Person Mary Gurney (1836-1917)

1836-1917 Mary Gurney was in born in 1836 at Denmark Hill, London. She was large educated at home and it is believed that she taught herself Latin, Greek, and Italian. Later on she was involved in the education of her younger half-sisters before becoming the secretary of Wandsworth British Girls' School. She was an active promoter of women's education, though she objected to the idea of a 'women's university'. In 1871 she delivered a paper on 'Are we to have education for our middle-class girls?' at the Social Science Congress. In the same year she joined the National Union for the Improvement of the Education of Women of All Classes and became a member of its organising committee before become one of the first members of the council of Girls' Public Day School Company Ltd (GPDSC), which was created by the Union. She served on the council until her death in 1917, and was an influential member of its education committee. In 1894 she gave evidence to the royal commission on secondary education chaired by James Bryce, and in 1899 contributed to a volume of short essays, What is Secondary Education?, edited by Robert Pickett Scott. She also acted on the governing bodies of the Maria Grey Training College; the Teachers' Training and Registration Society; and the London Society for the Extension of University Teaching; Cheltenham Ladies' College; and Princess Helena College. She was on the committee of the Froebel Society. In 1894 became a member of the governing body of Girton College, Cambridge. She died on 8 October 1917 GB/366/532 Janet Sondheimer, ‘Gurney, Mary (1836–1917)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/51745, accessed 21 Aug 2008] Mary Gurney (1836–1917): doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/51745. Deposited/Corporate/GDS/Council/Gurney 21/08/2008 Mkklibyz 08/04/2009 Mkklibyz Gurney; Mary (1836-1917) Gurney Mary Female 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 c9de80a9-fac0-4e28-b68f-8814f58581fb