Hannah Aldworth (died 1778) was an English philanthropist and inspector in charge of supervising the care of foundling children in the Newbury area of

Berkshire Berkshire ( ; in the 17th century sometimes spelt phonetically as Barkeshire; abbreviated Berks.) is a historic county in South East England. One of the home counties, Berkshire was recognised by Queen Elizabeth II as the Royal County of Berk ...

for the

Foundling Hospital The Foundling Hospital in London, England, was founded in 1739 by the philanthropic sea captain Thomas Coram. It was a children's home established for the "education and maintenance of exposed and deserted young children." The word "hospital" w ...

in London.

Early life

Aldworth was one of the daughters of Samuel Slocock, a prosperous brewer in the Newbury area.

Career

From around 1759 to 1768 Aldworth supervised the care of children by nurses in her local area as an inspector, a voluntary yet important role to the Foundling Hospital's operation and the expansion of care for foundling children in the eighteenth century.Kathleen Palmer, 'The assistance of the fair sex', article in Ladies of Quality and Distinction Exhibition Catalogue, pp.16 - 17, p.16. Foundling Museum, London, 2018. https://foundlingmuseum.org.uk/events/ladies-of-quality-distinction/ A married woman named Naomi Southby, thought to be Hannah's sister, seems also to have been an inspector, a connection which reflects the shared role of women inspectors amidst familial and social networks. Kathleen Palmer asserts that the involvement of women like Aldworth "in the business of an organisation with national reach, on equal terms with their male counterparts, was unprecedented". Aldworth's will indicates that she left £800 to endow parish

almshouses An almshouse (also known as a bede-house, poorhouse, or hospital) was charitable housing provided to people in a particular community, especially during the medieval era. They were often targeted at the poor of a locality, at those from certain ...

. She died "greatly and deservedly respected".

Legacy

Aldworth's portrait now hangs in the St Nicolas Church in Newbury.'The borough of Newbury', in ''A History of the County of Berkshire'': Volume 4, ed. William Page and P H Ditchfield (London, 1924), pp. 130-155. British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/berks/vol4/pp130-155 ccessed 18 November 2018/ref>

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Aldworth, Hannah 1778 deaths Year of birth missing People from Newbury, Berkshire Education reform British hospital administrators English women philanthropists 18th-century English women 18th-century English people 18th-century British philanthropists 18th-century women philanthropists