Education - Girls

Juliet White’s Boarding School (Number 33) ran from 1820 until 1840. While boys’ schools were focused on academic achievement, the curriculums of the private schools that many Albany Street daughters would have attended, were focused on developing young women’s social skills. Competition between private schools was fierce and there were many adverts detailed the advantages of the location, curriculum, fees and the school’s reputation. Usually the schools began as small establishments and, if successful, moved on to larger premises. Miss Lee’s school later located to Royal Circus. With some, there may have been a disparity between the advertised benefits and the reality, as this account from the early 1800s by Mary Fairfax of her time at a private school in Musselburgh implies: ‘A few days after my arrival, although perfectly straight and well-made, I was enclosed in stiff stays with a steel busk in front, while above my frock, bands drew my shoulders back till the shoulder-blades met. Then a steel rod with a semi-circle which went under my chin, was clasped to the steel busk in my stays. In this constrained state I, and most of the young girls, had to prepare our lessons. The chief thing I had to do was to learn by heart a page of Johnson's Dictionary, not only to spell the words, give their parts of speech and meaning, but as an exercise of memory to remember their order of succession. Besides I had to learn the first principles of writing, and the rudiments of French and English grammar. The method of teaching was extremely tedious and inefficient. In our play-hours we amused ourselves with playing at ball, marbles, and especially at "Scotch and English," a game which represented a raid on the debatable land, or Border between Scotland and England, in which each party tried to rob the other of their playthings. The little ones were always compelled to be English, for the bigger girls thought it too degrading.’

Dancing skills were essential and Miss Reynolds (Number 2) advertised that her ‘Fashionable dancing and exercises classes will re-commence on 3 March.’ Mary Fairfax also recounts her dancing lessons: ‘(I was sent to) Strange's dancing school. Strange himself was exactly like a figure on the stage; tall and thin, he wore a powdered wig, with cannons at the ears, and a pigtail. Ruffles at the breast and wrists, white waistcoat, black silk or velvet shorts, white silk stockings, large silver buckles, and a pale blue coat completed his costume. He had a little fiddle on which he played, called a kit. My first lesson was how to walk and make a curtsey. "Young lady, if you visit the queen you must make three curtsies, lower and lower and lower as you approach her”. Every Saturday afternoon all the scholars, both boys and girls, met to practise in the public assembly rooms in George's Street. It was a handsome large hall with benches rising like an amphitheatre. Some of the elder girls were very pretty, and danced well, so these practicings became a lounge for officers from the Castle, and other young men. We used always to go in full evening dress. We learnt the minuet de la cour, reels and country dances. Our partners used to give us gingerbread and oranges. Dancing before so many people was quite an exhibition, and I was greatly mortified one day when ready to begin a minuet, by the dancing-master shaking me roughly and making me hold out my frock properly.’