Statue of Thomas and Jane Holloway in South Quad at Royal Holloway

Jane Holloway née Driver (1 November 1814 – 26 September 1875) was the inspiration for founding a women's college at

Royal Holloway Royal Holloway, University of London (RH), formally incorporated as Royal Holloway and Bedford New College, is a public university, public research university and a constituent college, member institution of the federal University of London. It ...

. Following her death, both

Holloway Sanatorium Holloway Sanatorium was an institution for the treatment of those suffering temporary mental illness, situated on of aesthetically landscaped grounds near Virginia Water in Surrey, England, about south-west of Charing Cross. Its largest buildin ...

and Royal Holloway were founded in her memory by her husband,

Thomas Holloway : Thomas Holloway (22 September 180026 December 1883) was an English businessman and philanthropist. Early life Holloway was born in Devonport, Plymouth, Devon, the eldest son of Thomas and Mary Holloway (née Chellew), who at the time of the ...

Life and business

Jane Pearce Driver was born in 1814. Her father was a shipwright from

Rotherhithe Rotherhithe ( ) is a district of South London, England, and part of the London Borough of Southwark. It is on a peninsula on the south bank of the Thames, facing Wapping, Shadwell and Limehouse on the north bank, with the Isle of Dogs to the ea ...

. In 1840, Jane married Thomas Holloway, after a period of courting where he nicknamed her "

Grace Darling Grace Horsley Darling (also known as "Amazing Grace"; 24 November 1815 – 20 October 1842) was an English lighthouse keeper's daughter. Her participation in the rescue of survivors from the shipwrecked ''Forfarshire'' in 1838 brought her nat ...

" after the famous Victorian heroine. Jane took an active role in Holloway's business and is reported to have worked on the production line at The Strand during the early years. Other members of her family soon also became involved in the promotion of Holloway's products, likely through Jane's influence. Thomas Holloway's business was mainly occupied in the manufacturer of pills and ointments. For many years, they lived above their business premises at 244, The Strand. When the building was demolished in 1867, they moved to 533, New

Oxford Street Oxford Street is a major road in the City of Westminster in the West End of London, running between Marble Arch and Tottenham Court Road via Oxford Circus. It marks the notional boundary between the areas of Fitzrovia and Marylebone to t ...

(subsequently renumbered as 78). They eventually left London and settled at

Tittenhurst Park Tittenhurst Park is a Grade II listed early Georgian architecture, Georgian English country house, country house in Sunningdale near Ascot, Berkshire. It was famously the home of musicians John Lennon and Yoko Ono from 1969 until 1971, and th ...

, Sunninghill. In later years, Jane accompanied Thomas on business trips abroad to promote the products.

Death

Jane died in 1875 at the age of 61, eight years before Thomas. She is buried alongside her husband in a family grave at Sunninghill churchyard. Thomas Holloway grave

Philanthropic legacy

Jane placed the first brick at Holloway Sanatorium, followed by her husband Thomas. He went on to complete the Sanatorium after death. Jane was, according to Thomas, the inspiration behind the foundation of Royal Holloway. Jane encouraged Holloway to do something for women 'because they are the greatest sufferers'. The Foundation Deed of Holloway College states that "the college is founded by the advice and counsel of the Founder's dear wife... to afford the best education for women of the Upper and Upper Middle Classes." After her death, the college was founded by Thomas Holloway in her memory in 1879. Following the death of Thomas, the college was eventually opened in 1886 by

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...

in the presence of Jane's brother-in-law, George Martin.

Commemoration

Jane Holloway's married initials (JH) feature in the ceiling design of Holloway Sanatorium alongside those of her husband. Jane Holloway is commemorated on the Royal Holloway campus with a statue. She is represented reviewing the plans set forth by her husband

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Holloway, Jane 1814 births 1875 deaths English philanthropists People associated with Royal Holloway, University of London 19th-century British philanthropists 19th-century English businesspeople 19th-century English businesswomen People from Sunninghill