CARNEY, MARY (1861-1956)

CARNEY, MARY, teacher; b. Douglastown, 25 Mar 1861 (bap. 15 Apr 1861), d/o William Carney and Ellen Harrington; unmarried; d. Chatham, 12 Jun 1956.

The daughter of an Irish-born laborer and his wife, Mary Carney was trained as a teacher at the Provincial Normal School and held a 2nd class license. She began her teaching career in 1880. The following year, she joined the primary department of the Douglastown school. In 1887, the year before Richard B. Bennett was appointed principal, she was an assistant in the intermediate department. In 1907, after she had been teaching for twenty-six years, she was described by the school inspector as "one of the best intermediate teachers in the province." She taught for many more years at Douglastown and enjoyed a lengthy retirement. During the last several years of her life she made her home at Mount St Joseph in Chatham.