Trinity College School - Record Yearbook (Port Hope, Ontario Canada)

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TRINITY COILIEOIC SCI-IOOI. RECORIJ. 7 the Rev. E. C. Cayley, Canon Plummer, the Rev. Mr. Sharpe, and Dr. Pepler, with several old and present boys of the School. The service at the grave, in the Patteson family lot, was taken by the Bishop of Toronto and the Rev. Canon Murphy, and that bright, warm March day, with the song of the early spring birds in the air, seemed a type of that Resurrection morning when there will be no more pain. In spite of the notice in the papers to omit flowers, many beautiful wreaths and crosses were sent, among them a cross and wreath from the masters and boys, and a lovely wreath from the Alumnae Society of St. Hilda's College. Mrs. Rigby was the eldest daughter of the late George Lee Patte- son, Barrister-at-law, of London, England, a cousin of the heroic Bishop of Melanesia, and she was thus intimately connected with the Coleridge family. On the death of Mr. Patteson, Mrs. Patteson and her daugh- ters came to'Canada, and Miss Patteson fMrs.'R1gbyl took up teaching as her life-work 3 for a short time she was on the staff of Miss Machin's well-known school in Quebec, and for many years she was Governess in the family of the late I-Ion. G. W. Allan, Chancellor of Trinity Univer- ty, in 1888 she became the First Lady Principal of the newly formed St. I-Iilda's College. St. I-Iilda's College, founded by the Rev. C. W. IC. Ilody, second Provost of Trinity College, the pioneer in Canada of the Residential College for women, was started in October 1888, in a small and humble way. A house in Euclid Ave. was opened by Miss Patteson with two resi- dent, and two non-resident pupils 5 but after some anxious years, success dawned on the little College-success largely due to the faith, wisdom and ability of the Lady Principal. The original house became too small. St. Hilda's took possession ofthe houses in Shaw street, and in April 1899 the foundation stone of the present building was laid by

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6 'l'RINl'l'Y COLLILGE SCHOOL RIQCORID. - Q master, Miss liva Patteson, Miss Rigby and Mrs. Murphy of Toronto, one of Mrs. Righy's oldest and dearest friends. As the choir passed slowly up the nave between the ranks of the School, singing the hymn : Art thou weary art thou languid? it was a moment of never-to-be- forgotten solemnity. The hymn after the Lesson was H 'l'en thousand times ten thousa'nd, and that after the Blessing On the Resurrection morning,'l all these having been favourites of Mrs. Rigby. After the last hymn the Dead March in Saul was played on the organ, the whole Congregation remaining standing, then, to the melody of Sehuherts lleath Song. the choir slowly left the Chapel, followed by the mourners and the School. In addition to the masters, boys, and masters' families, there were present many friends, among them being Col. and Mrs. Ward, Port Hope, Canon and Mrs. Spragge, of Cobourg, and Mrs. Mallory of Bow- manyille. The body lay in the ehaneel of the Chapel that she loved so well during 'l'uesday night, and on Wednesday morning it was taken to the station ofthe Canadian Northern Railway, followed by the masters and those ofthe boys who had not already left for their homes for the Easter holidays. The bearers had been chosen by relays from among these boys whom Mrs. Rigby had known most intimately g some for the ser- Vive, others for the morning walk from the School to the station, and others to avirompany the body to 'l'oronto and to the cemetery.. Un arrival at Toronto the Headmaster was joined by Mrs. Rigby's sister, Mrs. Wade, of Lilllffllgtl, and there were on the platform to meet the body: 'lille l,orrl llisllop of Toronto, .Xssistautt llishop Reeve, the Provost and llean ol' Trinity, Professor Young, the Rev. I . tiraham Ur:-hard, llt-adinastt-rseleet, Wr. William lnve, and others. The Staff of the Svliool was represented by llr. l't-try and Mr. llridger. .Xt the gate of St. james' tfemetery many others joined the proces- sion, among whom were: Mr. llyi-e Saunders, Mr. l,awrenr-e llaldwin,

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8 'l'RINI'l'Y COLLEGE SCHOOL RECORD. Her Excellency Lady Minto. In 1896 Miss Patteson was 'married to the Rev. Oswald Rigby, the Dean of Trinity, but remained to carry on her splendid work as Principal of St. Hilda's until Dr. Rigby accepted the Headmastership of Trinity College School in 1903. As the wife of the Headmaster, Mrs. Rigby has been the friend and counsellor of several generations of 'I'. C. boys. How many fellows can recall those first days of home sickness, when they would go to the Lodge for comfort l How many will remember her gracious presence, her unfailing hospitality Qshe loved to have the boys about herb, her goodness to them when sick or in trouble, and her sympathy with them in their joys and in their sorrows l In all departments of the school life did Mrs. Rigby take an active interest, but, perhaps, the chief object of her zeal was the Chapel. She loved the services, and in her illness it was a bitter sorrow to her not to be able to attend them, while the beautification of the Sanctuary she made her special care, so that it is to her that we mainly owe the altar hangings, the completion of the set of altar frontals, and other accessor- ies of the Holy Table. Mrs. Rigby was a woman of singular sweetness of disposition combined with force of character and initiative, of a kind charity, of cheerful outlook, of remarkable patience and steadfast endurance under suffering, and of unassuming piety. 'l'he silence that fell upon the school on the Monday morning, and which prevailed until the boys left on Tuesday, spoke eloquently of the love and esteem in which Mrs. Rigby was held by all connected with Trinity College School. V 'l'o the- llt-arlinaster and to the members of her family we convey the very dr-ep synipzithy ofthe Staff, and of all past and present boys of the sclioul. RlCQl.'Il'1Sf'.X'l' IN PACE.