Margaret Paulin Young (4 December 1864 – 15 January 1953) was a

Scottish Scottish usually refers to something of, from, or related to Scotland, including: *Scottish Gaelic, a Celtic Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family native to Scotland *Scottish English *Scottish national identity, the Scottish ide ...

educator. She attended and was later headmistress of the

Park School for Girls Park School for Girls was an independent all-girls school situated in Glasgow, Scotland. The school merged with Laurel Bank School and the resulting Laurel Park School was absorbed into Hutchesons' Grammar School in 2002. History The school was ...

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

, where she introduced classes on art and science.

Early life

Young was born in

Lilliesleaf Lilliesleaf is a small village and civil parish south east of Selkirk in the Roxburghshire area of Scottish Borders of Scotland. Other places nearby include Ancrum, Ashkirk, Belses, Hassendean, Midlem, Minto House, Old Belses, St Boswells, a ...

in what is now the

Scottish Borders The Scottish Borders ( sco, the Mairches, 'the Marches'; gd, Crìochan na h-Alba) is one of 32 council areas of Scotland. It borders the City of Edinburgh, Dumfries and Galloway, East Lothian, Midlothian, South Lanarkshire, West Lothi ...

. Her father, the Rev. William Langlands Young, was the United Presbyterian minister there, starting in 1857. Her mother was Margaret Brown Paulin. Author

J. M. Barrie Sir James Matthew Barrie, 1st Baronet, (; 9 May 1860 19 June 1937) was a Scottish novelist and playwright, best remembered as the creator of Peter Pan. He was born and educated in Scotland and then moved to London, where he wrote several succe ...

was a relative. Young was a founding pupil at the Park School in Glasgow in 1880, and became head girl. She trained as a teacher at the Training College for Teachers in Middle and Higher Schools for Girls in London.

Career

Young taught

classics Classics or classical studies is the study of classical antiquity. In the Western world, classics traditionally refers to the study of Classical Greek and Roman literature and their related original languages, Ancient Greek and Latin. Classics ...

Oxford High School for Girls Oxford High School is an independent day school for girls in Oxford, England. It was founded by the Girls' Day School Trust in 1875, making it the city's oldest girls' school. History Oxford High School was opened on 3 November 1875, with tw ...

for two years, from 1884 to 1886, then returned to Park School. The school's headmistress,

Georgina Kinnear Georgina Kinnear (1820 – 26 April 1914) was a British headmistress. Life Kinnear was born in Edinburgh in 1820. Her brothers were educated by tutors, but Kinnear taught herself, getting up at 5 am each morning to do so. She was able to poach so ...

, groomed Young as her successor, and appointed her headmistress at a new girls' school in

Kilmacolm Kilmacolm () is a village and civil parish in the Inverclyde council area, and the historic county of Renfrewshire in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. It lies on the northern slope of the Gryffe Valley, southeast of Greenock and aroun ...

for further experience. Young modernised the facilities at Park School, introducing school uniforms, dedicated classes in science and art, and a hockey program. It was said that she turned out to watch every match irrespective of rain or sun. The school had grown under her leadership. She retired in 1929 and she was presented with a portrait by

James Gunn James Francis Gunn Jr. (born August 5, 1966) is an American filmmaker and executive. He began his career as a screenwriter in the mid-1990s, starting at Troma Entertainment with ''Tromeo and Juliet'' (1997). He then began working as a director ...

and a £500 prize fund was created. In retirement she was active in the Park School Students' Association, and president of the association for two years. The new head was Janie Robertson.

Personal life

Young died at home in

Hillhead Hillhead ( sco, Hullheid, gd, Ceann a' Chnuic) is an area of Glasgow, Scotland. Situated north of Kelvingrove Park and to the south of the River Kelvin, Hillhead is at the heart of Glasgow's fashionable West End, with Byres Road forming the w ...

in 1953, aged 88 years.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Young, Margaret Paulin 1864 births 1953 deaths People from the Scottish Borders Heads of schools in Scotland Women heads of schools in the United Kingdom