Dame Agnes Lowndes Jekyll, ( Graham; 12 October 1861 – 28 January 1937) was a Scottish-born British artist, writer and

philanthropist Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives, for the Public good (economics), public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private goo ...

. The daughter of William Graham, Liberal MP for

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated pop ...

(1865–1874) and patron of the

Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood (later known as the Pre-Raphaelites) was a group of English painters, poets, and art critics, founded in 1848 by William Holman Hunt, John Everett Millais, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, William Michael Rossetti, Jam ...

, she was educated at home by governesses, and later attended King's College London.

Family

Agnes Lowndes Graham married Herbert Jekyll (later Sir Herbert Jekyll, KCMG), a soldier, public servant and wood-carver, and brother of the noted garden designer, writer and artist,

Gertrude Jekyll Gertrude Jekyll ( ; 29 November 1843 – 8 December 1932) was a British horticulturist, garden designer, craftswoman, photographer, writer and artist. She created over 400 gardens in the United Kingdom, Europe and the United States, and wrote ...

. They lived at Munstead House in Surrey. Their children were: # Barbara Freyberg, Baroness Freyberg, GBE, DStJ (1887–1973); married first, in 1911, to the Hon. Francis McLaren, M.P. (killed 1917 in the Great War); secondly, in 1922, to Colonel B. C. Freyberg, V.C., later Lord Freyberg (1889–1963), and had issue by both husbands. # Pamela Margaret (1889–1943); married 1908 the Right Hon. Reginald McKenna (died 1943), and had issue. # Francis Walter Jekyll (1882-1965). He is commemorated on the Jekyll family memorial at Busbridge Church, Surrey, England.

Damehood

Agnes Jekyll was created a

Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

(DBE) in 1918 for her public works. She first published ''Kitchen Essays'' (1922) in ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper '' The Sunday Times'' ...

'', reprinted in 2001 by

Persephone Books ''Persephone Books'' is an independent publisher based in Bath, England. Founded in 1999 by Nicola Beauman, Persephone Books reprints works largely by women writers of the late 19th and 20th century, though a few books by men are included. Th ...

.
Kitchen Essays
' at Persephone Books; accessed 28 November 2014. File:Agnes Jekyll gravestone in St John the Baptist's church, Busbridge.jpg, Agnes Jekyll's gravestone File:Jekyll family memorial in St John the Baptist's church, Busbridge.jpg, Jekyll family memorial in Busbridge churchyard File:Herbert Jekyll gravestone in St John the Baptist's church, Busbridge.jpg, Herbert Jekyll's gravestone

References

External links

''The Guardian'' reference
accessed 28 November 2014. {{DEFAULTSORT:Jekyll, Agnes 1861 births 1937 deaths Alumni of King's College London British philanthropists British writers Dames Commander of the Order of the British Empire People from Godalming Place of birth missing Wives of knights