Mrs. Madeline Symonds

A TRIBUTE to the first black school teacher in Nova Scotia

Madeline Symonds, the former Madeline Francis, is the daughter of the late Mr. & Mrs. John Francis. She was born in Saint John, New Brunswick. After losing her parents at an early age, she lived in Truro for a period of 17 years where she received most of her education. She attended the Provincial Normal School (now Teacher's College) where she graduated with a teaching certificate in 1928. She was the first black to graduate from that college.

In 1928, Mrs. Symonds, then Miss Francis, went to Upper Hammonds Plains to teach school. She taught there from 1928 to 1964 for a period of 28 years. During that period she taught 21 term at Partridge River, East Preston, in 1940. Most of her service was in the one room wooden school house.

In 1945, she formed a committee from the community to help her raise funds to build a new school. The committee raised $1,750; the remaining funds were given by the Municipality of Halifax County. Mr. Carl Oliver provided the plans and the men of the community assisted. It was completed in January 1946.

Mrs. Symonds taught a grade 9 correspondence course for one year. When Dr. W. P. Oliver introduced the Adult Classes, she had the privilege of teaching adults from 1946 to 1951.

She enjoys music and was a member of the Church Choir and the Ladies Auxiliary. She enjoyed church work and working in the community.

Her first thoughts were to become a missionary but she decided to become a teacher. God sent along a missionary in the form of her son, Rev. Calvin Symonds. She also loves poetry and has composed several poems.

Mrs. Symonds made her home in Upper Hammonds Plains for 54 years. She has resided in the Sarah Jane Clayton Manor, East Preston, since 1982. She is now 81 years of age (1986).

She was formerly married to Mr. Ernest Jenkins, now deceased, and had two daughters from that marriage. She is presently married to Mr. George Symonds. They have five children.

Mrs. Symonds puts her trust in God blessings over the years. She is for all her true Christian.

(The above account was written by Mrs. Doris Evans and presented at a f unction held in East Preston to honour Mrs. Symonds.)

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