to be Edwardian...so much earlier than the postmark.

Carol

[ShaunJ]

This looks like the building - now part of the Royal National College for the Blind, formerly a teacher's training college.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ac/Royal_National_College_-_Hereford.jpg

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_National_College_for_the_Blind

[Treetotal]

As an alternative might they have attended Hereford College of Education, founded in 1902, an all female teacher training college for most of its existence?

Thanks for that Jen...That's a really strong possibility  they do look a more like students than pupils.

Carol

[ShaunJ]

I'm sure Jen has it - it is Hereford College of Education, the building now occupied by the Royal National College for the Blind.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hereford_College_of_Education

[avm228]

I'm sure Jen has it - it is Hereford College of Education, the building now occupied by the Royal National College for the Blind.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hereford_College_of_Education

Yes - brilliant