Birmingham Education Committee: Mrs. Hume Pinsent’s Work: … Sir George Kenwick presided at a meeting of the Birmingham Education Committee at the Council House, yesterday. The Lord Mayor (Lieutenant Colonel E. Martineau) was also present and, before the ordinary business of the committee was begun, distributed the certificates to the winners of the major and minor scholarships, and also the Fellow History prizes. Alderman James addressed the scholars. Mrs. Pinsent’s Resignation: A communication was read from the Town Clerk stating that Mrs. Hume C. Pinsent had resigned her seat on the City Council, and, therefore, on the Education Committee. The Chairman, in moving the reception of the letter announcing Mrs. Pinsent’s resignation, said he wished to express something of the debt he personally felt towards her for the work she had done. He might briefly remind the committee that shortly after the passing of the Elementary Education (Blind and Deaf Children) Act, a Special Schools Committee was appointed in the beginning of 1908 (sic), and Mrs. Pinsent came on to it in June 1900. After she had been a member three years, she was appointed chairman, and she was again appointed chairman in 1903 of the new committee. She had also served on various other committees, including the Attendance and General Purposes, the Higher Education, and the Hygiene Sub-committees. But it was especially in connection with the Special Schools Sub-committee that he wished to remind them of what a prominent part Mrs. Hume Pinsent had taken in the work. She was a member when they began to take up the question of the care of the mentally defective, about the year 1900, and since that time she had given most unwearied care and attention to the whole subject – attention which, he believed, had seriously affected her health, but had never daunted her courage. (Applause). It really was a marvelous thing that owing very largely to the action of one individual the whole movement should have taken such rapid strides as the one in question had done in Mrs. Pinsent’s time. Up till that time the mentally defective were neglected in this country, but Mrs. Pinsent threw herself into the work, first of all studying the causes and then the methods of dealing with the problem. Thus, she attracted so much attention that she was made a member of the Royal Commission on the subject and in that capacity travelled abroad and saw all that was to be seen on this side of the Atlantic and on the other, and was, no doubt a valuable member of the Commission. At the same time, she was working in another direction towards affording a practical solution of the whole question by taking a leading part in the movement which had culminated in the erection of the Monyhull Homes, the foundation stone of which was going to be laid the week after next. It must be a great satisfaction to Mrs. Hume Pinsent to know that she had been associated with the work during the whole time she was connected with the Education Committee, and it would always be a delightful recollection of the committee to know they had been associated with so distinguished a lady (Applause). Councilor Herrick, Alderman Jephocott, Alderman Tonks, and Mrs. Cadbury also spoke appreciatively of Mrs. Pinsent’s work on the Education Committee.
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Referenced
GRO0245 Devonport: Ellen Frances Parker: 1866 – 1949