Lady Laura Elizabeth Ridding born Laura Elizabeth Palmer (26 March 1849 – 22 May 1939) was a British biographer, suffragist and philanthropist.

Life

Ridding was born in

Harley Street Harley Street is a street in Marylebone, Central London, which has, since the 19th century housed a large number of private specialists in medicine and surgery. It was named after Edward Harley, 2nd Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer.< ...

. Her father,

Roundell Palmer, 1st Earl of Selborne Roundell Palmer, 1st Earl of Selborne, (27 November 1812 – 4 May 1895) was an English lawyer and politician. He served twice as Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain. Background and education Palmer was born at Mixbury in Oxfordshire, where ...

, had married Lady Laura, daughter of

William Waldegrave, 8th Earl Waldegrave Vice-Admiral William Waldegrave, 8th Earl Waldegrave, CB (27 October 1788 – 24 October 1859) was a British naval commander and politician. Waldegrave was the son of George Waldegrave, 4th Earl Waldegrave and his wife, the former Lady Elizab ...

, in 1848. They had five children and she was their eldest. In 1876 she married

George Ridding George Ridding (16 March 1828 – 30 August 1904) was an English headmaster and bishop. Life He was born at Winchester College, of which his father, the Rev. Charles Ridding, vicar of Andover, was a fellow. He was educated at Winchester ...

, the first bishop of Southwell, and became known as Lady Laura Ridding.Serena Kelly, ‘Ridding , Lady Laura Elizabeth (1849–1939)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 200
accessed 22 Nov 2017
/ref> In 1885 she founded the

National Union of Women Workers The National Council of Women exists to co-ordinate the voluntary efforts of women across Great Britain. Founded as the National Union of Women Workers, it said that it would "promote sympathy of thought and purpose among the women of Great Brita ...

at a conference in Nottingham that she had organised. She founded the organisation with the writer

Louise Creighton Louise Hume Creighton (née von Glehn; 7 July 1850 – 15 April 1936) was a British author of books on historical and sociopolitical topics, and an activist for a greater representation of women in society, including women's suffrage, and in t ...

and the administrator

Emily Janes Emily Janes (14 February 1846 – 26 October 1928) was a British women's rights activist. Born in Tring in Hertfordshire, Janes was educated at a school in Chesham before undertaking voluntary work, initially managing various clubs associat ...

. Although it was called a union its purpose was to co-ordinate the voluntary efforts of women across Great Britain. It said that it would "promote sympathy of thought and purpose among the women of Great Britain and Ireland" Creighton became the first President and in time Ridding would also serve. Ridding wrote five biographies, the first three volumes were for her husband. She then wrote a biography of her nephew Robert Palmer and a fifth about her sister Laura Palmer. Ridding moved to the rectory in

Wonston Wonston is a village and civil parish in the City of Winchester district of Hampshire, England. The village had an estimated population of 1,283 in the census of 2001. The civil parish includes the settlements of Sutton Scotney, Stoke Charity, ...

in 1904 and died there in 1939.

Works

* ''George Ridding, schoolmaster and bishop'' * ''43rd head of Winchester, 1866–1884'' * ''first bishop of Southwell, 1884–1904'' (1908) * ''The Life of Robert Palmer, 1888–1916'' (1921)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ridding, Laura 1849 births 1939 deaths People from Marylebone English biographers British suffragists Writers from London Presidents of the National Council of Women of Great Britain Daughters of British earls 19th-century English women 19th-century English people 20th-century English women 20th-century English people 19th-century women writers 20th-century women writers English women writers English women activists English women philanthropists 19th-century British philanthropists 20th-century British philanthropists Women biographers Philanthropists from London 20th-century women philanthropists 19th-century women philanthropists