BEALE, DOROTHEA (1831-1906), headmistress of Chel tenham Ladies' college, England, was born on March 21, 1831 and died at Cheltenham, Nov. 9, 1906. In 1848 she attended lectures at the newly opened Queen's college, London, and in 1857 was appointed head teacher of the Clergy Daughters' school at Casterton, Westmorland—the "Lowood" of Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre. In June 1858 Miss Beale was chosen as principal of the Ladies' college, Cheltenham (opened 1854), and during her time there the numbers rose from 69 girls to some hundreds. the financial arrangements were reorganized, and new buildings were erected from 1873 onwards. In 1869, she published the Reports on the Education of Girls, the result of the Endowed Schools En quiry Commission before which she had given evidence in i865. Realizing the necessity for training teachers, Miss Beale helped to establish the first residential training college in this country, St. Hilda's college, at Cheltenham; she also opened St. Hilda's hall, a college for women, in 1893. From 1895-97 she was presi dent of the Headmistresses' Association.
See E. Raikes, Dorothea Beale of Cheltenham (19o8).