52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks – Week 35: Back to School

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Blackboard Back to School History

The Week 35, 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge is Back to School. Many people will find ancestors who are teachers, sometimes women, as this was an acceptable occupation for them to enter. Today I will talk about two women I know of in my ancestry who were teachers.

Week 35 - Back to School

Dorcas Stokes

1949 May 1 Dorcas and Dad — *1949 Dorcas Stokes and Eric Walker*^a

My paternal grandmother, Dorcas Stokes was born 19 November 1898 in New Invention, Staffordshire.¹ Dad told me how his mother had been a teacher prior to marry his dad and that she taught him to sing, read music, and to love chemistry. I have not yet found actual proof of her occupation, and live in hope that the 1921 England Census when it is released in a few years will show her occupation. She passed her love of education onto my father who continued to educate himself about many topics throughout his life. I also love to learn new things and continue to educate myself through reading and attending conferences on topics that are of interest to me. This I believe I inherited this from her. You can read more about my grandma in 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: Week 19 - Mothers' Day.

Margaret Emily Matheson

Auntie Mags - Margaret Emily Matheson was born on 18 June 1883 in West MacQuarie, New South Wales and moved to Perth, Western Australian as a young woman with her family.^2,³ I was told by my mum and grandma that she was a teacher and quite a hard task master when she needed to be, however, to the family she was Auntie Mags. She never married and the available Electoral Rolls for Western Australia show in 1910, 1916, 1925, and 1931 that she lived with her parents and worked as a teacher.^4,^5,^6,⁷ I have written about Auntie Mags previously in 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: Week 14 - Maiden Aunt.

Do you have a teacher in your family? Search for them by clicking the image below to look for them today.

Bibliography

1. Birth Certificate of Dorcas Stokes, Born 19 November 1898, General Register Office, No.375/1898 CN354767, Original in author’s possession.
2. Ancestry.com. Australia, Birth Index, 1788-1922 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc., 2010. Margaret Emily Matheson, 1883 Registration Number 12440, West MacQuarie, New South Wales.
3. Marjorey June Brand, The Friendship Birthday Book, Original in author’s possession.
4. Western Australia Electoral Roll, 1910, Division: Fremantle, Subdivision: Canning, p.28, Matheson – Charles Jardine, Edith, Robert, Georgina Emily, and Margaret Emily.
5. Western Australia Electoral Roll, 1916, Division: Fremantle, Subdivision: Canning, p.52, Matheson – Charles Jardine, Edith, Georgina Emily, Margaret Emily, Robert, and Robert Hilton.
6. Western Australia Electoral Roll, 1925, Division: Swan, Subdivision: Canning, p.93, Matheson – Edith, Margaret Emily, and Robert.
7. Western Australia Electoral Roll, 1931, Division: Swan, Subdivision: Canning, Matheson – Edith, Margaret Emily, Robert.

Image Credits

a. May 1, 1949 Dorcas Stokes and Eric Walker, Original in author’s possession.
b. C.1950’s Gladys Gwendoline Matheson and Margaret Emily Matheson, Original in author’s possession.

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