Elizabeth Fry

Elizabeth Fry (née Gurney; 21 May 1780 – 12 October 1845) was an English prison reformer, social reformer and, as a Quaker, a Christian philanthropist. Elizabeth Fry Resized; original from http://www. ... Elizabeth Fry Resized; original from http://www. ... is the 141st day of the year (142nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1780 was a leap year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... is the 285th day of the year (286th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1845 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... Prison reform is the attempt to improve conditions inside prisons, aiming at a more effective penal system. ... Reform movement is a kind of social movement that aims to make a change in certain aspects of the society rather than fundamental changes. ... Quaker redirects here. ... For other uses, see Christian (disambiguation). ... A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, or reputation to a charitable cause. ...

Fry was a major driving force behind new legislation to make the treatment prisoners more humane, and she was supported in her efforts by the reigning monarch. Since 2002, she has been depicted on the Bank of England £5 note. Sterling banknotes are the banknotes of the United Kingdom and British Islands, denominated in pounds sterling (GBP). ...

Birth and family background

Elizabeth Gurney was born in Gurney Court, off Magdalen Street, Norwich, Norfolk, England to a Quaker family. Her family home as a child was Earlham Hall, Norwich, which is now part of the University of East Anglia. Her father, Joseph Gurney, was a partner in Gurney's bank. Her mother, Catherine, was a part of the Barclay family, who were among the founders of Barclays Bank. Her mother died when Elizabeth was only twelve years old. As one of the oldest girls in the family, Elizabeth was partly responsible for the care and training of the younger children, including her brother Joseph John Gurney. Norwich (pronounced IPA: ) is a city in East Anglia, in Eastern England. ... For alternative meanings see: Norfolk (disambiguation) Norfolk (pronounced NOR-fk) is a low-lying county in East Anglia in the east of southern England. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... Quaker redirects here. ... Norwich (pronounced IPA: ) is a city in East Anglia, in Eastern England. ... UEA redirects here. ... Gurneys bank was founded by Barlett Gurney in 1777 in the city of Norwich, England. ... Barclays Bank headquarters One Churchill Place, Canary Wharf Barclays plc (LSE: BARC, NYSE: BCS, TYO: 8642 ) is the fourth largest bank in the United Kingdom. ... Joseph John Gurney (2 August 1788 - 4 January 1847) was a banker in Norwich, England and a prominent member of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers). ...

Awakening of social concern

At eighteen years old, the young Elizabeth Gurney was deeply moved by the preaching of William Savery, an American Quaker. Motivated by his words, she took an interest in the poor, the sick, and the prisoners. She collected old clothes for the poor, visited those who were sick in her neighbourhood, and started a Sunday school in the summer house to teach children to read. She met Joseph Fry (1777 –1861), a banker and also a Quaker, when she was twenty years old. They married on 19 August 1800 at the Norwich Goat Lane Friends Meeting House and moved to St. Mildred's Court in the City of London. They had eleven children in all (Hatton, 2005, 13), born between 1801 and 1822. including Katherine Fry (1801-1886), who wrote a History of the Parishes of East and West Ham (1888). Elizabeth Fry was recorded as a Minister of the Religious Society of Friends in 1811. Look up Poor in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Look up sick in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Sunday school, Indians and whites. ... is the 231st day of the year (232nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... // ON MAY 5 1853 MR.FADER HAD SEX WITH A MAN NAME MR WIEN THEN THEY HAD SON NAMEDMRS COTURE AND MR MANOOGIAN WENT INTO MRS HASKELLS OFFICE NAKED AND DANCED AROUND AND MASTERBATED ON HER CHEST AND SHE LICKED IT OFF THEN THEY HAD ORAL SEEX WITH NAPLOEAN OF... Motto: Domine dirige nos Latin: Lord, guide us Shown within Greater London Sovereign state Constituent country Region Greater London Status City and Ceremonial County Admin HQ Guildhall Government  - Leadership see text  - Mayor David Lewis  - MP Mark Field  - London Assembly John Biggs Area  - Total 1. ... Quaker redirects here. ...

Joseph and Elizabeth Fry lived in Plashet House in East Ham between 1809 and 1829, moving then to Upton Lane in Forest Gate One of their daughters, called Betsy, died at the age of five years. East Ham is a place in the London Borough of Newham. ... This article or section cites very few or no references or sources. ...

