The Adamson Sisters

By Lindsay and Anne Adamson

The Adamson Sisters– a short story of two Cumnock-born women:

Helen 1879-1922 and Marjory 1882-1935

 

Helen Scarlett Adamson, oldest child of the Reverend Alexander Adamson and his wife Janet (ms Duncan), was born on 17^th May 1879 in the Free Church manse on Ayr Road, Old Cumnock, Ayrshire. 

 

Old Free Church, Ayr Road (a)

 

    Her sister Alice Marjory Adamson (known as Marjory, with the chosen spelling Marjorie in adult life) was also born in the Free Church manse on 25^th March 1882; however, before Marjory was even 1 year old, the family moved from Cumnock when their father took up a new ministry at Chapelshade Free Church in Dundee.

    Younger brother David Lindsay Adamson was born on 16^th June 1885 at 16 Albany Terrace, Dundee, and it was in Dundee¹ that all three children had their schooling. There is archival evidence for David and for Marjory, though not for Helen, however it is likely that all three children attended The High School of Dundee, a private school with both primary and secondary departments. Indeed, from the school’s prize giving records, we can see that Marjory won a prize for freehand drawing in 1888 when she was in the 2^nd grade (age 6). Incidentally, The High School of Dundee, founded in 1239, continues to the present day and is a prestigious Scottish co-ed independent school offering an all-through (3-18) education.

    In 1883 in Scotland the school leaving age was raised from 13 to 14 years; though this was of little consequence to the Adamson sisters as both were determined, and no doubt encouraged by their father, to stay on at school and to pursue further education. As well as the normal range of academic subjects studied at school, including Latin which was required for university entrance, girls at that time also studied needlework, music and art. Knowledge of and a facility with some or all of these arts was almost a prerequisite for any well-brought up middle class young woman of this time, and there is evidence that as adults both Helen and Marjorie continued to enjoy both drawing and painting. 

     In 1899, Helen, aged 19, took up a place at the University of St Andrews. Since 1886 the university had provided halls of residence for women students, and it may well be that Helen lived there during her first year in St Andrews, however the university archive² records her final year term-time address as 13 Wellington Street, Dundee.

    Helen must have been very academically clever, as at the end of her second year at university, she was recognised as the top student in one of her subjects and was awarded the “Class Medal for Moral Philosophy (1900-01)”.  

 

  Class Medal for Moral Philosophy (1900-01)

         St Andrew’s University Coat of Arms (b)

   

    Helen graduated with a 2^nd Class Honours degree, MA in English in 1903. She continued studying and fulfilled the necessary requirements to be awarded a professional qualification, the Cambridge Teachers’ Certificate, as she embarked on her chosen career in education.

    Although we do not know where or when Marjorie studied, we do know she also went on to become a teacher. In fact, both sisters eventually became headmistresses, but more of that later.

    In August 1897, eighteen-year-old Helen started keeping a scrapbook. Many of its entries date from her student days but she was still adding to it up until 1912. Throughout the Victorian era and continuing till at least the mid 20^th century, scrapbooking was a popular pastime for women of means. Scrapbooks were often keepsake albums for a woman’s own sketches and verses; as well as for those drawn and written by friends and others. Looking through Helen’s scrapbook today (poems and epigrams in many different handwriting styles; watercolour paintings, drawings and sketches; a musical score and even a couple of political cartoons by different artistic friends & family) is dipping into a treasure trove and catching the merest glimpse of her thoughts and memories from that time. 

    Here is just one example of Helen’s artwork and an illustrated poem contributed by her sister Marjorie.

(c)

(c)       

                                                                                                                                                                                        

    At different dates both sisters left the family home in Dundee and moved to Edinburgh to pursue careers as schoolteachers. Much of the hard information we have about this period of their lives comes from the 5-yearly Edinburgh property Valuation Rolls³, the 10-yearly national Census³ returns and advertisements for private schools from the archives of The Scotsman⁴ newspaper, but sadly some of the most significant dates cannot be found or verified.

    We don’t know exactly when, though most probably it was in 1903 or 1904, that Helen first moved to Edinburgh, nor do we know where she first lived there; however we do know that it was sometime during that first decade of the 1900s that Helen started her own school in rented premises at 1 Rothesay Terrace, a pleasant town house in Edinburgh’s New Town. This school offered a primary education to girls, though there may also have been some boys enrolled in the kindergarten class.

