Bedford College was in York Place after 1874 Bedford College was founded in London in 1849 as the first higher education college for women in the United Kingdom. In 1900, it became a constituent of the University of London. Having played a leading role in the advancement of women in higher education and public life in general, it became fully

coeducation Mixed-sex education, also known as mixed-gender education, co-education, or coeducation (abbreviated to co-ed or coed), is a system of education where males and females are educated together. Whereas single-sex education was more common up to t ...

al (i.e. open to men) in the 1960s. In 1985, Bedford College merged with

Royal Holloway College Royal Holloway, University of London (RHUL), formally incorporated as Royal Holloway and Bedford New College, is a public research university and a constituent college of the federal University of London. It has six schools, 21 academic departm ...

, another constituent of the University of London, to form Royal Holloway and Bedford New College. This remains the official name, but it is commonly called

Royal Holloway, University of London Royal Holloway, University of London (RHUL), formally incorporated as Royal Holloway and Bedford New College, is a public research university and a constituent college of the federal University of London. It has six schools, 21 academic departm ...

(RHUL).

History

Foundation

The college was founded by

Elizabeth Jesser Reid Elizabeth Jesser Reid (; 25 December 1789 – 1 April 1866) was an English social reformer, anti-slavery activist and philanthropist. She is best remembered as the founder of Bedford College. Biography Early life Elisabeth Jesser Sturch was ...

(''née'' Sturch) in 1849, a social reformer and anti-slavery activist, who had been left a private income by her late husband, Dr John Reid, which she used to patronise various philanthropic causes. Mrs Reid and her circle of well-educated friends believed firmly in the need to improve education for women. She leased a house at 47 Bedford Square in the

Bloomsbury Bloomsbury is a district in the West End of London. It is considered a fashionable residential area, and is the location of numerous cultural, intellectual, and educational institutions. Bloomsbury is home of the British Museum, the largest mus ...

area of London and opened the Ladies College in Bedford Square. The intention was to provide a liberal, non-sectarian education for women, something no other institution in the United Kingdom provided at the time. Reid placed £1,500 (

GBP Sterling (abbreviation: stg; Other spelling styles, such as STG and Stg, are also seen. ISO code: GBP) is the currency of the United Kingdom and nine of its associated territories. The pound ( sign: £) is the main unit of sterling, and t ...

) with three male trustees and persuaded a number of her friends to serve on the management committees and act as teaching professors. In their first term they had 68 pupils. Initially the governance of the College was in the hands of the Ladies Committee (comprising some influential women) and the General Committee made up of the Ladies, the professors of the college and three trustees. It was the first British institution partly directed by women. The General Committee (later the Council) soon took over the running of the College, while the Ladies Committee directed the work of the Lady Visitors, who were responsible for the welfare and discipline of the students, and acted as their chaperones. Initially the professors were shocked by the generally low educational standards of the women entering the college, who in most cases had only home-based

governess A governess is a largely obsolete term for a woman employed as a private tutor, who teaches and trains a child or children in their home. A governess often lives in the same residence as the children she is teaching. In contrast to a nanny, th ...

education. In response, Reid founded

Bedford College School Bedford is a market town in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 Census, the population of the Bedford built-up area (including Biddenham and Kempston) was 106,940, making it the second-largest settlement in Bedfordshire, behind Luton, whils ...

close to the college in 1853, in an attempt to provide a better standard of entrants. In 1860, the college expanded into 48 Bedford Square, which enabled it to become a residential establishment. "The Residence" was in the charge of a matron, who introduced the practice of students help to run the house and keep their own accounts.

