Person Maria Grey

1816-1906 Maria Georgina Shirreff was born on 7 March 1816 in Blackheath, London. For most of her childhood she was based on mainland Europe due to the naval career of her father, of Admiral William Henry Shirreff. Of all her sisters she was closest to Emily Shirreff, who would be her collaborator in later educational projects. The Shirreff sisters were first taught at home by a governess who had a limited education. In 1828 Maria and Emily joined a boarding school in Paris, but were removed a year later due to Emily's health. In 1831, after the family moved to Gibraltar, their father did not think it was necessary to appoint another governess and the sisters' period of formal education came to an end. Maria and Emily continued to improve their education: they became expert linguists by travelling through Europe; read books from their father's extensive library, and met many intellectuals of the age through their father's contacts. In 1834 their mother brought the family back to England and Maria and Emily published 'Letters from Spain and Barbary', in1835. In 1841 they wrote novel Passion and Principle, a romantic novel they published anonymously. In 1841 Maria married William Thomas Grey. In 1850 the sisters wrote their treatise on women's education, Thoughts on Self Culture Address to Women, funded by Maria's husband. In the book they disapproved of the frivolous attitudes to marriage and the established view that women should be only educated to attract a husband. After Maria's husband died in 1864, she took an active role in public life and join Emily's campaign for improving girls' education and raising funds for the North London Collegiate School. In 1870 she stood for election for a place on the newly formed London School Board. Though she was unsuccessful, Maria saw the election as a turning point in her career. In 1871, Maria and Emily helped found the National Union of the Improving the Education of Women of All Classes (later shortened to the Women's Education Union). Maria was an active member of two of the creations of the Union, the Girls' Public Day School Company (later the Girls' Day School Trust) who she encouraged to open teacher training department in their school, and the Teachers Training and Registration Society which formed a teaching college which became the Maria Grey Training College for Women. Maria continued to campaign until the 1890s when ill health prevented her. Despite her ill health and Emily's death in 1897 she wrote her Last Words to Girls on Life in School and after School in 1889. She died on 19 September 1906. educationalist GB/366/480 "Obituary of Mrs William Grey", The Times, September 21 1906. "In Memoria. Mrs William Grey", The Guardian, September 26 1906. Morrison, Oonagh (2 June 1966). "The Woman of Purpose". The Lady. Kamm, Josephine (1971). Indicative Past: A Hundred Years of the Girl’s Public Day School Trust. London: George Allen & Unwin. Ellsworth, Edward W (1979). Liberators of the Female Mind: The Shirreff Sisters, Educational Reform and the Women's Movement. Westport: Greenwood Press. Levine, Philippa (October 2004). "Grey, Maria Georgina (1816–1906),". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press. Retrieved on 23 November 2007. Deposited/Corporate/GDS/Council/Grey 19/06/2008 Mkklibyz 08/04/2009 Mkklibyz Grey; Maria Georgina (1816-1906); educationalist Grey Maria Georgina Female Mrs William Grey GB/366/90 GB/366/90 GB475 GB479 Shirreff, Maria Georgina and Shirreff, Emily (published anonymously) (1841). Passion and Principle. Edited by Captain Schmier. London. (1850) Thoughts on Self-Culture Addressed to Women.. Grey, Maria Georgina (1868). Love’s Sacrifice [A novel]. Grey, Maria Georgina (1870). Is the Exercise of the Suffrage unfeminine?. Grey, Maria Georgina (1871). Education of Women [Letter to the Editor of the “Times”]. Grey, Mrs William (1871). ‘The School Board of London. Three Addresses by Mrs William Grey in the Borough of Chelsea with a speech by William Groves, Esq., Q.C, F.R.S’. William Ridgeway. Grey, Maria Georgina (1871). On the Education of Women. A paper read by Mrs William Grey at the meeting of the Society of Arts, 31 May 1871. Grey, Mrs William (1872). On the Special Requirements for improving the education of Girls, (paper read at the Social Science Congress, October 1871). William Ridgeway. Grey, Maria Georgina (1872). The National Union for improving the Education of Women. A letter to the Editor of “The Times”. Grey, Mrs William (1874). ‘Idols of Society or Gentility and Femininity’ republished from ‘Fraser’s Magazine’. William Ridgeway. Grey, Maria Georgina (1875). ‘Old Maids’, A lecture. Grey, Maria Georgina (1 November 1879). "Men and Women". Fortnightly Review Vol. 26 (No 155). Grey, Maria Georgina (1 Jun 1881). "Men and Women: A Sequel". Fortnightly Review Vol. 29. Grey, Maria Georgina (1884), “The Women’s Educational Movement.”, in Stanton, T, The Women Question in Europe: A Series of Original Essays., London Grey, Maria Georgina (1889, [1888]). Last words to Girls on life in school and after school.. Rivingtons. International Standard Archival Authority Record for Corporate Bodies, Persons and Families - ISAAR(CPF) 2nd edition - ICA 2004 ISBN 2-9521932-2-3 National Council on Archives, Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997 Yes 5b05add5-6fa4-4fc8-b70b-9b02e1de8b1e