Eleanor Elizabeth Smith (30 September 1822 – 15 September 1896) was an

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

educational activist. She became one of three trustees running Bedford College. At the time Bedford College was one of the few places where women might receive something approaching university level education. Bedford College was said to be the first British institution run by women

Early years

Smith was born in

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...

, in Ireland, the daughter of John Smith (1792–1828) and his wife, Mary Murphy. Her father was a

barrister A barrister is a type of lawyer in common law jurisdictions. Barristers mostly specialise in courtroom advocacy and litigation. Their tasks include taking cases in superior courts and tribunals, drafting legal pleadings, researching law and ...

, but he died in 1828, and Mary then moved the family to various locations in England before settling in

Ryde Ryde is an English seaside town and civil parish on the north-east coast of the Isle of Wight. The built-up area had a population of 23,999 according to the 2011 Census and an estimate of 24,847 in 2019. Its growth as a seaside resort came af ...

on the

Isle of Wight The Isle of Wight ( ) is a county in the English Channel, off the coast of Hampshire, from which it is separated by the Solent. It is the largest and second-most populous island of England. Referred to as 'The Island' by residents, the Isle of ...

. Smith had thirteen siblings, with her younger brother

Henry John Stephen Smith Prof Henry John Stephen Smith Royal Society of London, FRS FRSE Royal Astronomical Society, FRAS LLD (2 November 1826 – 9 February 1883) was an Irish mathematician and amateur astronomer remembered for his work in elementary divisors, quadrati ...

becoming a prominent mathematician. Smith developed a strong interest in languages, teaching herself Hebrew when she was only seven years old. She later traveled widely around Europe, indulging her interest in European literature.

Career

In the 1860s, Smith moved to

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

, where her brother was working, and organised a series of lectures for women by professors affiliated with the

University of Oxford , mottoeng = The Lord is my light , established = , endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019) , budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20) , chancellor ...

. Becoming known as an expert on women's education, she was called as a witness to the 1864 Royal Commission on Schools. As a result of its recommendations,

school boards A board of education, school committee or school board is the board of directors or board of trustees of a school, local school district or an equivalent institution. The elected council determines the educational policy in a small regional are ...

were formed across England and Wales in 1870, and Smith was elected to the Oxford School Board - the only woman elected in Oxford, and one of only seven across England. Other members of the school board determined that education in the city should remain run by religious organisations, but Smith argued that they should instead set up a non-denominational

board school School boards were public bodies in England and Wales between 1870 and 1902, which established and administered elementary schools. School boards were created in boroughs and parishes under the Elementary Education Act 1870 following campaignin ...

. She was unsuccessful in this, and stood down from the board in 1873, when her brother died. In 1879, Smith was a founder of

Somerville College Somerville College, a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England, was founded in 1879 as Somerville Hall, one of its first two women's colleges. Among its alumnae have been Margaret Thatcher, Indira Gandhi, Dorothy Hodgkin, Ir ...

, one of the first two Oxford colleges for women. She served on its council, and also became a trustee of

Bedford College, London file:Bedford College in York place - photographer is unknown but guess 1908.png, Bedford College was in York Place after 1874 Bedford College was founded in London in 1849 as the first higher education college for education of women, women in th ...

. The founder of Bedford College, Elizabeth Reid died in 1866 and left the college in the hands of

Eliza Bostock Elizabeth Anne "Eliza" Bostock (1817 – 13 April 1898) was a British promoter of women's education. She became a trustee at Bedford College after attending lessons there herself. At the time Bedford College was one of the few places where women ...

, Jane Martineau and Smith. The three of them were concerned that Bedford College School was to become Anglican under the head, Francis Martin. They closed the school. Smith developing an interest in health, she served on the boards of the

Radcliffe Infirmary The Radcliffe Infirmary was a hospital in central north Oxford, England, located at the southern end of Woodstock Road on the western side, backing onto Walton Street. History The initial proposals to build a hospital in Oxford were put forw ...

and

Sarah Acland Home The Acland Hospital (also previously known as the Acland Nursing Home, Acland Home and the Sarah Acland Home for Nurses) was a private nursing home and hospital in central North Oxford, England, located in a prominent position at the southern end ...

, and as a director of the city's Provident Dispensary.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Eleanor 1822 births 1896 deaths Irish activists Irish women activists People from County Dublin Founders of colleges of the University of Oxford People associated with Somerville College, Oxford