Succession

Elizabeth Reid died in 1866 and left a trust fund and the leases of the college's buildings in the hands of three female trustees

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 Eleanor Smith. The three of them were concerned that Bedford College School was to become Anglican under the head, Francis Martin. They closed the school although the idea went on without the trustees support as the Gower Street School being led, in time, by

Lucy Harrison Lucy Harrison (17 January 1844 – 15 May 1915) was a teacher at Bedford College School, and later founder and then head of Gower Street School for Girls and then The Mount School, York. Early life Lucy Harrison was born on 17 January 1844 in ...

in 1875. The trustees insisted on a new constitution (as the college had no legal charter at the time). The Council was replaced by a Committee of Management and the college reconstituted as an Association under the

Board of Trade The Board of Trade is a British government body concerned with commerce and industry, currently within the Department for International Trade. Its full title is The Lords of the Committee of the Privy Council appointed for the consideration of ...

and officially became known as Bedford College. In 1874, the Bedford Square lease expired and the college moved to 8 and 9 York Place, off

Baker Street Baker Street is a street in the Marylebone district of the City of Westminster in London. It is named after builder William Baker, who laid out the street in the 18th century. The street is most famous for its connection to the fictional detec ...

was still a trustee but many looked to her as honorary Principal and with her knowledge of building and architecture she organised the college's move to York place. The two houses, 8 and 9, acted as one, with the college using the downstairs rooms and the upstairs being the Residence. As numbers began to rise, the college expanded by adding extensions to house science laboratories. In the late 1870s, an entrance examination was introduced and a preparatory department set up for those who did not meet the standards required for college-level entry.

Women with degrees

In 1878, degree examinations of the University of London were opened to women. Bedford College students began gaining University of London Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science and Master's degrees from the early 1880s. In 1900, when the University of London became a teaching university (where it had previously been only a degree-awarding body), Bedford College became one of its constituent colleges. It applied to the

Privy Council A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a state, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the mon ...

for a Royal Charter to take the place of its Deed of Incorporation. Royal Assent for the new chartered body was received in 1909, and the College became officially recognised as Bedford College for Women. Continued growth led to a search for new premises, leading to the purchase of the lease on a site at Regent's Park in 1908. A major fund-raising effort was undertaken to provide it with modern amenities. The purpose-built buildings were designed by the architect Basil Champneys and officially opened by Queen Mary in 1913. The buildings continued to be extended and rebuilt throughout the 70 years that the college spent at Regent's Park, especially after extensive damage from wartime bombing. The college colours were green and grey, said to be those of Minerva. Purple was added in 1938 to represent the university; the resulting colours were, by chance or design, similar to those of women's

suffrage Suffrage, political franchise, or simply franchise, is the right to vote in representative democracy, public, political elections and referendums (although the term is sometimes used for any right to vote). In some languages, and occasionally i ...

in the United Kingdom. A permanent record of the pictorial history of the college was made following the final reunion of former students and the collection and cataloguing of the archives in 1985. Bedford firsts include: *First women to run a British institution. *First Social Sciences department in the UK, established 1918 *First woman to hold a chair in philosophy in the UK, Susan Stebbing. *One of the first two women Fellows of the Royal Society *Fourth woman chairman of the Trades Union Congress (TUC),

Marie Patterson Constance Marie Patterson (1 April 1934 – 27 November 2021) was a British trade unionist. Patterson attended Pendleton High School, Salford, and Bedford College, London, before becoming active in the Transport and General Workers' Union (TGW ...

*The first art school in England where women could draw from life After a brief period of admitting a small number of male postgraduate students, the college became fully coeducational when 47 men passed through clearing in 1965, and the name reverted to Bedford College. In the early 1980s, Bedford College had approximately 1,700 students and 200 academic staff based in 20 departments.

Merger with Royal Holloway

In 1985, Bedford College merged with

, another college of the University of London which, like Bedford College, had been a college for women only when it was first founded. The merged institution took Royal Holloway College's premises in Egham,

Surrey Surrey () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant urban areas which form part of the Greater London Built-up Area. ...

, just outside London, as its main campus and took on the name of Royal Holloway and Bedford New College (RHBNC). The decision to drop the Bedford name from day-to-day use caused some discontent among graduates of Bedford College, who felt that their old college had now essentially been taken over by Royal Holloway, and that Bedford College's name and history as a pioneering institution in the field of women's education were being forgotten. To give more prominence to the Bedford name, the merged college named a large, newly built library in the centre of its campus the "Bedford Library". Relations between RHUL and some of the Bedford College alumni remain somewhat strained, but many other Bedford College alumni maintain links with RHUL, supporting alumni events and other college work. Bedford College's old premises in Regent's Park is now the home of Regent's University London.