    We know little about this small school Helen started; however, we can deduce it must have been successful as the 1915 Valuation Roll for 1 Rothesay Terrace shows that the tenants then were Miss Gamgee & the sisters Misses Clark Stanton, also teachers. This is further confirmed by a brief mention in a book, ‘Crème de la Crème: Girls Schools in Edinburgh’⁵, which says that a school continued at this location after Miss Adamson sold it. Advertisements⁴ show that Miss Gamgee & the Misses Clark Stanton were already operating a small school, ‘Home School for Girls’ in a house in nearby Rothesay Place; when they took over the tenancy at 1 Rothesay Terrace; they then advertised their school under the name ‘Rothesay House (Home School for Girls)’. We will never know, but it does make one wonder if perhaps Helen’s school was simply called ‘Rothesay House School’. 

    The 1911 census shows Helen, age 31, as a Boarder at 2 Randolph Crescent, Edinburgh with her occupation listed as Headmistress of Private School. The Head of the Household is listed as Elizabeth B. Somerville, age 65, whose occupation is listed as Principal of Private School.  Altogether 7 people are listed as living there; as well as Helen, there are two other female Boarders, whose occupations are listed as German Governess and Governess, and three female Servants.

    This house at 2 Randolph Crescent was also the premises for a private school, St Elizabeth’s School for Girls. Advertisements from 1906 indicate this was a day school, but by 1911 it was a day and boarding school for both primary and secondary age pupils. Miss Somerville was, and had been for many years, the school principal; and at some date between 1909 and 1911, she had recruited Helen to be its headmistress. This addition of Helen to St Elizabeth’s staff likely coincided with an expansion of numbers in the school roll and a wish by Miss Somerville to be able to offer a more academic curriculum to senior girls.

 

Whole school photo in the garden at Randolph Crescent (d)  

  Now an informal one ie hats OFF!  (d)     

     On the date this 1911 census was taken, Marjorie (age 29) was living at her parents’ house in Dundee; and although no specific occupation is listed for her, a very close friend later recorded that what Marjorie saw as her duty at this time was to help her father by working with the poor families in his congregation.

    The sisters enjoyed each other’s company, and Helen would often return to Dundee during school holidays. We know from a family photograph album that Blairgowrie and Crieff were two favourite destinations the family would decamp to during the summer months. 

 

The Rev Alexander Adamson, his wife Janet & daughters Helen (seated) and Marjorie (d)

 

    This family album has photos of views taken over several years in many of Scotland’s most picturesque areas, also some in the English Lake District and one year a family winter sports holiday in Kandersteg, Switzerland. 

               Helen, Lake District (d)      

Marjorie, Killin (d)  

 Kandersteg, Switzerland (d)

    

    From the large number of photographs, it seems clear that the sisters travelled extensively throughout Scotland; sometimes this would be to visit friends and family but often just to enjoy the countryside. A favourite occupation for Helen on these holidays was painting. 

   This is her watercolour sketch of The Old Bank, Kingussie, dated August 17^th1908. 

    Helen continued as headmistress at St Elizabeth’s until the retiral of Miss Somerville in 1916, after which she became principal of the school. It is likely that this is also when Marjorie moved to Edinburgh to take up a position as a housemistress at St Elizabeth’s; and as joint headmistress with Helen, to help manage the school. The total school roll at that time was likely somewhere around 100 girls.

 

Advertisement from the Education column of The Scotsman, Saturday 04 August 1917 (f)

 

    We can assume from what we know of their many interests and numerous wide-ranging friendships that the Adamson sisters enjoyed the rich cultural life of the capital; unfortunately there is no way of knowing if either sister ever contemplated marriage, or whether as for so many young women of that generation, the First World War played its part in their remaining single.

    In 1921 the Adamson sisters moved from 2 Randolph Crescent, when St Elizabeth’s amalgamated with Craigmount⁶, another private school for girls.

    The history of Craigmount School is well documented and tells that it was started by a group of 5 sisters in1884. Education for girls was becoming more popular, and the Miss Gossips’ school quickly gained a very high reputation. The school relocated twice as larger premises became needed. In 1900 it took the name Craigmount from the house it moved to in Dick Place, one of Edinburgh’s most select residential districts. This was a very suitable premises, having been built originally as a boys’ school in 1864. It consisted mainly of two houses for boarders, Red House and White House, and a gymnasium and stood in spacious grounds. By 1911 the school had about 120 boarders and day girls, then called day boarders.

Craigmount School from the east (g) 

    The Misses Adamson along with Mrs. J C Landells took over as headmistresses when the schools joined following the retiral of Craigmount’s previous headmistresses, the Misses Macdonald and Miss Henderson. Helen brought with her from St Elizabeth’s the school motto ‘Ex Animo sicut Domino’ to replace the former Craigmount motto, and the oakleaf badge which would later appear on Craigmount school blazers. A literal translation of the motto, which was based on a Bible verse from Leviticus, would be ‘From the heart, as to the Lord’; interpreted perhaps as ‘Whatever work you do, do it wholeheartedly and to the best of your ability.’

