author
E. R. (Elsie Riach) Murray
1861–1932
A Scottish educator and writer, she helped shape early childhood teaching in Britain through clear, practical books on child development and Froebel’s ideas. Her work speaks to a moment when kindergarten and infant education were being rethought from the ground up.
2 Audiobooks
Froebel as a pioneer in modern psychology
by E. R. (Elsie Riach) Murray
The child under eight
by E. R. (Elsie Riach) Murray, Henrietta Brown Smith
About the author
Born in Edinburgh in 1861, Elsie Riach Murray became an influential figure in teacher training and early years education. Brunel University’s Maria Grey College archives note that she entered Maria Grey Training College in 1893, later joined the staff, and eventually became its first vice-principal.
Murray wrote about the education of young children at a time when new ideas about play, development, and kindergarten were gaining ground. Her books include Froebel as a Pioneer in Modern Psychology, The Child Under Eight (written with Henrietta Brown Smith), and A Story of Infant Schools and Kindergartens. Across these works, she presented child development in a practical, readable way for teachers and parents.
She died in 1932, but her connection with Maria Grey College lasted well beyond her lifetime: the college’s memorial library was named for her, and her book collection was preserved in the archives. That legacy suggests how deeply she was valued not only as an author, but also as a teacher of teachers.