Mary Rose Farley (née Bateman) Headmistress of Berkhamsted School for Girls from 1971-1980

Mary Rose Farley (née Bateman) Headmistress of Berkhamsted School for Girls from 1971-1980

16th March 1935 – 8th September 2021

A Service of Thanksgiving for the Life of Mary Rose Farley – attended by current and former staff, a number of family members, including her sister, Felicity Crawley, and several Old Girls – took place on Sunday, April 3rd, in the Girls’ School Chapel.

Rev Jane Markby led a moving service, with tributes from former head girls, Cortina Butler and Jane Pargeter, together with one from her niece, Alice Crawley, who remembered first visiting Mary Rose at the Berkhamsted Girls’ School when she was 4 years old. A Bible reading was read by Liz Richardson.

Miss Bateman was remembered especially for her fresh approach, for continuing to teach English throughout her time as Headmistress, for her enthusiasm, her belief in equality, her extraordinary breadth of knowledge and wide reading – a passion which she passed on to many a pupil lucky enough to be taught by her – and her sense of humour. That is not to say that she couldn’t be scary! As one of her A Level English students and a school prefect during her time at the School, I am indebted to her for her support and inspiration.

During the service, the choir, which was somewhat depleted thanks to last minute covid cases, sang beautifully, and we are very grateful to Jean Wild (Hon) for organising the music and Jenny Smith (Hon) for accompanying us all on the piano.

The sun shone, and we had the pleasure of reminiscing over afternoon tea in the Old Dining Room, under the watchful gaze of Mary Rose from her portrait.

The opportunity was taken to thank Liz Richardson for her huge contribution to the School over the past 34 years as she approached her retirement at the end of the academic year, and for her support of The Old Berkhamstedians over the years. She was presented with a gift and a bouquet of flowers.

Members of the choir were: Jean Wild – Choir Master, Jenny Smith – Piano, Catherine Barham Sarah Barnett, Catherine Barrett, Natasha Charlton Sarah Jackson, Antonia Storer and Araba Taylor.

Brigitta Case (née Norris, NS ’80) President

Mary Rose Farley/Bateman Tribute

In 1971, George Harrison’s My Sweet Lord was dominating the charts, the 70s had not yet spiralled into browns, oranges and afghan coats, and my friend Jessica and I were 13 – and we thought we were pretty cool. All our school lives since first meeting in kindergarten in the Beeches, the pinnacle of the School had been a distinguished historian, elegant, kind, but undoubtedly old. So when we were sitting on the grass, on the lime walk, one summer lunchtime, and looked round to see Miss Russell obviously showing someone around, the first thing we noticed was that the someone was wearing white shiny knee length boots and a mini skirt to match. She looked young – and she was young – Miss Bateman (and she will always be Miss Bateman) was only 36 when she took over the School.

As headmistress, she exuded youth and energy, bustling around the school, perching on the corner of a desk as she taught English, running up the short flight of stairs to the stage for prayers. We had never noticed what Miss Russell wore, but Miss Bateman’s clothes were statements. She liked collars, buttons, colours. She was a serious person but not a solemn one – naturally smiling, frequently laughing. In those photographs taken every year as the speakers walked towards the tent for Commemoration Day, she always glows out of the black and white images – confident and happy in her position.

She did not see her role as purely administrative and taught English throughout her time as headmistress. In sorting out the papers at my mother’s house, I found my timetable for seventh term Oxbridge entrance, and as well as lessons at the Boys School with Dr Pearce and Mr Davison, whose life we celebrated yesterday, and with Miss Haddow and Miss Broomer here, I spent two hours a week with Miss Bateman having my mind stretched ready for the Oxford general paper.

She didn’t start collaborations with the Boys School, but she certainly encouraged and expanded them. Singing in joint choirs and madrigal groups, acting in plays with mixed casts, shared teaching for Oxbridge entrance and joint dances were some of the great pleasures of the fifth and sixth forms in the 70s. She regarded us as young women – not children.

As one of her head girls, my relationship with her was a formative one. It taught me how to work, not in a teacher pupil relationship, but something more like an office environment. In my sorting out, I also found my diary from the time I was Head Girl – not a diary of thoughts and emotions but lists of prefect duties and readers for morning prayers, menus for upcoming events and notes from meetings. Throughout, there are reminders of appointments with Miss Bateman, things to check with her and the occasional ‘Coffee with Miss Bateman’ on a Friday.

At the time, 9 years didn’t seem very long to stay at a school – especially after her predecessor’s 21, but she started to make change as soon as she began. She acted as a bridge for the School from an era born in Edwardian times into the era we are in now, where equality of opportunity for women is assumed. An era that could see the two Schools, Girls and Boys, successfully combined into the Berkhamsted School that you have today. And for me, she was one of my first defining adult-to-adult relationships outside my family. She gave the 18-year-old me all-important confidence to go onto the next stage of my life, and for that – and much more – I remember her with gratitude and affection.

Cortina Butler (Ho ’76)