Emma Holt (10 January 1862 – 19 December 1944) 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 and supporter of women's education. She was seen as Liverpool University's "Fairy Godmother".

Life

Holt was born in

West Derby West Derby ( ) is an affluent suburb of Liverpool, England. It is located East of the city and is also a Liverpool City Council ward. At the 2011 Census, the population was 14,382. History West Derby Mentioned in the ''Domesday Book'', West ...

(now in Liverpool). She was the only child of Elizabeth (born Bright) and George Holt. Her father was co-founder of the Lamport and Holt shipping Line and he was a strong supporter of University College, Liverpool. Holt attended lectures there on architecture in 1884 and 1900-1901. Her family were Unitarians and she was a strong supporter of the Reverend

John Hamilton Thom John Hamilton Thom (10 January 1808 – 2 September 1894) was an Irish Christian Unitarianism, Unitarian minister. Life He was a younger son of John Thom (died 1808), born on 10 January 1808 at Newry, County Down, where his father, a native of Lan ...

who was minister at the

Renshaw Street Unitarian Chapel Renshaw Street Unitarian Chapel was a Unitarian place of worship in Mount Pleasant, Liverpool, England. It operated from 1811 until the 1890s and was particularly well frequented by ship-owning and mercantile families, who formed a close networ ...

on Mount Pleasant in Liverpool. She became a leader of that chapel. In 1894 Thom died and the chapel began its move to Ullet Road where Holt continued as one of its leaders. In 1883, she and her parents moved into

Sudley House Sudley House is a historic house in Aigburth, Liverpool, England. Built in 1824 and much modified in the 1880s, it is now a museum and art gallery which contains the collection of George Holt, a shipping-line owner and former resident, in its ...

and this would be her home until she retired. Her father died in 1896 and her mother in 1920. In 1889

Percy Bigland Percy Bigland (1856–1926) was an English portrait painter. Life Bigland was the son of Edwin Bigland, of Birkenhead in 1856. He was educated like his brother at the Sidcot School as his family were Quakers. Bigland studied art in Munich in Ger ...

completed a portrait of her and it is in the

collection. In 1896 her father died and she and her mother continued and expanded the family's philanthropy. In 1909 she joined the council of the University of Liverpool and apart from a year gap in 1915-16 she served there until 1934. The university had been created in 1903 and she was unusual being a woman on the university's council in addition to being a life governor of the university and University College. The university recognised her contribution when they granted an honorary doctorate of laws in 1928. More widely she was seen as the university's "fairy godmother" finding few peers to her generosity except maybe Belfast's

Eliza and Isabella Riddel Eliza (1831–1924) and Isabella Riddel (1836–1918) were sisters who are best known for Riddel Hall in Stranmillis, Belfast, Northern Ireland, which they established in 1913 as a university hall of residence for women.Queen's University Belf ...

. Holt died at her home in Coniston where she had retired.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Holt, Emma 1862 births 1944 deaths People from West Derby British philanthropists Women of the Victorian era People associated with the University of Liverpool