Mrs Kaye
Twenty- Five Years as Headmistress
Sketch of a Useful Career
There are probably few persons who have such a record of old village school life as Mrs Kaye of old Denaby, who recently resigned a position as head mistress of the church school at old Denaby, after having held it for nearly 25 years.
Mrs Kaye’s career is unique in many respects, and she has rendered valuable public service. As a pupil teacher in the Sheffield parish church girl school, she commenced her school career, and after completing her apprenticeship entered the training college at Lincoln, afterwards been placed in charge of important schools in Sheffield and Birmingham.
25 years ago Mrs Kaye’s health broke down, and on her recovery she was sent to take over the headship of the old Denaby School. She commenced their duties there on July 1, 1888 is beside been school Mrs, Mrs K as, since the passing of the parish councils act in 1894, also acted as Klerk the Denaby parish council, and was, at one time, the only lady parish Klerk in the country.
Mr W.H.Chambers, manager of the Denaby and Cadeby collieries, has been chairman during the all of the time. The Mexborough branch of the lady Mary habitation of the Primrose league has had Mrs Kaye a wholehearted supporter from a number of years, she has acted as secretary.
She has an interesting and affable personality. In an interview with a “Times” representative, Mrs Kaye said she liked large schools because there is more people, but she must admit that a great kindness had been shown towards her while she had been at old Denaby.
Mrs Kaye is now enjoying a well earned retirement, within a stone’s throw of the scene of her 25 years activities, and the West Riding county council and granted her a well deserved pension.
Appreciation of Mrs Kaye’s valuable services to the village was forthcoming on Tuesday evening, when, in the old Denaby School, she was the recipient of a purse of gold and an illuminated address, subscribed for by parishioners and her personal acquaintances.
The address was as follows:
To Mrs Annie Elizabeth Kaye,Dear Madam,
We, the clergy, school managers, churchwardens and parishioners of the village of Old Denaby, ask your acceptance of this address and the accompanying purse of gold as a token of our esteem and respect, and of our appreciation of the zeal, faithfulness and capability with which you have served us as head mistress for nearly 25 years. We shall greatly miss you, but are very glad to know that you will still live amongst us. We pray that you may have many years of health and strength in which to enjoy a well earned rest.
W H Bateman, Canon of York, Rural Dean; Sydney H Spooner, Harry Lee, assistant clergy, W.H.Chambers, H Sykes Witty, school managers; Henry Bennett, churchwarden.
Mr W.H. Chambers in presenting the gifts to Mrs Kaye paid a high tribute to her worth, and said he was glad to know that she was not leaving the old village.
Mrs Kaye in acknowledging the gifts spoke of the many happy hours she had spent at Old Denaby