Faith
was born at St Matthews Vicarage in Newcastle - her mother's ninth
child; Edwin Cuthbert born exactly two years before only survived
a year. Faith led a very simple life and uncomplicated childhood,
probably spoilt and over-indulged by her parents. They were very
hard up, but never felt hard done by. She could only ever remember
Henry as another child - all the others seemed as grown-up men.
Faith went to the Central High School - opposite the boys' school
but had to leave when Henry went to public school, as she was too
young to travel alone. She went to a small school nearer home, and
then to the Church High School Newcastle where she was very well
taught. With the help of a small scholarship, sponsorship from her
former classics mistress, and some money from Giles and Joan, she
went to Westfield College in London University to read classics.
She took longer that she should have because she developed appendicitis,
and ended up with a 3rd. Faith had always wanted to teach. She got
a job at St Brandons the clergy daughters school in Bristol under
Eleanor Almond, an outstanding headmistress and splendid trainer.
She stayed there for 3 years, having to leave fairly quickly when
her mother died to look after Cecil. She also took care of Giles'
two elder sons John and Michael during their holidays. They were
very hard up, living only on Constance's money. They took in lodgers
to help pay.
In 1937 Humphrey returned from Australia and Giles and Joan from
China, so Faith decided to go to India and stay with Berners. She
went on 5 November 1937 and didn't return to England again until
1946. She helped out at St Hilda's School in Ootacamund
in the Nilgiri Hills, 5 miles from Lovedale. The headmistress had
had a bad attack of malaria and needed help for the new school year.
Faith stayed until April.
Meanwhile Henry insisted that Faith should come and see him in new
Zealand. She sailed from Colombo to Wellington. She very much enjoyed
and appreciated her stay with Henry. A college friend was teaching
at a very good girls school and wanted to return to England. She
suggested to the head to interview Faith for the job. She did and
offered it to her, impressing on her that until she had signed the
papers, which she would send the next day, she was under no obligation
to her. The papers did not arrive, but a cable from Ronald inviting
her to take on a teaching job, replacing a missionary who was seriously
ill. She loved New Zealand and being with Henry, but finally sent
a cable to Ronald that she would catch the next boat. The papers
came the following day, so she was clearly meant to go to Hong Kong.
She was the only European teacher in a very large Chinese school,
where she was head of English studies for two years. She was very
happy and loved the Chinese, but once again did not know what to
do as the war had begun. A few days later she heard of Cecil's death,
but there was no obligation for her to return. She was asked to
go back to India and take over St Hilda's School but she wanted
to stay in Hong Kong where she believed herself to be in love. Ronald
advised her to go. The Japanese had already taken over much of China,
and he knew that Hong Kong could not withstand the Japanese.
So in March 1940 she flew to Calcutta. She was still only 29 and
not fitted to be a headmistress. She was sure that she would never
have become one if it had not been for the war. She enjoyed it very
much but made some mistakes in handling two committees. The school
committee had a large number of elderly members with Victorian views
who expected the headmistress to be a very meek governess. As the
school was in the Diocese of Madras there was also a church committee.
She took over the school with only 19 pupils and equipment for for
only that number. She knew that by the end of the year she would
have to accommodate over 100. Faith began to realise she was going
deaf, and in the autumn of 1941 there was a good deal of strain
between her and the two committees. The school had grown to 150
and they rented bungalows for accommodation. In October her deafness
was troubling her greatly. She went to Calcutta to see a specialist
who told her she was going deaf fairly rapidly. As a result in November
she resigned.
She spent Christmas with the classic teacher's sister where some
sinus trouble flared up which previously bothered her in Hong Kong
and India. A missionary doctor decided to operate. She then developed
blood poisoning and was very ill from January to October, also developing
jaundice. Berners took her home and asked her to join the staff
at Lovedale. He wanted someone not afraid to teach boys and Faith
preferred boys. She was looking forward to working under him, but
he died at the beginning of 1943.
She stayed for 3 years covering some of his teaching, enjoying the
pupils but not the atmosphere amongst the staff. She was glad to
discover St Hildas was going through difficulties. The very successful
woman who had succeeded Faith resigned because of the committees,
and then followed a succession of impossible women for very short
periods. The Bishop of Madras asked Faith to return. Faith had discovered
her weaknesses and strengths; she was very bad at administration.
Gertrude Clarke-Turner, a Rumanian refugee, had been o the staff
in 1941 and was very good at administration. She had also resigned
because of the committee, and had been on an administration course
in Lovedale. When Faith was interviewed, she said she would go back
in partnership with Gertrude who would do the accounts. They would
sign a three-year contract during which time there would be no committee.
Together they would take full responsibility, and any member oft
he committee could come in at any time and look at the books. This
was agreed.
So they returned to St Hildas in January 1946. When Gertrude had
left there was 30,000 rupees in the bank - now there was only 300.
There were only 12 pupils and a very bad name. They had to start
again. They filled the accommodation with paying guests to cover
costs. In the second year they had 25 pupils and 68 lodgers. This
also spread a good name throughout India. At the end of 1948 the
school was fully staffed, and fully booked for the next year. With
the new contract they felt ready to have a proper school committee,
which was elected and very good.
They began to admit Indian pupils, feeling that they could not live
in a country without educating its children. The first Indian staff
were also introduced. By 1960 the school was up to 150 for the first
time since 1941. Gertrude's husband had died and her son should
go to school in England. Also Faith's aunt Isabel was seriously
ill. They left for England in September 1960. St Hildas performs
the same function for Indians as it had done for Europeans. Where
they had educated expatriate Europeans with a few Indians, it educates
Indians with a few Europeans.
Faith and Gertrude found a home in Martin in Hampshire and throughout
their stay found pupils in need of coaching, all very educationally
challenging. Faith's chief work was to care for Gertrude in her
last 15 years from when she first developed Parkinsons until her
death in 1985.
Faith herself needed residential care in Deddington, Oxfordshire
for the last six years before her death in 2002. A week after what
would have been her 92nd birthday, her ashes took wing on the
downs above Martin, a view which she loved.
Family
Page