Anatomy of a Tragedy: The Assisted Schools of British Columbia and the Death of Mabel Jones

Abstract

The suicide of Mabel Jones in 1928 usually serves merely as an introduction to the story of Lottie Bowron, the Rural Teachers’ Welfare Officer. This paper looks in more detail at the circumstances surrounding her death, examining the legal framework, the role of trustees and inspectors, the preparation of teachers, and the difficulties facing rural assisted schools. While these have been correctly identified as contributing to problems experienced by young teachers, they should not be allowed to obscure an equally important factor: the interaction of personalities in a specific situation. This, as much as any systemic educational problem, was ultimately responsible for her untimely death.