MEDINA IS FANTASTIC FIND
By Pamela Reynolds

Two fantastic articles have been sent to the Village Website by Sally Rackham, who lives in Australia. The first, ‘The Headmistress of a School Eighty Years Ago’, was written by Sally’s late grandmother Eveline Lewis, nee Griffiths in about 1954 referring to her education at Saltaire School in the 1800s.

[Image: Medina Sarah Griffiths]

The school, built by Sir Titus Salt, was new and the appointed headmistress was Miss Medina Sarah Griffiths (same surname and a relative of Eveline's). The second article, Medina Sarah Griffiths, was written by Sally Rackham’s father, the late Peter Lewis. Medina was truly progressive; she introduced a wide curriculum for the girls, including Latin and Esperanto. There were no forms and no marks. Girls were encouraged to stay on until they were ready to take a degree, which at that time could only be obtained from London University.

Eveline received an excellent education at Medina’s school and took out a BA Hons at Cardiff University in 1892, graduating from London. Her article is now held by the Powys County Archives in Llandrindod Wells.

[Image: Eveline Griffiths]

Both images have been kindly provided by Sally Rackham.