Notable alumni

Rosetta Delisle Rosetta or Rashid (; ar, رشيد ' ; french: Rosette ; cop, ϯⲣⲁϣⲓⲧ ''ti-Rashit'', Ancient Greek: Βολβιτίνη ''Bolbitinē'') is a port city of the Nile Delta, east of Alexandria, in Egypt's Beheira Governorate, Beheir ...

, Social Worker *

Louise Doris Adams Louise Doris Adams (2 July 1889 – 24 December 1965) was a British mathematics educator and school inspector (HMI) who wrote the 1953 book ''A Background to Primary School Mathematics'' (Oxford University Press) and became president of the ...

(died 1965), president of the Mathematical Association *

Mary Bridges-Adams Mary Jane Bridges-Adams (''née'' Daltry; 19 October 1854 – 14 January 1939) was a British educationalist, socialist, and activist. She campaigned for free, Compulsory education, compulsory, secular education for all and for free school meals. E ...

(1854–1939), English educationalist * Shahidul Alam (born 1955), Bangladeshi photographer, writer and curator *

Chris Aldridge Chris Aldridge is a continuity announcer and newsreader for BBC Radio 4. Biography He grew up in Horsham, West Sussex. After one term studying medicine at London Hospital Medical College, Aldridge studied mathematics at Bedford College (Unive ...

, English BBC Radio 4 newsreader * Ajahn Amaro (born 1956), Theravadin Buddhist monk, and abbot of the Amaravati Buddhist Monastery *

Catherine Ashton Catherine Margaret Ashton, Baroness Ashton of Upholland, (born 20 March 1956), is a British Labour politician who served as the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and First Vice President of the Europea ...

(born 1956), High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy ( European Union) * Janet Backhouse (1938–2004), English expert on illuminated manuscripts * David Bellamy (1933–2019), English botanist and television presenter * Helen Caroline Bentwich (1892–1972), English social activist and politician * Elizabeth Blackwell (1821–1910), pioneer Anglo-American female physician *

Daphne Blundell Daphne Mary Blundell, (19 August 1916 – 24 May 2004) was a senior British naval officer, who served as Director of the Women's Royal Naval Service from 1970 to 1973. Early life and education Blundell was born on 19 August 1916. She was educate ...

(1916–2004), British naval officer *

Joane Bowes, MBE Joane is a civil parish in the municipality of Vila Nova de Famalicão, Portugal. The population in 2011 was 8,089, in an area of 7.32 km2. It is the birthplace of Bernardino Machado, two times President of Portugal The president of Portug ...

(1911–1981), Biochemist D.Sc. for work in leather and collagen *

Mary Brazier Mary "Mollie" Agnes Burniston Brown Brazier (May 18, 1904 – May 14, 1995) was a prominent neuroscientist at Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and University of California, Los Angel ...

(1904–1995), American neuroscientist * Sophie Bryant (1850–1922), Anglo-Irish mathematician and feminist *

Anne Buck Anne Buck (14 May 1910 – 12 May 2005) was a British cultural historian and curator of dress, who established the Gallery of Costume at Platt Hall in Manchester. She was a leading scholar of dress, who was a founder member and long-time chairman o ...

(1910–2005), British cultural historian and curator of dress *

Ada Buisson Ada Buisson (26 March 1839 – 27 December 1866) was an English author and novelist remembered today for her ghost stories. Biography Ada Buisson was born in Battersea in Surrey, the third-born child of French-born merchant Jean François ( ...

(1839–1866), English author and novelist *

Margaret Busby Margaret Yvonne Busby, , Hon. FRSL (born 1944), also known as Nana Akua Ackon, is a Ghanaian-born publisher, editor, writer and broadcaster, resident in the UK. She was Britain's youngest and first black female book publisherJazzmine Breary"Let' ...

