The Girls' Department of the
King George the Fifth Institute
30. The King George the Fifth Institute, among other things a former boarding house and night school for young women, was located at #93 Water Street.
The Girls' Department of the King George the Fifth Institute was opened in 1913 as a safe destination for young women who came to St. John's as ship's helpers on Labrador fishing schooners. Usually, these young women were the only women resident on the schooner for the entire fishing season, surrounded by the male fishers
Public fears for the safety and virtue of these young women caused the passing of a law prohibiting such work for women. Concerns remained for the large numbers of outport girls who came to St. John's each year seeking paid domestic work.
Under the guidance of local upper-class women, Lady Davidson, wife of the Governor, Edith Harvey Warren Job and Armine Gosling, and with the support of Dr. Wilfred Grenfell, established the Department as a boarding house for up to twenty-one outport girls working in St. John's. The home was steam heated, had electric lights, a large dining room and a social parlour where young women could entertain friends. In 1914, a night school for 'girls of the town' was held each Tuesday evening. It offered reading and writing classes, open to all girls.
Such residences could provide further education, social connections, an understanding of middle-class norms, and facilitate adapting to life in the city. This knowledge could improve the employment opportunities for young women new to St. John's.
