From Continuance to Dissolution in a Post-Charlotte Mason World: Four Principals' Experiences at Charlotte Mason College (1923-1960)

Excavating the archaeology of Charlotte Mason College after the death of its founder in January 1923 offers fascinating reveals as to its history, impact, unfolding, and eventual demise. Mason died at the height of the Parents’ National Education Union (PNEU) and her trained teachers were serving in numerous schools, both private and State-centred. The model of training was focused and efficient and had moved from producing only governesses for homeschooling families in the Empire, to one that met the instructional needs of a burgeoning school-based approach within the United Kingdom. Upon Mason’s death, the leadership of the College brought apprehension to the Ambleside Council as well as to the constituency and stakeholders in the PNEU. Mason’s will had made clear that her successor would be taken from among her many devotees and be given the title of ‘principal for life’. This monograph explores the story of the PNEU after Mason’s death and the factors which caused its influence to wane over the following decades.