, Gold Coast-born publisher and writer *

Waveney Bushell Waveney Bushell (born 1928) is a Guyanese-born teacher, activist and "arguably the first Black educational psychologist in the UK". She is most notable for her role in exposing racism and inequality in the British educational system. Early life ...

, Guyanese-born educational psychologist *

Dinah Craik Dinah Maria Craik (; born Dinah Maria Mulock, often credited as Miss Mulock or Mrs. Craik; 20 April 1826 – 12 October 1887) was an English novelist and poet. She is best remembered for her novel ''John Halifax, Gentleman'', which presents the ...

(1826–1887), English novelist and poet * Ilse Crawford, English interior designer * Florence Nightingale David (1909–1993), English and American statistician *

Evelyn Denington, Baroness Denington Evelyn Joyce Denington, Baroness Denington DBE (née Bursill; 9 August 1907 – 22 August 1998) was a British politician. She served as chair of the Stevenage Development Corporation from 1966–80 and chair of the Greater London Council from ...

(1907–1998), English politician *

Peggy Duff Peggy Duff (8 February 1910 – 16 April 1981) was a British political activist who started off her career with a protest against the treatment of German prisoners of war in Britain after the Second World War. She was principally known for her c ...

(1910–1981), British political activist, organiser of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament * Edith Durham (1863–1944), English traveller, artist and writer * George Eliot (1819–1880), English novelist *

Christopher Elrington Christopher Robin Elrington FRHistS FSA (20 January 1930 – 3 August 2009) was an English historian, known primarily for his work with the ''Victoria County History''. Biography Elrington was born in Farnborough, as the second of thre ...

(1930–2009), English historian *

Susan E. Evans Susan E. Evans is British palaeontologist and herpetologist. She is the author or co-author of over 100 peer-reviewed papers and book chapters. She received a BSc in Zoology at Bedford College in 1974, and in 1977 a PhD in vertebrate palaeon ...

, English palaeontologist and herpetologist *

Penelope Farmer Penelope Jane Farmer (born 1939) is an English fiction writer well known for children's fantasy novels. Her best-known novel is ''Charlotte Sometimes (novel), Charlotte Sometimes'' (1969), a boarding-school story that features a multiple time sli ...

(born 1939), English children's novelist *

Mary Fels Mary Fels (, Fels; March 10, 1863 - May 16, 1953) was a German-born American philanthropist, Georgism, Georgist, Zionism, Zionist, Women's suffrage in the United States, suffragist, economics, economist, author, and journal editor. She was interest ...

(1863-1953), German-born American philanthropist, suffragist, Georgist * Dame Janet Finch (born 1946), English Vice-Chancellor and Professor of Social Relations at Keele University 1995–2010 *

Norvela Forster Norvela Felicia Forster (25 July 1931 – 30 April 1993) was a United Kingdom businesswoman, exporter and politician. Education Born in Gillingham, Kent, Forster attended South Wilts Grammar School for Girls, Salisbury, and Bedford College, Univ ...

(1931–1993), English businesswoman and politician * Jane Gardam (born 1928), English novelist and children's writer * Miriam Violet Griffith (1911-1989) electrical engineer, technical author, expert in early heat pumps *

Jean Hanson Emmeline Jean Hanson (14 November 1919 – 10 August 1973) was a biophysicist and zoologist known for her contributions to muscle research. Hanson gained her PhD in zoology from Bedford College, University of London before spending the majorit ...

(1919–1973), English biophysicist and zoologist * Jean Henderson (1899–1997), English barrister and Liberal Party politician *

Jean Hillier Jean Hillier is Professor Emerita in the Centre for Urban Research at RMIT University RMIT University, officially the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology,, section 4(b) is a public research university in Melbourne Melbourne ( ...

, English town and country planning professor *

Edith Humphrey Edith Ellen Humphrey (11 September 1875 – 25 February 1978) was a British inorganic chemist who carried out pioneering work in co-ordination chemistry at the University of Zurich under Alfred Werner. She is thought to be the first British wo ...