Fry's prison work

Elizabeth Fry

Prompted by a family friend, Stephen Grellet, Fry visited Newgate prison. The conditions she saw there horrified her. The women's section was overcrowded with women and children, some of whom had not even received a trial. They slept on the floor and did their own cooking and washing in the small cells in which they slept. Image File history File links Elizabeth_Fry_-_Project_Gutenberg_etext_13103. ... Image File history File links Elizabeth_Fry_-_Project_Gutenberg_etext_13103. ... Stephen Grellet (November 2, 1773 – November 16, 1855) was a French prominent Quaker missionary. ... Newgate, the old city gate and prison. ...

She returned the following day with food and clothes for some of the prisoners. She was unable to further her work for nearly 4 years because of difficulties within the Fry family, including financial difficulties in the Fry bank. Fry returned in 1816 and was eventually able to found a prison school for the children who were imprisoned with their parents. She began a system of supervision and required the women to sew and to read the Bible. In 1817 she helped found the Association for the Improvement of the Female Prisoners in Newgate. 1817 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ...

Thomas Fowell Buxton, Fry's brother-in-law, was elected to Parliament for Weymouth and began to promote her work among his fellow MPs. In 1818 Fry gave evidence to a House of Commons committee on the conditions prevalent in British prisons, becoming the first woman to present evidence in Parliament. Thomas Fowell Buxton (1786 – 1845) was a British Member of Parliament and social reformer. ... , Weymouth is a town in Dorset, England, United Kingdom, situated on a sheltered bay at the mouth of the River Wey on the English Channel coast. ... Year 1818 (MDCCCXVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Type Lower House Speaker of the House of Commons Leader of the House of Commons Michael Martin, (Non-affiliated) since October 23, 2000 Harriet Harman, QC, (Labour) since June 28, 2007 Shadow Leader of the House of Commons Theresa May, PC, (Conservative) since December 6, 2005 Members 646 Political groups...

Fry and her brother Joseph John Gurney took up the cause of abolishing capital punishment. At that time, people in England could be executed for over 200 crimes. Early appeals to the Home Secretary were all rejected, until Sir Robert Peel became the Home Secretary, they finally got a receptive audience. They persuaded Peel to introduce a series of prison reforms that included the Gaols Act 1823. Fry and Gurney went on a tour of the prisons in Great Britain. They published their findings of inhumane conditions in a book entitled Prisons in Scotland and the North of England. Joseph John Gurney (2 August 1788 - 4 January 1847) was a banker in Norwich, England and a prominent member of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers). ... Capital punishment, or the death penalty, is the execution of a convicted criminal by the state as punishment for crimes known as capital crimes or capital offences. ... The Secretary of State for the Home Department, commonly known as the Home Secretary, is the minister in charge of the United Kingdom Home Office and is responsible for internal affairs in England and Wales, and for immigration and citizenship for the whole United Kingdom (including Scotland and Northern Ireland). ... This is about the British Prime Minister. ... The Gaols Act of 1823 was an Act of Parliament that provided for improvements in the treatment of prisoners in the United Kingdom. ...

Fry's other humanitarian work

Fry also helped the homeless, establishing a "nightly shelter" in London after seeing the body of a young boy in the winter of 1819/1820. In 1824, during a visit to Brighton, she instituted the Brighton District Visiting Society. The society arranged for volunteers to visit the homes of the poor and provide help and comfort to them. The plan was successful and was duplicated in other districts and towns across Britain. A homeless man pushes a cart down the street. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... 1819 common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... 1820 was a leap year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... For other places with the same name, see Brighton (disambiguation). ...

After her husband went bankrupt in 1828, Fry's brother became her business manager and benefactor. Thanks to him her work went on and expanded.

In 1840 Fry opened a training school for nurses. Her programme inspired Florence Nightingale who took a team of Fry's nurses to assist wounded soldiers in the Crimean War. Embley Park, now a school, was the family home of Florence Nightingale. ... Combatants Allies: Second French Empire British Empire Ottoman Empire Kingdom of Sardinia Russian Empire Bulgarian volunteers Casualties 90,000 French 35,000 Turkish 17,500 British 2,194 Sardinian killed, wounded and died of disease ~134,000 killed, wounded and died of disease The Crimean War (1853–1856) was fought...

Fry's reputation

Fry became well known in society. Some people criticized her for having such an influential role as a woman. Others alleged that she was neglecting her duties as a wife and mother in order to conduct her humanitarian work. One admirer was Queen Victoria, who granted her an audience a few times and contributed money to her cause. For other uses, see Society (disambiguation). ... Victoria Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Empress of India Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria) (24 May 1819–22 January 1901) was a Queen of the United Kingdom, reigning from 20 June 1837 until her death. ...

