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Eleanor Caroline Christopher (1873-1959)


Principal at St Hild’s Teacher Training College for women during the war years


Eleanor Caroline Christopher was born in Shanty Bay in Canada on 16 March 1873. According to census records Eleanor was one of five children born to Henry Seton Christopher and Julia Christopher.

It is unclear exactly when Eleanor moved from Canada to England with her parents and older sister Ada, but from the records of birth places for her siblings, it must have been sometime between 1873 and 1875. The family then spent time in Oxford before settling on the Isle of Man.

In 1881 the Christopher family were living in Malew on the Isle of Man where Eleanor’s father was working as the Secretary for King William’s College. It is unclear where Eleanor was living in 1891 as she is no longer living with her family on the Isle of Wight. She would have been 18 at this time so it may have been that she was attending a teacher training college. At the time of the 1901 census Eleanor, at the age of 28, had moved to West Derby, Lancashire where she was working as a school mistress.

Eleanor became the principal of St Hild’s College in Durham in 1910, one of the oldest female teacher training colleges in England. Eleanor remained as principal during the war years which saw many changes to the daily life of the college. The college played a vital role in providing female teachers to replace the large number of male teachers who left to serve in the war. Eleanor retired as principal at St Hild’s in 1933.

At the time of the 1939 register Eleanor is living in Winchester with her sister, Ada, and is listed as a retired College Principal. Eleanor died in Winchester on 18 February 1959.

Civil Parish: Durham

Birth date: 16-Mar-1873

Death date: 18-Feb-1959

Armed force/civilian: Civilian

Residence: Shanty Bay, Ontario, Canada (Birth Place)
West View, Isle of Man (1881 census)
77 Newsham Drive, West Derby, Lancashire (1901 census)
53 Russian Drive, West Derby (1904-1905 Electoral role)
Crossgate Elvet, St Giles, Durham (1911 census)
1 Airlie Road, Winchester, Hampshire (1939 Register)

Employment: Headmistress, Leamington Municipal School for Girls
Principal St Hild’s College, Durham 1910-1933

Family: Parents: Henry Seton Christopher, Julia Christopher
Siblings: Ada Fanny Lucern Christopher, Edith Julia Christopher, George Seton Christopher, Charles M D A Christopher

Gender: Female

Contributed by Fiona Johnson - Durham