(1875–1978), English inorganic chemist * Eva Ibbotson (née Wiesner, 1925–2010), Austro-English children's author * Alison Jaggar (born 1942), Anglo-American philosopher and feminist professor * Nick Kent (born 1951), English rock critic *

Dudley Knowles Dudley Knowles (; 1947, Lancashire – 26 October 2014) was a British political philosopher and professor at Glasgow University. He was widely known for his influential book ''Political Philosophy'' (2001). Publications ;Books *2001 ''Polit ...

(1947–2014), English political philosopher and professor *

Jean Langhorne Jean Langhorne is a British biologist who is a group leader at the Francis Crick Institute. Langhorne has studied immune responses to malaria and ''Plasmodium falciparum''. She was awarded the 2016 EMBO-BioMalPar Lifetime Achievement Award for he ...

, British biologist *

Judith Ledeboer Judith Geertruid Ledeboer OBE (8 September 1901 – 24 December 1990) was a Dutch-born English architect. She was most active in London and Oxford, where she designed a variety of schools, university buildings and public housing projects. Ear ...

(1901–1990), Dutch-English architect * Alice Lee (1858–1939), English mathematician * Kathleen Lonsdale (1903–1971), Anglo-Irish crystallographer * Adelaide Manning (1828–1905), writer and editor * Angela Mason (born 1944), English civil servant and gay activist *

Gerda Mayer Gerda Kamilla Mayer (9 June 1927 – 15 July 2021) was an English poet born to a Jewish family in Karlsbad, Czechoslovakia. She escaped to England from Prague in 1939, aged eleven, on a Kindertransport flight organised by Trevor Chadwick. Havi ...

(born 1927), English poet born in Czechoslovakia * John Moloney, English comedian and writer *

Delyth Morgan, Baroness Morgan of Drefelin Delyth Jane Morgan, Baroness Morgan of Drefelin (born 30 August 1961) is a Crossbench peer in the House of Lords of the United Kingdom, having formerly sat as a Labour peer. She was raised to the peerage in 2004 and appointed Chief Executiv ...

(born 1961), English crossbench peer in the House of Lords * Jeremy Northam (born 1961), English actorRoyal Holloway, University of London
'' The Independent'', 27 July 2007. Retrieved 29 August 2008. *

Nicholas O'Shaughnessy Nicholas Jackson O'Shaughnessy is a British academic. He is professor of communications and of post- Cold War German history at Queen Mary, University of London. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and C ...

, English communications professor *

Ursula Owen Ursula Margaret Owen Hon FRSL (born 21 January 1937) is an English publisher, editor and campaigner for free expression. Early life She was born Ursula Margaret Sachs in Oxford, England, to Emma Boehm and Werner Sachs, a chemical engineer wh ...

(born 1937), English publisher and campaigner for free expression *

Margaret Partridge Margaret Mary Partridge (8 April 1891 – 27 October 1967) was an electrical engineer, contractor and founder member of the Women's Engineering Society (WES) and the Electrical Association for Women (EAW). Her business worked with WES to identif ...

(1891–1967), electrical engineer, contractor, founder member of the Women's Engineering Society and the Electrical Association for Women *

Delphine Parrott Delphine Mary Vera Parrott FRSE (2 May 1928 – 17 January 2016) was a British endocrinologist, immunologist, and academic. She did research at the National Institute for Medical Research in the 1950s and the Imperial Cancer Research Fund in t ...

(1928–2016), English endocrinologist and immunologist *

(born 1934), English trade unionist *

Edith Helen Paull Edith Helen Paull (14 January 1902 – 1975) was an Indian medical nurse from Uttar Pradesh associated with the Indian Red Cross Society. Life She did her nursing studies at Bedford College, London, with the assistance of a Florence Nighting ...