Death

Her whole life was dedicated to the poor until she died on 12 October 1845. Her remains were buried in the Friends' burial ground at Barking. It is reported that over one thousand people stood in silence as her body was buried. is the 285th day of the year (286th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1845 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Quaker redirects here. ... For other uses, see Barking (disambiguation). ...

Posthumous

Fry has two plaques at her birthplace Gurney Court, off Magdalen Street, Norwich and one on her childhood home, Earlham Hall, plus there is an Elizabeth Fry Road in Earlham. There is also a plaque on St. Mildred's Court in the City of London where she lived when she was first married, which in turn is remembered in St. Mildred's Road in Earlham. Norwich (pronounced IPA: ) is a city in East Anglia, in Eastern England. ... Motto: Domine dirige nos Latin: Lord, guide us Shown within Greater London Sovereign state Constituent country Region Greater London Status City and Ceremonial County Admin HQ Guildhall Government  - Leadership see text  - Mayor David Lewis  - MP Mark Field  - London Assembly John Biggs Area  - Total 1. ... Earlham is a city located in Madison County, Iowa. ...

From 2002 onwards Fry has been depicted on the current Bank of England five pound note. Her resting place at the former Society of Friends Burial Ground off Whiting Avenue in Barking, Essex was restored and on October 8th 2003 a new commemorative plinth made of marble was officially unveiled. Headquarters Coordinates , , Governor Mervyn King Central Bank of United Kingdom Currency Pound sterling ISO 4217 Code GBP Base borrowing rate 5. ... “GBP” redirects here. ...

Fry is also depicted on two panels of the Quaker Tapestry—panels E5 and E6. In February 2007 a new plaque was placed in her honour on the Friends Meeting House in Upper Goat Lane, Norwich. The Quaker Tapestry consists of 77 panels illustrating the history of Quakerism from the 17th century up to the present day. ... Norwich (pronounced IPA: ) is a city in East Anglia, in Eastern England. ...

The Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies honours her memory by advocating for women who are in the criminal justice system. They also celebrate and promote a National Elizabeth Fry Week in Canada each May. The Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies (CAEFS) is an association of groups operating under the Elizabeth Fry Society banner. ... For other uses, see May (disambiguation). ...

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Elizabeth Fry

• John Howard

Image File history File links Commons-logo. ... John Howard (September 2, 1726 - January 20, 1790) was a philanthropist and the first English prison reformer. ...

References

• Anderson, George M. "Elizabeth Fry: timeless reformer." America 173 (Fall 1995): 22-3.
• Clay, Walter Lowe. The Prison Chaplain. Montclair. New Jersey.: Patterson Smith, 1969.
• Fairhurst, James. "The Angel of Prisons." Ireland's Own 4539 (Fall 1996):5.
• Fry, Katherine. Memoir of the Life of Elizabeth Fry. Montclair, N.J.: Patterson Smith, 1974.
• Hatton, Jean. Betsy, the dramatic biography of a prison reformer. Oxford UK & Grand Rapids, Michigan, Monarch Books, 2005. (ISBN 1-85424-705-0 (UK), ISBN 0-8254-6092-1 (USA)).
• Johnson, Spencer. The Value of Kindness: The Story of Elizabeth Fry. 2nd ed. 1976. (ISBN 0-916392-09-0)
• Lewis, Georgina. Elizabeth Fry. London, England: Headley Brothers, 1909.
• Francisca de Haan, ‘Fry , Elizabeth (1780–1845)’ in Oxford Dictionary of National Biography [1], accessed 17 March 2007.
• Pitman, E.R. Elizabeth Fry. Boston, Mass.: Roberts Brothers, 1886.
• Rose, June. Elizabeth Fry, a biography. London & Basingstoke: Macmillan, 1980. (ISBN 0-333-31921-4).
• Rose, June. Prison Pioneer: The Story of Elizabeth Fry. Quaker Tapestry Booklets, 1994.
• Whitney, Janet. Elizabeth Fry: Quaker Heroine. London UK: George Harrap & Co. Ltd., 1937, New York, N.Y.: Benjamin Blom, Inc., 1972.

External links

• Fry's Portrait
• A sermon by Elizabeth Fry
• BBC - The five pound question: Who is Elizabeth Fry?
• Bank of England Website
• Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies
• Council of Elizabeth Fry Societies of Ontario
• A Quaker account of Elizabeth Fry
• Quakers around Shoreditch