hi perry i will be seeing some of the forum regulars on sunday for the rededication at the national memorial arbouritum on sunday and will be asking how i get dads photo on to here i will show dad your answer on sunday too and he might be able to put some things on the tread himself as i only had him on the phone as i was answering your post and he dictated what i wrote
hopefully you might be able to speak to him then
regards zena
thanks lyn i did it thanks to your instructions xxxxx
Hello Perry - hope you are still on here. Miss Hyland was my great-aunt. My family know very little about her so if you have any other memories of her I would love to know. I presume she was a primary level classroom teacher? I found her old house when I was in Birmingham a few years ago, but sadly no gravestone in the Abbey graveyard.I am so pleased to get your reply. The teachers I recall from my day, 1950 - 1954 are ; Miss Rose, Miss Hyland (who retired about 1953 with a lovely retirement present, then promptly returned to her teaching) also Mr Doughty, Mr Higgins, Mr Fox (who retired with a nervous breakdown after teaching year 2 for 12 months) and Mr Sims, the woodwork teacher. The very elderly science teacher, whose name I cannot recall, retired in early 1951. He was not replaced so I only had 2 lectures in the science room in my 4 years there. Mr Higgins took the 2 science lessons, one demonstrated how iron expands when heated and the other involved the compression of a treacle tin using atmospheric pressure. On leaving the Abbey, I spent the next 50 years working in natural sciences and my lack of science was always a drawback. I could go on but I will spare you more memories from my early years. I would love to see your school photo if at all possible.
Hi Perry, Delighted to hear from you. Where abouts were the St Thomas buildings? Was it originally a part of the current primary school before the 1950s? Mollie died Dec 1971 and her funeral notice (kindly sourced and sent to me by a woman working in one of Birmingham's cemeteries, after I had searched through the records of every public cemetery in Birmingham!) says she was interred at the Abbey. I had to laugh at your comment that she had retired and then started teaching again. It was clearly her life and it seems she was there a long time, having left Ireland quite young. You have a wonderful memory. Thank you for sharing with me. It means a great deal to me as I have been trying to piece her story together for 20 years.
Your photo of a 'young gel' is not how I remember Miss Hyland. I first met as an eleven year old and she appeared to me to be ancient!View attachment 108711 This may be a middle-aged Mollie, or at least one of her sisters. Does she look familiar?
Hi Perry, Thank you so much for these details. I walked up and down the cemetary in 2009 when I visited, and it is quite possible I missed any stone. Given her family were in Cork I have since assumed she didn't get a headstone. Thanks so much for having a look for it. I'd love to see a photo of the spot. If I get back to that part of the UK I will be able to try again. I have another possible photo of Mollie but the woman is a very young woman so would be even less recognisable to you, if it's her. Thanks also for the explanation of the school buildings. You have absolutely made my day. Thank you.Hello Frances
Your query has opened up for me a solution to a query that has bothered me for years, but first details that I have discovered about Miss Hyland. I contacted the manager of the Abbey cemetery and she provided me with the following information.
Miss Mary Teresa Hyland aged 84 was interred at The Abbey Cemetery on the December 7th 1971 in grave A-130B. I shall be visiting the grave sometime next week and if there is a head stone, I shall send you a photo. All this has led to an answer to a query that I have had for many years. The resting place of my form teacher, Mary Margaret Rose. Apparently she too was laid to rest at the Abbey and the manager will have details for me next week.
The secondary school was demolished many years ago but the primary school continues to thrive. There are now houses where the secondary school stood.
Thanks Lynhi NZfrances i have turned the photo round for you and re posted it
lyn
Thanks for the suggestion.just a thought...as the primary school still exists it maybe worthwhile contacting them to ask where their school archives are kept as there very well could be class photos with teachers that were taken that may include mollie on them
lyn