There is one thing that makes Britain (and Ireland) great, the women that it has grown, nurtured and inspired to change the world. Some did good things whilst others will be remembered simply for their courage and determination. Of course there are those whose actions themselves may not be worthy of praise, yet the repercussions led the way to a better life. Many of these women you might already know of, some may have been previously overlooked. They will however be names that you should never forget. After all, for many of us, our lives would be a lot different had they never lived.

Friday, 3 January 2014

Angela Burdett-Coutts 1814-1906

Angela Burdett-Coutts
Angela Burdett-Coutts was one of the wealthiest women in Victorian England.  As a single woman with money of her own, she was able to spend her time and fortune on pursuing many philanthropic projects. 
            One of her more successful ventures was the ‘ragged’ schools that she helped set up in order for the countries poor to better their prospects.  Miss Burdett-Coutts believed that every child in England, no matter how poor their background may be, had the right to at least a basic education.  She also helped to fund better housing for some of the poorer people who were struggling to survive in the squalid conditions of London’s East End.
            In 1847, with the help of Mr Charles Dickens, she set up Urania Cottage in order to help rehabilitate the ‘fallen women’ of the East End.  It gave them a chance to learn the trade of silk-weaving, very popular in the area at the time, so that they may at least have the chance for more respectable employment.
            Miss Burdett-Coutts was a firm supporter of cancer research at what was then Brompton Cancer Hospital, (now known as London’s Royal Marsden Hospital).  She was also president of the RSPCA when the meetings were first held to establish the NSPCC.
            During the Crimean War, Angela helped to support the families of soldiers who were away fighting.  She also sent over a linen drier to aid Florence Nightingale in her work.  A device that she had herself designed for use in the hospital laundry.
            Angela Burdett-Coutts became a Baroness in 1871, when she was also given the freedom of the cities of both London and Edinburgh.

            It was rumoured that she once proposed to the Duke of Wellington, who was a close friend.  Whether this was true or not, she certainly managed to shock ‘polite society’ at the age of 67, when she married her 29-year-old secretary.

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