(1902–1975), Indian nursing matron * Kate Perugini (1839–1929), English painter and daughter of Charles Dickens *

Rosalind Pitt-Rivers Rosalind Venetia Lane Fox Pitt-Rivers FRS ( Henley; 4 March 1907 – 14 January 1990) was a British biochemist. She became the second president of the European Thyroid Association in 1971; she succeeded Jean Roche and was followed by Jack Gr ...

FRS (1907–1990), English biochemist * Jenny Randerson, Baroness Randerson (born 1948), Welsh Liberal Democrat member of the House of Lords *

Winifred Raphael Winifred Jessie Gertrude Spielman, (21 October 1898 – 14 December 1978) more specifically known as Winifred Raphael, was a British occupational psychologist. Early life She lived in London and was the fourth child in her Jewish family. A ...

(1898–1978), English occupational psychologist *

Hazel Alden Reason Hazel Alden Reason (April 1901 – 1976) was an English chemist who became a schoolteacher. She was the author of a popular book for young people on the history of chemistry. Life and works Hazel Reason was born in Friern Barnet, London. Her fat ...

(1901–1976), English chemist and science writer *

Sarah Remond Sarah Parker Remond (June 6, 1826 – December 13, 1894) was an American lecturer, activist and abolitionist campaigner. Born a free woman in the state of Massachusetts, she became an international activist for human rights and women's ...

(1826–1894), African-American abolitionist, one of the few African-American women to speak publicly about abolishing slavery in America during the 1800s."Pioneering women"
Royal Holloway University of London. * Jean Rook (1931–1991), English journalist * Andrew Cunningham Scott (born 1952), English geologist and professor *

Joe Saward Jonathan Mark Christopher "Joe" Saward (born 14 July 1961 in London) is a British Formula One journalist. Life and career Saward was educated at Haileybury College and attained a degree in history at Bedford College, University of London. In 1 ...

(born 1961), English motor-sports journalist * Athene Seyler (1889–1990), English actress and a President of RADA *

Miranda Seymour Miranda Jane Seymour (born 8 August 1948) is an English literary critic, novelist and biographer. The lives she has described have included those of Robert Graves and Mary Shelley. Seymour, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, has in r ...

(born 1948), English critic, novelist and biographer * Jacqueline Simpson (born 1930), English researcher and writer on folklore * Audrey Smith (1915–1981), English cryobiologist *

Roger Steare Roger Steare is a British ethicist and corporate philosopher. Career Steare's early career included roles as a social worker and banker, and ten years as chief executive of a recruitment company. He is now Honorary Visiting Professor of Organ ...

(born 1958), English ethicist and corporate philosopher * Simon Thurley (born 1962), English architectural historian *

Mavis Tiller Mavis Ada Tiller (; 25 November 1901 – 25 July 1989) was a New Zealand women's advocate, scientist and president of the National Council of Women of New Zealand (NCWNZ) from 1966 to 1970. Early life and career Tiller was born in Wellingto ...

(1901–1989), New Zealand women's advocate, scientist and president of the National Council of Women of New Zealand from 1966 to 1970 *

Mary Treadgold Mary Treadgold (16 April 1910 – 14 May 2005) was an English author of books for children and adults, a literary editor and a BBC producer. She won the Carnegie Medal for British children's books in 1941. Life and writing Treadgold was born o ...

(1910–2005), English novelist and children's writer * Fred Trethewey (born 1949), Anglican priest and Archdeacon of Dudley *

Margaret Tuke Dame Margaret Janson Tuke (13 March 1862, Hitchin, Hertfordshire, England21 February 1947, Hitchin) was a British academic and educator. She was the youngest child of the philanthropist James Hack Tuke. She was created a Dame Commander of the Ord ...

(1862–1847), English academic and educator *

Sarah Tyacke Sarah Jacqueline Tyacke, (''née'' Jeacock; born 29 September 1945) is an English historian of cartography and travel and a former librarian and archivist. From 1991 to 2005 she served as Keeper of Public Records and Chief Executive of the UK P ...

