Person    | Female  Born 1843  Died 21/5/1901

Jemina Durning Smith

Categories: Philanthropy, Tragedy

The following information primarily comes from the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, also see the Durning Library:

Born the eldest daughter of John Benjamin Smith (merchant and politician) and Jemina Durning (from a wealthy Liverpool family).  Note the spelling of the mother and daughter's shared first name; it's not “Jemima”.  The family moved to London in 1848, spending the summers at their house in Ascot, King’s Ride.  Her sister Edith married Edwin Lawrence, brother of James.  Due to a childhood illness Jemina was never healthy and, after their parents’ deaths she stayed with Edith and Edwin, who kept King’s Ride using it for large social events, especially for the Unitarian community.  

Jemina never married.  In 1875 she gave money to the Great Ormond Street Homeopathic Hospital (later the Royal London Homoeopathic Hospital) and other medical establishments.  Edwin Lawrence (who on becoming a baronet in 1898 changed his name to Durning-Lawrence) was appointed Library Commissioner for Lambeth which probably explains Jemina’s generosity to libraries.  She (co-)founded both the Lambeth Durning Library and the Ascot Durning Library.

The Windsor & Maidenhead site says "Jemina Durning Smith died suddenly in 1901 and is buried in the family vault at Kensal Green."    However, looking for her precise dates, we found this at the Newspaper Archive, London Daily Mail, 24 May 1901: "General regret is felt in Ascot at the untimely death of Miss Jemina Durning Smith, at King's Ride, Ascot, which occurred on Tuesday morning through leaping from her window.  Deceased had been in ill health for some time past, and suffered from a spinal complaint.  She died two hours after she was picked up.  An inquest was held, and a verdict of suicide during temporary insanity was returned. "

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Jemina Durning Smith

Commemorated ati

Jemina Durning Smith

Jemina Durning Smith 1888

Read More

Other Subjects

Police Memorial Trust

Police Memorial Trust

A charitable organisation created following a letter to The Times from Michael Winner about the death of Yvonne Fletcher, and it was in her memory that the Trust's first memorial was erected. The p...

Group, Armed Forces, History, Philanthropy

8 memorials
Anthony Ashley Cooper, 7th Earl of Shaftesbury

Anthony Ashley Cooper, 7th Earl of Shaftesbury

Born at 24 Grosvenor Square. Promoted many reform causes, connected with factories, children, mental illness, housing. Also supported the restoration of the Holy Land to the Jews. President of the ...

Person, Philanthropy, Politics & Administration, Social Welfare

3 memorials
Rotary International

Rotary International

An international organisation with the purpose of bringing together business and professional people, to provide humanitarian service, goodwill and peace around the world. It was formed in Chicago ...

Group, Community / Clubs, Philanthropy, Social Welfare, USA

1 memorial
Bernhard Baron

Bernhard Baron

Tobacco manufacturer and philanthropist. Born in what is now Belarus. His father took him to the United States when young; and there, after working at a tobacco factory, he began making the newly p...

Person, Industry, Philanthropy

1 memorial
Samuel Morley

Samuel Morley

Born Well Street Hackney into a Nottingham family of wool/hosiery manufacturers and merchants. His father John, had come to London to set up an outlet for their products. Samuel went into the famil...

Person, Philanthropy, Politics & Administration, Race Issues, Religion

3 memorials