Margaret Bancroft

By Annabelle Sebastian

Margaret Bancroft (1854-1912) founded the Bancroft Training School for the multiply disabled in Haddonfield, New Jersey.

Originally named the “The Haddonfield School for the Mentally Deficient and Peculiarly Backward,” Bancroft decided to open the school after her work in the Philadelphia public school district inspired her interest in children who struggled academically, whether it was due to physical or mental disabilities. In 1883, Bancroft and her parents purchased the property in Haddonfield that would become the original schoolhouse. Renamed in 1904, the school became known as the Bancroft Training School.

Bancroft believed that every student held the ability to learn, and that specialized care should be given to each student based on their individual needs and academic level. Bancroft valued a holistic approach to education, with attention being paid not only to the mental and academic well-being of students, but also to the physical and spiritual well-being. Bancroft emphasized proper nutrition, personal hygiene, exercise, daily prayers, as well as sensory and artistic development. Bancroft’s school featured excursions to local theaters, museums, circuses, and concerts, as well as a yearly summer trip to Owl’s Head, Maine, beginning in 1904.

Outside of her dedication to teaching, Bancroft was an active member of the Haddonfield community, organizing the Haddon Fortnightly, a women’s club that promoted the educational, literary, and social interests of its members.

Upon her death, her will listed detailed instructions for the continuation of her educational mission. Today, her school is a nonprofit organization, based in Cherry Hill, that offers residential and day-care programs throughout New Jersey, Delaware, and Pennsylvania. Additionally, her club, the Haddon Fortnightly, continues to operate to this day, with well over 100 active members.

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References:

A. Farrington, ed. Collected Papers of Margaret Bancroft: On Mental Subnormality and the Care and Training of Mentally Subnormal Children. Philadelphia: Ware Brothers Company, 1915.

Burstyn, Joan N. 1990. “Margaret Bancroft”. Past and Promise, Lives of New Jersey Women. http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/54486199

“History.” Bancroft, June 24, 2024. https://www.bancroft.org/about-us/history/.

Mote, Sister M. Krista. The Story of Margaret Bancroft: Teacher With a Dream. Haddonfield, NJ: Bancroft, 1998.

Margaret, Bancroft. 2019. Collected Papers of Margaret Bancroft On Mental Subnormality and the Care and Training of Mentally Subnormal Children. http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1152336655

The Haddon Fortnightly, July 19, 2024. https://thehaddonfortnightly.org/.

Suggested Citation:

Sebastian, Annabelle. “Margaret Bancroft.” New Jersey Women’s History, Rowan University Libraries, 2024. https://njwomenshistory.org/biographies/margaret-bancroft/.