DEATH OF A WELL-KNOWN TEACHER
MISS M. E. A. MARCHANT.
Miss Maria Elise Allman Marchant, whose death is reported, was the eldest daughter of J. W. A. Marchant, formerly Surveyor-General and Secretary for Crown Lands. She was educated at the Misses Greenwood's school on The Terrace and the Wellington Girls' High School, and became gold medallist of the latter in 1887. Though unable to-attend University College lectures, she obtained her B.A. and M.A. degrees of Canterbury College in the years 1892 and 1894. Miss Marchant adopted the profession of teaching, was first at Miss Swainson's School, Fitzherbert-terrace, and then joined the staff of the Wellington Girls' High School. She became lady principal of the Otago Girls' High School in 1896, and filled that position with credit to herself and to the advantage of that institution for sixteen yeaa-s. Being of the opinion that the Dominion Government system of education did not provide in sufficient measure for the development of the spiritual and .religious needs -of the young, she resigned her important position in order to study the various religious educational and benevolent institutions and organisations which had been established in Great Britain under the auspices of the Church of England, with a- view to the introduction and development in New Zealand of similar measures. Some years previous to this, Miss Marchant had voyaged to the Old. Country and, Europe, and had brought her extensive reading and cultured mind to her .aid in studying the chief points of interest at the principal ecclesiastical, educational, and art centres. During two subsequent visits, Miss Marchant devoted heiself almost solely to acquiring full knowledge of the above-mentioned subjects, and to qualifying herself to give her native land the benefit thereof, should the opportunity be afforded her. During her second visit abroad, she included a tour of Egypt and the Holy Land. It may be mentioned that her last visit Home was influenced also by patriotic motives. Four of her brothers volunteered for active service at the front in the Great War. It will be in the' remembrance of many people throughout New Zealand that after her return to the Dominion, she, by special request of the Church of England authorities, reorganised, and for a time managed, the Anglican. Children's Home at Ponsonby, Auckland. She then proceeded to Stratford, and, in conjunction with a committee of earnest and philanthropic Church members, founded and directed for a time the Diocesan Girls' School at Stratford. Miss Marchant then accepted a call to Christchurch, where she directed the arrangements for the conversion of Bishops-court into a hostel for school teachers; and, lastly, she acquiesced in an urgent appeal to assume the position temporarily of head mistress of St. John's Church School, Invercargill, pending the expected arrival of the lady principal, who was detained in England owing to the war. Miss Marchant had almost closed her connection with this school, and was concluding other works and duties which she had undertaken, with the intention of returning to Dunediti, where she had every expectation that at last her desires would be fulfilled by the establishment of a religious community and a teaching order in connection with the Church of England. Miss Marchant was highly gifted, and was. an eloquent speaker, and from her wide experience and knowledge often charmed and delighted audiences, both in toheOld Land and New Zealand, by her interesting addresses. She will be greatly missed by a wide circle of friends here'and in England. .*-
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Bibliographic details
Evening Post, Evening Post, Volume XCVIII, Issue 119, 17 November 1919
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577DEATH OF A WELL-KNOWN TEACHER Evening Post, Volume XCVIII, Issue 119, 17 November 1919
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