Dates

• Existence: 1801 - 1856

Biography

Euphemia Cargill Anderson was the fifth child of Robert Anderson and Ann Lothian, and was born in the house at 100 West Bow, Edinburgh.

In 1818, Euphemia went to stay in William Greig's house at 8 Gayfield Square, probably as companion to his daughter, Margaret. Mr and Mrs Greig allowed her to return home whenever illness struck a member of her family. Within two years, aged eighteen, Euphemia had lost her uncle James Anderson, the surgeon, an aunt, and an aunt’s sister, as well as her beloved sister Ann. She kept a diary for the first two years of her stay with the Greigs in Gayfield Square.

Euphemia continued at 8 Gayfield Square for ten years more, until two years after William Greig's death, when she decided for family reasons to relinquish her duties there. Of Robert Anderson's ten children, only five were now living: Euphemia; Robert and his wife Frances Grove who were living in Birmingham; James, the grey sheep of the family, who was sailing round the world; Agnes, married to Mr McKenzie; and Charles, the youngest, aged nineteen, who was in the family business in Leith, and was the only one at home with his parents. Euphemia stayed at home for five years and then an exciting development took place. Her brother Robert and his wife Frances had returned from Birmingham and were now living at Springfield. They decided to look for a house big enough for Robert and Frances, and Euphemia and Charles, to live together, and there they would start a school for young women. They eventually found a suitable house, at 7 Gayfield Square, and opened their school in 1834.

The school staff included Euphemia herself, her brother Robert, and her friend Anne Urquhart. After Anne had to go home to Perth, Euphemia engaged Miss Robertson as a teacher assistant, and later Eleanor Oliver, a senior pupil, to help with the teaching of the junior.

When Miss Robertson left to get married and go abroad after six years of devoted service, once again Euphemia appealed to her friend Anne Urquhart for help. After a break of six years, Anne came back to Edinburgh and helped to run the school. However, said school was only to remain in existence for a few more years. As the unmarried daughter, Euphemia had always given help whenever needed within the family, and the school had to be closed around 1850 when she was called to nurse her Uncle William's widow, and then her half-uncle Christopher Anderson, who both died in 1852.

Euphemia died in 1856, aged fifty-five, in Charles's house at Laverockbank, Trinity, Edinburgh.

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