Jane Pirie (27 March 1779 – 6 March 1833) was a Scottish woman who opened an exclusive girls' school in

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the southern shore of t ...

in 1809 and who became involved in a court case as a result of being accused of displays of "inordinate affection" with the co-founder of the school, Marianne Woods (1781–1870). Her accuser was Jane Cumming, a pupil of mixed race, and a granddaughter of Lady Helen Cumming Gordon, who alleged that the two women "engaged in irregular sexual practices" and "lewd and indecent behavior." Jane Cumming was the first pupil to leave the school, and within days, all the other pupils left as well. Lady Cumming Gordon spread rumours of these allegations. Jane Pirie and Marianne Woods denied the allegations and sued Lady Cumming Gordon for £10,000. Despite winning the case in 1812, the case was appealed to the

House of Lords The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by appointment, heredity or official function. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminste ...

, which ultimately dismissed the appeal. In the end, the financially ruined school teachers received little more than £1,000 after paying ruinous legal costs. Although Marianne Woods obtained part-time employment as a teacher in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

, Jane Pirie stayed in Edinburgh and was unable to find employment, and "possibly had a nervous breakdown." The story of the

court case A legal case is in a general sense a dispute between opposing parties which may be resolved by a court, or by some equivalent legal process. A legal case is typically based on either civil or criminal law. In most legal cases there are one or mor ...

was the inspiration for Lillian Hellman's 1934 play '' The Children's Hour''. Two Hollywood films were inspired by this story: ''

These Three ''These Three'' is a 1936 American drama film directed by William Wyler and starring Miriam Hopkins, Merle Oberon, Joel McCrea, and Bonita Granville. The screenplay by Lillian Hellman is based on her 1934 play '' The Children's Hour''. A 1961 re ...

'' in 1936 which starred

Miriam Hopkins Ellen Miriam Hopkins (October 18, 1902 – October 9, 1972) was an American actress known for her versatility. She first signed with Paramount Pictures in 1930. Her best-known roles included a pickpocket in Ernst Lubitsch's romantic comedy '' T ...

Merle Oberon Merle Oberon (born Estelle Merle O'Brien Thompson; 19 February 191123 November 1979) was a British actress who began her film career in British films as Anne Boleyn in ''The Private Life of Henry VIII'' (1933). After her success in ''The Scarle ...

and

Joel McCrea Joel Albert McCrea (November 5, 1905 – October 20, 1990) was an American actor whose career spanned a wide variety of genres over almost five decades, including comedy, drama, romance, thrillers, adventures, and Westerns, for which he bec ...

, and the Hollywood film'' The Children's Hour'' in 1961 directed by

William Wyler William Wyler (; born Willi Wyler (); July 1, 1902 – July 27, 1981) was a Swiss-German-American film director and producer who won the Academy Award for Best Director three times, those being for '' Mrs. Miniver'' (1942), ''The Best Years of ...

, which set the story in the United States and starred Audrey Hepburn, Shirley MacLaine and

James Garner James Garner (born James Scott Bumgarner; April 7, 1928 – July 19, 2014) was an American actor. He played leading roles in more than 50 theatrical films, including ''The Great Escape (film), The Great Escape'' (1963) with Steve McQueen; Paddy ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pine, Jane 1779 births 1833 deaths Schoolteachers from Edinburgh Founders of Scottish schools and colleges Lesbian history House of Lords cases