Jane Pirie (27 March 1779 – 6 March 1833) was a Scottish woman who opened an exclusive girls' school in Edinburgh in 1809 [1] and who became involved in a court case as a result of being accused of displays of "inordinate affection"[2] with the co-founder of the school, Marianne Woods (1781–1870). Her accuser was Jane Cumming, a pupil of mixed race, and a granddaughter of Lady Helen Cumming Gordon, who alleged that the two women "engaged in irregular sexual practices"[3] and "lewd and indecent behavior."[4]
Jane Cumming was the first pupil to leave the school, and within days, all the other pupils left as well.[1] Lady Cumming Gordon spread rumours of these allegations. Jane Pirie and Marianne Woods denied the allegations and sued Lady Cumming Gordon for £10,000. Despite winning the case in 1812, the case was appealed to the House of Lords, which ultimately dismissed the appeal. In the end, the financially ruined school teachers received little more than £1,000 after paying ruinous legal costs.[1] Although Marianne Woods obtained part-time employment as a teacher in London,[1] Jane Pirie stayed in Edinburgh and was unable to find employment, and "possibly had a nervous breakdown."
The story of the court case was the inspiration for Lillian Hellman's 1934 play The Children's Hour.[3] Two Hollywood films were inspired by this story: These Three in 1936 which starred Miriam Hopkins, Merle Oberon and Joel McCrea, and The Children's Hour in 1961, both directed by William Wyler, which set the story in the United States and starred Audrey Hepburn, Shirley MacLaine and James Garner.
^ abcd"Drumsheugh: Lesbian sex row rocked society". The Scotsman. 25 February 2009. Retrieved 21 February 2019.
^Haggerty, George; Zimmerman, Bonnie (1999). Encyclopedia of Lesbian and Gay Histories and Cultures: An Encyclopedia. Gay histories and cultures. Vol. 2. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 9780815333548.
^ abEwan, Elizabeth, ed. (2018). The new biographical dictionary of Scottish women. Edinburgh. ISBN 9781474436298. OCLC 1057237368.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
^Zimmerman, Bonnie (21 August 2013). Encyclopedia of Lesbian Histories and Cultures. Routledge. ISBN 9781136787508.
JanePirie (27 March 1779 – 6 March 1833) was a Scottish woman who opened an exclusive girls' school in Edinburgh in 1809 and who became involved in a...
Pirie (born 1975), Scottish actress James Pirie (1853–1934), Major League Baseball shortstop JanePirie (1779–1833), Scottish educator Sir John Pirie...
accused of lesbianism with the co-founder of the school, JanePirie (1779–1833). Her accuser was Jane Cumming, a pupil of mixed race, and a granddaughter of...
joining Pirie in the bed shared by her, Pirie, and Cummings. Jane was the first pupil to be removed from the school. In 1811, Woods and Pirie sued Jane's grandmother...
His mother was Jane Booth (1825–1895), born in Lonmay Aberdeenshire to a family from the Isle of Noss in the Shetland Islands. George Pirie emigrated to...
(London: Cassell, 1998) Articles on Anne Lister, Ladies of Llangollen and JanePirie and Marianne Woods, in Lesbian Histories and Cultures: An Encyclopedia...
Elizabeth Jean Elphinstone Pirie FSA (14 September 1932 – 1 March 2005) was a British numismatist specialising in ninth-century Northumbrian coinage,...
a time by addressing their deliveries to Miss Marianne Woods and Miss JanePirie, two notable lesbians who lived in Edinburgh in the early 19th century...
is the only entry positively identified as a lesbian with Maud Galt, JanePirie and Marianne Woods (whose story was made famous as the inspiration for...
member of J. B. Shay & Co. from 1864 to 1866. In 1867 he joined Carson, Pirie Scott & Co. and established the firm's retail department store. Along with...
Sally Jane Sara AM, (born 2 March 1971 in Port Pirie, South Australia) is an Australian journalist and TV presenter. Sara's career began with Outback Radio...
Hammersmith area of London on 21 July 1989, the daughter of film producer Amanda Pirie and film director Julien Temple. She has two younger brothers, Leo and Felix...
birth). Dern's maternal grandfather was a Vice President of the Carson, Pirie and Scott stores, which were established by his own father, Scottish-born...
Norfolk. She was refloated the next day and taken in to Berwick upon Tweed. JanePirie United Kingdom The barque collided with the barque Balder ( Sweden) and...
The Jepson Manual: Higher Plants of California". Retrieved 2018-06-07. Pirie, Mary (1860). Flowers, Grasses, and Shrubs. A popular book on Botany. Illustrated...
suburbs with a net increase of 2,847 people from June 2021 to June 2022. Port Pirie had the largest net reduction in population of 106. The fastest growth of...
Lindsay Gordon, Kate Brannigan, Tony Hill and Carol Jordan, Inspector Karen Pirie, and Allie Burns. Her characters include a journalist, Lindsay Gordon; a...
2016. Robey, Tim (26 May 2016). "Love & Friendship shows just how funny Jane Austen can be - review". The Telegraph. Retrieved 5 June 2016. McNamara,...
of Spain and Holy Roman Empire Ian Pirie as George Douglas Tessa Bonham Jones as Anne Hastings Molly Vevers as Jane Stewart Paul Forman as King Francis...
Pinto-Hervia. Founder, Hervia. For services to Fashion and to Charity. Dr. Madsen Pirie. President, Adam Smith Institute. For services to Public Policy. Mary Margaret...
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