Meredith Jemima Brown

Meredith Jemima Brown (25 October 1846[1] – 5 November 1908) was a Scottish social reformer from Aberdeen who founded the Shaftesbury Institute in London, which offered a safe space for young women arriving in the British capital.[2]

Early life

Brown was born in Glasgow in 1846.[1] Her mother was Catherine Dyce, sister of painter William Dyce, and her father was Free Church minister Reverend David Brown. She was raised in Aberdeen and lived on Dee Street,[3] and studied music and singing.[4] After the death of her mother in the 1880s, Brown moved to London where she became concerned about conditions for young women working in factories and living in slums across the city.[5]

Career

After moving to London, Brown developed an interest in the harsh working conditions and poverty suffered by factory girls in the East End and also in the West End of the city. Brown and a friend disguised themselves as factory girls to visit slums in the West End, and Brown documented their experiences in the book Only a Factory Girl, which raised £2,000 (equivalent to £212,000 in 2021) that she used to purchase a property in Lisson Grove, where she founded the Shaftesbury Institute.[2]

The Shaftesbury Institute

The Institute initially provided a safe night shelter for women and a crèche, which Brown expanded to provide Bible classes throughout the West End, a training home for girls and a men's labour home.[6] Brown served as the superintendent and honorary president of the Institute, which was funded by charitable donations. Brown was described as:

"A very remarkable woman, full of faith and of consequent zeal, in the noble cause of benefiting her poor and degraded sisters," (The Times, 10 November 1908)[6]

She continued to work on developing the Institute, including fundraising for new premises, until her death at the Shaftesbury Institute on 5 November 1908.

References
  1. "Meredith Jamima Brown". Scotland's People. National Records of Scotland and the Court of the Lord Lyon.
  2. Aberdeen City Council, Continuous Improvement. "Commemorative Plaques Record Details". Archived from the original on 22 December 2016. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
  3. https://www.pressreader.com/uk/evening-express-city-final/20130805/281775626788643. Retrieved 8 December 2016 – via PressReader. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  4. Ewan, Elizabeth L.; Innes, Sue; Reynolds, Sian; Pipes, Rose (8 March 2006). The Biographical Dictionary of Scottish Women. Edinburgh University Press. ISBN 9780748626601.
  5. "Meredith Jemima Brown | Mapping Memorials to Women in Scotland". womenofscotland.org.uk. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
  6. "Meredith Brown". www.oxforddnb.com. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
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