Miss Eliza Foster's and Miss Elizabeth Farmer’s Day and Boarding School at 24 Bridewell Street 1851 to 1881 and in 1891 at 40 Long Street

Eliza Foster was born in the Bristol Bath area of Somerset in 1813. In the 1851 census she is listed as a schoolmistress living at 24 Bridewell Street ( below right, 24 is the left hand house) with her 65 year old mother Susanna. Whether she was running a school there is not known. 24 Bridewell Street is shown on the photo at the right - 24 is the left hand house

By 1861she was listed as the Principal of a day and boarding school . Her Aunt was living with her along with one other resident teacher – Maria Jenkins from Llanelly in Wales and a servant. There were 9 boarding pupils five from Wiltshire, two from Newcastle and 2 from Middlesex London. The boarders included one 8 year old boy from All Cannings.

In 1871 there were only 2 boarding pupils both from Wiltshire. But there were two young lady boarders aged 18 and 16, not servants. It is probable that the school was focussing on day pupils and that the young ladies were helping Miss Foster with her duties. There was again 1 servant girl.

By 1881 Miss Foster, now aged 68, was still living at 24 Bridewell Street but as a retired Governess with the new school Principal Miss Elizabeth Farmer. It is probable that in the previous years she had been brought in by Miss Foster as a teacher and then  as Principal on her retirement in the mid to late 1870s.

Elizabeth Farmer was born in Bath in 1849, but by the age of 2 their family had moved to the Lavington area of Wiltshire. Her father was a mill owner, first at Littleton and then near Lavington. As her father was well off she probably received a good education at a young ladies school. In 1871 she was working as a Housekeeper to an old gentleman in West Lavington.

By 1881 the school at 24 Bridewell Street, under Miss Farmer had two other teachers. Frances Le Mage taught French and English and Ada J. Hammond taught English and Music. There were only two boarders , a girl aged 14 from Swindon and a 6 year old boy from Lavington, Wiltshire. From this information we can reasonably deduce that the school was primarily a substantial day school taking both middle class boys and girls aged 6 to 16. No direct evidence is yet available.

By 1891 Miss Farmer had moved to 40 Long Street, a more prestigious house, for her Ladies Boarding school. This is shown on the photo left. This is now part of the Museum and is joined to it on the right hand side. The central portico was the original front door of a separate house.

Miss Elizabeth Farmer lived at the school with her 19 year old niece Ada Farmer Ward, who in 1901 was co-Principal of a school at 12, Market Place in Devizes. Presumably Ada was being trained by Elizabeth as a school teacher. They had five girl boarders from age seven to fourteen years old in additon to day pupils from nearby.