Trafalgar School - Echoes Yearbook (Montreal, Quebec Canada)

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was, the education of young women of the middle and higher ranks of society, with special emphasis on religious and moral training, as part of the Curriculum, or, as he expressed it to qualify young persbns for discharging in the best manner, such duties as ordinarily devolve upon the female sex. He foresaw the trend of modern education, when he provided Scholarships, which would enable certain girls to attend the Institute. It was his wish that, among those to profit by this arrangement, should be daughters of the Protestant Clergy, especially those of Presbyterian Ministers. He bequeathed to the Trustees, for the use of the School, a Telescope, a Microscope, Globes, Maps, etc.. Busts, in marble of himself and his wife, and oil paintings of Mrs. Ross and her sister. It was his wish that the Ross family motto, Spem successus alit should be the motto of the School. He made suggestions as to the number of teachers to be engaged, subjects to be taught, outside Examiners for the June Examinations, and annual Ross Lectures on Literary or Scientific subjects. He allowed the Trustees a great deal of latitude, and though, during the course of fifty years, many changes have been neces- sary, the spirit of the Will has been closely followed. In 1881 the Trafalgar Property was placed under the care of Mr. Nairn the accom- plished gardener, for nearly twenty years at ' Viewmount ' , and the Executors transferred to this property a collection of plants which formerly adorned the ' Viewmount ' green- houses, placed under sufficient glass for the use of the Institute. In 1890, this property, with its greenhouses, was rented by the Trustees of Trafalgar to McGill University, to be used as Botanical Gardens. The lease was for seven years at a rental of $200 per annum, with right of renewal, and this lease was extended to 1901, when the property was sold. Mr. George Copeland was the gardener, employed at $35 a month, with a house, and privileges in the gardens. Mr. Copeland is remembered today by many McGill grad- uates. Dr. Carrie Derick, then Demonstrator, afterwards Professor of Botany at McGill, recalls trips to those Gardens. She took a group of young women, and Professor Penhallow a group of young men, to the Mountain, by separate paths, in search of rare specimens of wild flowers; eventually the two groups met in the Botanical Gardens for further study. I remember, with pleasure, between 1896-1901, taking parties of Trafalgar School girls, up Cote des Neiges Hill, to the Gardens to enjoy the beauty of the grounds, and the fine view. The provisions of Mr. Ross ' Will were such, that it would be many years before the stipulated amount of money for the erection of the School could be realized, and there seemed little prospect of the Institute being opened for a long time. However, when Rev. Dr. James Barclay came to Montreal in 1883, as Minister of St. Paul ' s Presbyterian Church, he enlisted the goodwill of Sir Donald Smith (Lord Strathcona) who donated $30,000; with this, and a legacy of $16,000 from Miss Ann Scott, added to Mr. Ross ' bequest, it was possible to make a beginning. Mr. Ross had intended that the School should be built on the Trafalgar property, opposite his old home Viewmount (which on his death passed to his wife ' s sisters) but, as the deed of donation of Sir Donald Smith stipulated that the School should be built within the then city limits of Montreal. [17]

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quently. Mr. Donald Ross, whose home was directly opposite, purchased eight acres of it, at Sheriff ' s Sale, as a site for a Girls ' School, which he had long wanted to found, in memory of his mother, intending to call it Ross Institute , but when he acquired the ' Trafalgar Property for that purpose, he changed the name to Trafalgar Institute . In 1934 the Governors of the School thought it advisable to change the name once more, and it is now known as The Trafalgar School for Girls. In 1871 Mr. Ross procured the incorporation of The Trafalgar Institute by Act of Provincial Legislature. The Cor- poration consisted of the following gentlemen, Mr. Donald Ross and such successors as may be appointed by the Board of Trustees of St. Paul ' s Church: Very Rev. W. Snodgrass D.D., Principal of Queen ' s College, Kingston, and his successors in office: Ven. William Leach L.L.D., Archdeacon of Montreal, and his successors in office: (Sir) J. William Dawson L.L.D., Principal of McGill College, and his successors in office: Rev. John Jenkins D.D., Minister of St. Paul ' s Church and his successors: Rev. Gavin Lang of St. Andrew ' s Church of Scotland, and his successors; Rev. Donald Ross B.D., Chatham, Que. Alexander Mitchell, and such successors as may be appointed by the Kirk Session of St. Andrew ' s Church and Alexander Macpherson, and such successors as may be appointed by the Kirk Session of St. Paul ' s Church. Mr. Ross died in 1877. His will, after making provision for legacies and annuities, left the residue of his Estate to The Trafalgar Institute. The purpose of the bequest [16]

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a fine residential property was bought on Simpson St. in 1887, and the Residential and Day School opened in its present quarters, in the Autumn of that year, under the direction of Miss WooUan, Acting Principal, until the arrival of the appointed Principal, Miss Grace Fairley, M.A. of Edinburgh, who assumed her duties in January, 1888. The mem- bers of the original Staff were: — Miss WooUan, Acting Principal: Miss Blanche Smith: Miss Labatt, Lady Housekeeper: Miss Harriette McDonnell, Drawing: Mr. A. J. Eaton M.A., Ph.D., Temporary Lecturer in Classics: Mr. Charles Geddes, Vocal Music: Miss Marguerite Sym, Music: Dr. A. A. Browne, Visiting Physician. Many old pupils will remember Miss Sym, who remained in the service of the School till her death in 1931, thus completing a period of 44 years. The early history of this old house is very interesting. Through the kindness of the Archivist of Montreal, we have learned that the land on which it was built, was originally part of a large farm, owned by two Frenchmen, Hertel de Rouville and Boucher de Boucherville. They sold a portion of it to Alexander McKenzie, whose heirs sold their portion, or part of it, in 1845, to Sir George Simpson, of the Hudson Bay Company; hence the name Simpson Street. He held it for a short time, and in 1848 it was pur- chased by Adjutant General Wetherall, who built the house, calling it Chalderton Lodge a small replica of his old Lome in England, which still stands, and bears the same name. The grounds surrounding the house, which comprised four acres, with coach house, stables and kitchen gardens, extended to Redpath St. with a driveway running from Simpson St. to Redpath St. Filbert trees and shrubs were imported from England for the gardens. The property was bought in 1850 by Mr. Philip Holland, who lived there till his death. In 1864 it was sold to Mr. Henry Thomas, who occupied it till 1878. After his death the property again changed hands, Mr. Alexander Mitchell being the next owner. The grounds on the Redpath St. side were then sold for building lots, and the [18]