Eleanor Elizabeth Smith (30 September 1822 – 15 September 1896) was an Irish educational activist. She became one of three trustees running Bedford College. At the time Bedford College was one of the few places where women might receive something approaching university level education. Bedford College was said to be the first British institution run by women

Early years

Smith was born in

Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...

, in Ireland, the daughter of John Smith (1792–1828) and his wife, Mary Murphy. Her father was a

barrister A barrister is a type of lawyer in common law jurisdiction (area), jurisdictions. Barristers mostly specialise in courtroom advocacy and litigation. Their tasks include arguing cases in courts and tribunals, drafting legal pleadings, jurisprud ...

, but he died in 1828, and Mary then moved the family to various locations in England before settling in

Ryde Ryde is an English seaside town and civil parish on the north-east coast of the Isle of Wight. The built-up area had a population of 24,096 according to the 2021 Census. Its growth as a seaside resort came after the villages of Upper Ryde and ...

on the

Isle of Wight The Isle of Wight (Help:IPA/English, /waɪt/ Help:Pronunciation respelling key, ''WYTE'') is an island off the south coast of England which, together with its surrounding uninhabited islets and Skerry, skerries, is also a ceremonial county. T ...

. Smith had thirteen siblings, with her younger brother

Henry John Stephen Smith Henry John Stephen Smith (2 November 1826 – 9 February 1883) was an Irish mathematician and amateur astronomer remembered for his work in elementary divisors, quadratic forms, and Smith–Minkowski–Siegel mass formula in number theory. In m ...

becoming a prominent mathematician. Smith developed a strong interest in languages, teaching herself Hebrew when she was only seven years old. She later traveled widely around Europe, indulging her interest in European literature.

Career

In the 1860s, Smith moved to

Oxford Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...

, where her brother was working, and organised a series of lectures for women by professors affiliated with the

University of Oxford The University of Oxford is a collegiate university, collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the List of oldest un ...

. Becoming known as an expert on women's education, she was called as a witness to the 1864 Royal Commission on Schools. As a result of its recommendations,

school boards A board of education, school committee or school board is the board of directors or board of trustees of a school, local school district or an equivalent institution. The elected council determines the educational policy in a small regional area, ...

were formed across England and Wales in 1870, and Smith was elected to the Oxford School Board - the only woman elected in Oxford, and one of only seven across England. Other members of the school board determined that education in the city should remain run by religious organisations, but Smith argued that they should instead set up a non-denominational

board school School boards were ''ad hoc'' public bodies in England and Wales that existed between 1870 and 1902, and established and administered Elementary school (England and Wales), elementary schools. Creation The Elementary Education Act 1870 (33 & ...

. She was unsuccessful in this, and stood down from the board in 1873, when her brother died. In 1879, Smith was a founder of

Somerville College Somerville College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. It was founded in 1879 as Somerville Hall, one of its first two women's colleges. It began admitting men in 1994. The college's liberal tone derives from its f ...

, one of the first two Oxford colleges for women. She served on its council, and also became a trustee of

Bedford College, London 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 highe ...

. The founder of Bedford College, Elizabeth Reid died in 1866 and left the college in the hands of

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 wome ...

, Jane Martineau and Smith. The three of them were concerned that Bedford College School was to become Anglican under the head, Francis Martin. They closed the school. Smith developing an interest in health, she served on the boards of the

Radcliffe Infirmary The Radcliffe Infirmary was a hospital in central north Oxford, England, located at the southern end of Woodstock Road on the western side, backing onto Walton Street. Closed in 2007, after refurbishment the building was re-opened in October ...

and Sarah Acland Home, and as a director of the city's Provident Dispensary.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Eleanor 1822 births 1896 deaths Irish activists Irish women activists People from County Dublin Founders of colleges of the University of Oxford People associated with Somerville College, Oxford