(born 1945), English historian of cartography * Valerie Vaz (born 1954), current Labour MP for Walsall South (UK Parliament constituency) *

Amanda Vickery Amanda Jane Vickery (born 8 December 1962) is an English historian, writer, radio and television presenter, and professor of early modern history at Queen Mary, University of London. Education and career Vickery was born in Preston, Lancashi ...

(born 1962), English historian and broadcaster * Diana Warwick, Baroness Warwick of Undercliffe (born 1945), Labour member of the House of Lords *

Evelyn Whitaker Evelyn Whitaker (1844–1929) was an English children's writer, whose work was described as charming, pure and wholesome. She displays strong sensitivity to poverty and to illness. Her books were published anonymously. Background Whitaker was bo ...

(1844–1929), English children's writer * Alex Wilkie (born 1948), English mathematician * Elizabeth Williams (1895–1986), English mathematician and educationist *

Katharine Worth Katharine Worth (4 August 192228 January 2015) was a British academic, Professor of Drama at Royal Holloway, University of London. Biography Early life and education Katherine Joyce Worth (née Lorimer) was born in Newcastle upon Tyne on 4 A ...

(1922–2015), English drama professor * Margaret Wright (1940–2012), British

Green Party A green party is a formally organized political party based on the principles of green politics, such as social justice, environmentalism and nonviolence. Greens believe that these issues are inherently related to one another as a foundation ...

politician *

Florence Yeldham Florence Annie Yeldham (30 October 1877 – 10 January 1945) was a British school teacher and historian of arithmetic. She supported the idea of following the history of mathematics as a motive to teach arithmetic. Early life and education Flo ...

(1877–1945), English school teacher and historian of arithmetic * Alice Zimmern (1855–1939), English translator and suffragist

Principals

, Founder (1849–1864) then run by trustees until first principal appointed * Dame Emily Penrose, First principal (1893–1898) also Royal Holloway (1898–1907) * Ethel Hurlbatt (1898–1906) *

Dame Margaret Jansen Tuke Dame Margaret Janson Tuke (13 March 1862, Hitchin, Hertfordshire, England21 February 1947, Hitchin) was a British academic and educator. She was the youngest child of the philanthropist James Hack Tuke. She was created a Dame Commander of the Ord ...

(1907–1929) *

Geraldine Emma May Jebb Geraldine Emma May Jebb CBE (1886 – 28 December 1959), known as Gem Jebb, was the daughter of Heneage Horsley Jebb and Geraldine Croker Russell. The Jebbs were a distinguished Irish family, prominent in both the Church of Ireland and the legal pr ...

CBE (1930–1951) *

Norah Lillian Penston Norah Lillian Penston (20 August 1903 – 1 February 1974) was a British botanist and academic administrator. She was principal of Bedford College, University of London, from 1951 to 1964. Early life and education Nora Penston was the daugh ...

(1951–1964) * Elizabeth Millicent Chilver (1964–1971), later Principal of

Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford Lady Margaret Hall (LMH) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England, located on the banks of the River Cherwell at Norham Gardens in north Oxford and adjacent to the University Parks. The college is more formall ...

John Nicholson Black John Nicholson Black (28 June 1922 – 6 October 2018) was Principal of Bedford College, London from 1971-81. Education John Nicholson Black was educated at Rugby School and Exeter College, Oxford. Career He did war service with the RAF fr ...

(1971–1981) *

Dorothy Wedderburn Dorothy Enid Wedderburn (née Barnard, formerly Cole; 18 September 1925 – 20 September 2012)History of Royal Holloway and Bedford New CollegeRoyal Holloway, University of London ArchivesGenesis website page on Bedford College's archived papersGenesis website page on Elizabeth Jesser Reid's archived papersNotable Alumnae
webpage of Royal Holloway and Bedford New College
Bedford College student listsBedford College in World Ward II
accessed 27 May 2012 {{Authority control Royal Holloway, University of London Former colleges of the University of London Former women's universities and colleges in the United Kingdom Educational institutions established in 1849 Educational institutions disestablished in 1985 1849 establishments in England Regent's Park