Eleanor, Lady Wigram was born Eleanor Watts and she was once Eleanor Agnew (1 April 1767 – 23 January 1841). She was a

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

philanthropist based in

Walthamstow Walthamstow ( or ) is a large town in East London, east London, England, within the Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county of Greater London and the Historic counties of England, ancient county of Essex. Situated northeast of Chari ...

Life

Wigram was born in 1767. Her mother was Eleanor (born Wyatt) and her father was John Watts and he was the secretary to the victualling office of Southampton. Lady Eleanor Wigram by Thomas Lawrence

Her second husband was Robert Wigram. He already had six children and together they would have seventeen more. Despite this number of pregnancies Eleanor became a principal adviser to her husband concerning his investments and they did well. Her husband said, "I never did undertake any business of moment without consultation with my wife, and I can truly say it has much promoted my fortune." In 1815 she was painted by Sir

Thomas Lawrence Sir Thomas Lawrence (13 April 1769 – 7 January 1830) was an English portrait painter and the fourth president of the Royal Academy. A child prodigy, he was born in Bristol and began drawing in Devizes, where his father was an innkeeper at t ...

who was knighted that year. Her portrait was exhibited in the

Royal Academy The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly in London. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its pur ...

and its composition is thought to reflect the contribution she had made towards her husband's success. Eleanor was involved with local charities and the church in Warthamstow. In 1807 there was a workhouse and endowed grammar schools, but she created an Anglican school for a dozen children. The teacher of that school was trained in the

Monitorial System The Monitorial System, also known as Madras System or Lancasterian System, was an education method that took hold during the early 19th century, because of Spanish, French, and English colonial education that was imposed into the areas of expansion. ...

where the cleverer students were encouraged to become teachers or helpers for less able students. In 1818 she suggested to several schools that they combine their resources to create Walthamstow's first National school. The Walthamstow Female Benefit Society was her idea in 1815 and she became the patron. Via the church she was able to gather financial support of a guinea a year from the richer parishioners. This allowed others to pay a shilling a month and in return they were able to enjoy free medical assistance and advice. 1824 saw her start a local group for women to support the

Church Missionary Society The Church Mission Society (CMS), formerly known as the Church Missionary Society, is a British mission society working with the Christians around the world. Founded in 1799, CMS has attracted over nine thousand men and women to serve as mission ...

. Her husband died in 1830. In 1840 she was involved with the creation of a subscription library. Lady Wigram died in 1841 at Walthamstow House. Her house is still extant and it is now a school.

Family

Walthamstow House in 1802 She first married Captain Agnew. Her second husband had married Catherine Broadhurst and they had six children. Following Catherine's death, in 1787, he married Eleanor. They had thirteen sons and four daughters. His children included: *

Sir Robert Fitzwygram, 2nd Baronet Sir Robert Fitzwygram, 2nd Baronet, FRS (25 September 1773 – 17 December 1843), born Robert Wigram, was a Director of the Bank of England and a Tory politician. Early life Fitzwygram was the eldest son of Lady Eleanor and Sir Robert Wigram, ...

James Wigram Sir James Wigram, FRS (1793–1866) was an English barrister, politician and judge. Life He was the third son of Lady Eleanor and Sir Robert Wigram, 1st Baronet, and younger brother name of Sir Robert Fitzwygram, 2nd Baronet in 1832; another ...

* Octavius Wigram * Joseph Cotton Wigram *

Loftus Wigram Loftus Tottenham Wigram QC (6 November 1803 – 19 September 1889) was a British barrister, businessman and Conservative politician. Life Wigram was a younger son of Lady Eleanor and Sir Robert Wigram, 1st Baronet. His numerous brothers include ...

George Wigram George Vicesimus Wigram (28 March 1805 – 1 February 1879) was an English biblical scholar and theologian. Early life He was the 20th child (hence his middle name) of Sir Robert Wigram, 1st Baronet, a famous and wealthy merchant, and the 14th c ...

Their son, Ely Duodecimus Wigram (1801–69), was a lt. colonel in the Coldstream Guards and compiled a scrapbook of the

Crimean war The Crimean War, , was fought from October 1853 to February 1856 between Russia and an ultimately victorious alliance of the Ottoman Empire, France, the United Kingdom and Piedmont-Sardinia. Geopolitical causes of the war included the de ...

, which contains a rare photograph of

Mary Seacole Mary Jane Seacole (;Anionwu E.N. (2012) Mary Seacole: nursing care in many lands. ''British Journal of Healthcare Assistants'' 6(5), 244–248. 23 November 1805 – 14 May 1881) was a British-Jamaican nurse and businesswoman who set up t ...

. Their son, Reverend William Pitt Wigram, was the grandfather of

Clive Wigram, 1st Baron Wigram Clive Wigram, 1st Baron Wigram, (5 July 1873 – 3 September 1960) was a British Indian Army officer and courtier. He was Private Secretary to the Sovereign from 1931 to 1936. Parentage and education Wigram was the son of Herbert Wigram. His ...

. Another notable descendant was

Ralph Wigram Ralph Follett Wigram CMG (; 23 October 1890 – 31 December 1936) was a British government official in the Foreign Office. He helped raise the alarm about German rearmament under Hitler during the period prior to World War II. In part, he did ...

, grandson of Joseph Cotton Wigram. They had a daughter, also named Eleanor, who married H.N. Heathcote of Shephailbury in 1814.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wigram, Eleanor 1767 births 1841 deaths British philanthropists Wives of baronets