Hannah Poland (later Lemel; 18 May 1873 - 16 February 1942) was an English bird conservationist, founding Secretary and first Honorary Member of the

Royal Society for the Protection of Birds The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is a charitable organisation registered in England and Wales and in Scotland. It was founded in 1889. It works to promote conservation and protection of birds and the wider environment throug ...

(SPB).

Biography

The first SPB annual report in 1891 records Poland as having “previously shewn ican active interest in the work." As secretary, hers was the first recorded official address for the new Society - 29 Warwick Road (now

Warwick Avenue, London Warwick Avenue is a residential avenue in the Little Venice area of Maida Vale, London. Its southern end is situated adjacent to Paddington Basin, to the north of Paddington station. The street, originally Green Lane and initially Warwick Road ...

Maida Hill Maida Vale ( ) is an affluent residential district consisting of the northern part of Paddington in West London, west of St John's Wood and south of Kilburn. It is also the name of its main road, on the continuous Edgware Road. Maida Vale is p ...

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

. Newspapers reporting on the first year of the SPB in 1891 state that “Hannah Poland of Warwick Rd Maida Vale is secretary, is doing some very useful work”. The following year further newspapers report “Miss Hannah Poland, who had taken over the secretaryship from Mrs. Williamson, was succeeded by Mrs. F. E. Lemon”. Her RSPB obituary notes that the original register of members of 15 November 1889, handwritten by Hannah Poland, was left to the RSPB by her son when she died. In 1905 she became the first Honorary Member of the RSPB “In recognition of her work for the cause of bird protection in the early days”. Her obituary continues: "Records of the early work of the Bird Protection Society show what a devoted and untiring secretary Miss Poland proved herself to be. It was at her solicitation that

Winifred Cavendish-Bentinck, Duchess of Portland Winifred Anna Cavendish-Bentinck, Duchess of Portland (''née'' Dallas-Yorke; 7 September 1863 – 30 July 1954) was a British humanitarian and animal welfare activist. Background Born at Murthly Castle, Perthshire, she was the only daughte ...

, became President of the Society in 1891, and it is noteworthy that the membership role increased very considerably during the two years of her secretaryship." Having married Isidor Lemel in 1906, Hannah died at home at 17 Hallswelle Road in north

on 16 February 1942 leaving a few personal items to family and friends, including a presentation copy of Birds and Man by

William Henry Hudson William Henry Hudson (4 August 1841 – 18 August 1922) – known in Argentina as Guillermo Enrique Hudson – was an Anglo-Argentine author, naturalist and ornithologist. Life Hudson was the son of Daniel Hudson and his wife Catherine (), U ...

to her sister Esther, and everything else to her only child, Sidney Lemel, except for a framed black and white drawing of an original membership card which she left to the RSPB.Will of Hannah Lemel, 8 May 1934 (Probate 14 July 1942)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Poland, Hannah 1873 births 1942 deaths English conservationists English ornithologists Women ornithologists Royal Society for the Protection of Birds people