Person Ensor; Beatrice Nina Frederica (1885-1974); theosophical educationist

Draft Person 1885-1974 Beatrice Ensor was a theosophical educationist, co-founder of the New Education Fellowship (later World Education Fellowship) and editor of the journal Education for the New Era. She was also a vegetarian and anti-vivisectionist Born on 11 Aug 1885 in Marseille, the daughter of Albert Edward de Normann and Irene Matilda. She was educated in France, Italy and England. She trained as a domestic science teacher. She taught at various schools before becomin the Inspector of women's and girls' education at Glamorgan County Council. In 1914 she was appointed the HM Inspector of Domestic Science in South West England. After inspecting a Montessori school in Cheltenham she became very interested in the theories of Maria Montessori. She was one of the founders of the Theosophical Fraternity in Education and in 1915 became the organising secretary of the Theosophical Education Trust where she consolidated the work of the society at Letchworth Garden City into St Christopher School. In 1916 she married Robert Weld Ensor, and they had one son. During World War One she organised a hospitality scheme for Austrian and Hungarian children and was awarded the Hungarian Red Cross. In 1920 she found the journal 'Education for the New Era', which she initially co-edited with Alexander S Neill. In 1921 she found the New Education Fellowship with Elisabeth Rotten and Ferriérre. ensor was the organising director and Ferriérre and Rotten became the Bureaux-Directors, the French speaking and German speaking countries respectively. The New Era was adopted as the journal of the Fellowship. In 1925 Ensor left the Theosophical Trust and established Frensham Heights with Isabel King, a co-educational school in Surrey funded by Edith Douglas-Hamilton. Hamilton died in 1927 before establishing the financial independence of the school, and Ensor left the school but continued to act as governor for several years afterwards. Ensor then began to concentrate upon the work of the NEF and the New Era. She lectured in North America in 1926 and 1928, and was one of a group who toured Poland in 1927 and visited South Africa in 1929. After her husband's death she moved to South Africa in 1934 to look after the farm he had established. She retired from the Fellowship and the New Era in 1936, and was made the Fellowship's first honorary president and continued to be a member of its Consultative Committee (late Executive Board). Though her educational work was now restricted, she took part in a lecture tour of Australia in 1937, helped the South African Section of the NEF, and a built a school for mixed race children on her farm. In 1947 she retired from the Executive Board of the NEF and was made the honorary president of the Fellowship. After it was clear her son did not want to take over the farm, she sold it can moved to Plettenberg Bay. By 1963 she had returned to England and lived in London. She died in 1974. theosophical educationist GB/366/621 Biographical info in WEF/A/I/1 'Beatrice Ensor' Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beatrice_Ensor access 06/03/2009. Deposited/Corporate/WEF/People/HQ/Ensor 06/03/2009 Mkklibyz 20/04/2009 Mkklibyz Ensor; Beatrice Nina Frederica (1885-1974); theosophical educationist Ensor Beatrice Nina Frederica Female Beatrice Nina Frederica de Normann. GB/366/377 GB378 Founder of the New Education Fellowship 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 Partial Yes 0bb0828e-8a6c-4feb-8356-8786007fa6f9