    Helen (Miss Adamson) became seriously ill with cancer very shortly after taking over the Principalship of Craigmount and sadly died on the 16^th of May 1922 (age 43); thus the responsibility of this post passed to her younger sister, usually known as ‘Miss Marjorie’. Marjorie as Principal was ably assisted by Headmistress Mrs Landells. (Jane Cardno Landells MA (Hons) CTC had been Classics Mistress in her previous school in Prestonpans.)

    Helen was buried in Grange Cemetery in Edinburgh and it is likely many former St. Elizabeth’s girls attended the funeral. Marjorie duly fulfilled her duty as executrix of Helen’s will, including making the necessary legal deposition in person before a Justice of the Peace in Edinburgh on 26^th October 1922³.

    The 1925 Valuation Roll shows Alice Marjorie Adamson, occupation Teacher, as Tenant/Occupier of the House & School House at 52 Dick Place. By the time of the 1930 valuation, Marjorie is still living at this address, still working as a Teacher, but is now listed as Proprietor/Occupier. The 1935 valuation roll lists Marjorie as Proprietrix, implying she is no longer in residence there but has cannily held on to the property. 

     What we know about the school, and more specifically Marjorie’s tenure as principal, during the period from the 1920s onwards comes mainly from recollections of members of the Craigmount Old Girls Club⁶, of which she was the Honorary President. The school uniform, which varied slightly depending on the girl’s age, was basically navy blue with black stockings, though summer coats, for example, were in a lighter fawn colour.  When attending church or any out-of-school event, hats & gloves were always worn!

    In step with changes in society, the school curriculum had moved on from the Gossips’ original aims of educating gentlewomen to be good Christian wives & mothers. Senior girls now sat School Certificates (the forerunner of G.C.E.) and Scottish Leaving Certificate examinations, the latter providing qualifications for university entrance, and many girls now looked to having a career. Science lessons were given in a small laboratory; hockey, riding and cricket were added to the curriculum. There were tennis courts in the school grounds, and one ‘Old Girl’ remarked how grateful they were to Miss Marjorie for arranging to have these extended and improved. Music and art played a large part in school life, and Miss Marjorie was again credited by many, for her generosity in supplying a radio set for the boarders to listen to.  

    The following four photos from a Craigmount publication of that time give us a small indication of what school life was like for these young ladies.

    The drawing room.  (g)    

The tennis courts (g)

      A classroom (g)   

       A dormitory (g)

Marjorie was recognised by parents, colleagues and the pupils themselves as an excellent administrator. She would often say to the girls, “It is the little things that matter”; her meticulous planning and attention to detail ensured the smooth running of school events. Her health was never very robust, and from time to time she passed through severe illnesses, but she never neglected her work. She always maintained a deep interest in the welfare of the pupils and endeared herself to many who came under her influence. Her empathetic understanding and generosity of spirit made her a good friend to many. 

This is Craigmount’s official photograph of its principal.

 Miss A. M. Adamson (g)

                                    

    Marjorie retired in 1932 (age 50), at which time she went to live with her retired parents in their house in Corstorphine. Much of her time there, when she was well enough, was spent in reading to her father whose eyesight was failing. She remained interested in the progress of the school and was always delighted to welcome visitors.

     Marjorie died at a nursing home in Edinburgh on 20^th December 1935. Her funeral, attended by many from the school and the Old Girls Club, took place on 24^th December, with a service in St Catherine’s Church then burial at the Grange Cemetery.

    So, The Adamson Sisters: both born in Cumnock during the late Victorian period, both capable, well-educated career women of their time, both became headmistresses, then principals of private schools in Edinburgh in the 20^th century, and very sadly both died at a comparatively young age, outlived by their parents.

 

List of Sources

 

1.         The High School of Dundee; Archives@dundeecity.co.uk

2.         University Collections, Libraries & Museums, University of St Andrews; unicolls@st-andrews.libanswers.com

3.         Edinburgh Valuation Rolls, National Census and Wills & Testaments; https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk

4.         The Scotsman Newspaper; https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/

5.         “Crème de la crème: Girls Schools in Edinburgh” by Alasdair Roberts, published 2007; https://yourlibrary.edinburgh.gov.uk

6.         National Library of Scotland, Manuscripts Division; https://www.nls.uk

7.         Adamson Family

 

Illustrations

 

(a)      Photo; https://cumnockhistorygroup.org

(b)     Bronze medal; Adamson family 

(c)      Helen’s scrapbook; Adamson family

(d)     Photograph albums; Adamson family

(e)      Helen’s sketchbook; Adamson family

(f)        Advert; The Scotsman archive

(g)      Craigmount photos; National Library of Scotland