Little is known about the life of Maria Thomas. Thought to be from a poor family herself, she was by 1846, a School Mistress as the workhouse in Narberth, Pembrokeshire.

The ’Blue Books’ Report into the State of Education in Wales in December 1846 reveals much about Maria’s working conditions as well as attitudes toward women and educational provision for children from the ‘lower classes’ of society. 

The initial focus of the report is on cleanliness rather than quality of education, describing ‘a spacious, airy and well-lighted room with a boarded floor…I found both the room and its furniture in good repair and very clean’ at Narberth Workhouse.

The report continues: ‘Fifteen children were present; I found the mistress at the head of a long table…she was sewing…Two of the girls and the five boys at the head of the table were reading the first chapter of Hebrews when I entered, verse by verse’.

The expectation on both mistress and pupils is based on dogma and necessity. Maria Thomas is portrayed as almost ‘voiceless’, (‘beyond occasional corrections I heard nothing said by the mistress’), and the children stitch clothes for the other inmates (‘all the clothes used in the house are made in the schoolroom’). Everything learned is done so by rote, with one child describing how ‘we are taught in verse 5 to fear God, who will send the good to heaven and the bad to hell; neither of them will come out again…’ and the children are unable to read spontaneously.

No evidence of Maria’s own education exists; however, the only known photograph shows her with her mother. Maria is barely more than a child herself, yet the inspector’s report makes no reference to her welfare or suitability for the role of teacher. There is little regard for the quality of life of both teacher and pupils.

The inspector concludes: ‘The little children on the separate bench had nothing to occupy them’.

Ychydig a wyddys am fywyd Maria Thomas. Credir ei bod yn dod o deulu tlawd, ond erbyn 1846 hi oedd yr Ysgolfeistres yn y wyrcws yn Arberth, Sir Benfro.

Mae’r Adroddiad ‘Llyfrau Gleision’ ar Gyflwr Addysg yng Nghymru fis Rhagfyr 1846 yn datgelu llawer am amodau gwaith Maria yn ogystal â’r agweddau tuag at fenywod a’r addysg a ddarparwyd i blant o ‘ddosbarthiadau is’ cymdeithas.

Mae ffocws cychwynnol yr adroddiad ar lendid yn hytrach nag ar ansawdd yr addysg, gan ddisgrifio ‘ystafell eang, iachus, wedi’i goleuo’n dda â llawr pren … roedd yr ystafell a’r dodrefn mewn cyflwr da ac yn lân iawn’ yn Wyrcws Arberth.

Mae’r adroddiad yn parhau: ‘Roedd pymtheg o blant yn bresennol; roedd yr ysgolfeistres ar ben uchaf bwrdd hir … roedd hi’n gwnïo… Roedd dwy o’r merched a’r pum bachgen ar ben uchaf y bwrdd yn darllen pennod gyntaf yr Hebreaid, fesul adnod, pan euthum i mewn i’r ystafell.

Mae’r disgwyliadau ar yr ysgolfeistres a’r disgyblion yn seiliedig ar ddogma ac ar angenrheidiau. Mae Maria Thomas yn cael ei phortreadu fel athrawes heb lais bron, (‘heblaw am ambell gywiriad bob hyn a hyn ni chlywais yr ysgolfeistres yn dweud dim’), ac mae’r plant yn gwnïo dillad ar gyfer y tlodion eraill (‘gwneir yr holl ddillad a ddefnyddir yn y tŷ yn yr ysgoldy’). Cofio drwy ailddweud yw popeth a ddysgir, gydag un plentyn yn disgrifio sut ‘rydym yn cael ein dysgu yn adnod 5 i ofni Duw, fydd yn anfon y da i’r nefoedd a’r drwg i uffern; ni fydd yr un ohonynt yn dod allan eto…’ ac ni all y plant ddarllen yn ddigymell.

Nid oes unrhyw dystiolaeth o addysg Maria ei hunan; fodd bynnag, mae’r unig lun sydd ar gael ohoni yn ei dangos hi gyda’i mam. Prin y mae Maria yn fwy na phlentyn ei hun, ac eto nid yw adroddiad yr arolygwr yn cyfeirio o gwbl at ei lles nac at ei haddasrwydd fel athrawes. Ychydig o bwys a roddir i ansawdd bywyd yr athrawes na’r disgyblion.

Daw’r arolygwr i’r casgliad: ‘Nid oedd gan y plant bach oedd ar wahân ar y fainc arall unrhyw beth i’w difyrru.’