Person    | Female  Born 17/1/1828  Died 2/6/1907

Rose Mary Crawshay

Rose Mary Crawshay

Picture source: ancestry.co.uk

Philanthropist, feminist, educationist. Born Rose Mary Yeates in Horton, Buckinghamshire, to William Willson Yeates and his first wife Mary. When she was seven three of her baby sisters died in quick succession, followed by her mother 3 years later. See her father's page for this sad story.

1846 she married Robert Thompson Crawshay (1817 - 1879) a wealthy 'ironmaster' of Merthyr Tydfil and was the mistress of the 72-roomed and 15-towered Cyfarthfa Castle until her husband's death in 1879. Though it produced 5 children her marriage was not happy, which may have some bearing on her campaigns for women's suffrage and the reform of matrimonial law. Also interested in education she joined school boards, one of the first women to do so. Created a literary prize for female scholars and created 7 free libraries insisting they were open to women (she had to do that!). Died at home, "Cathedine", Bwlch, Breconshire, Wales.

Andrew Behan has researched this lady and can add: The probate records show her estate totalled £19,852-0s-3d when she died and at the time of the 1871 census she was residing at her London address of 39 Wimpole Street.

Wikipedia has a page for Rose Mary and others for some of her Crawshay relatives and for Clissold Park. These together provide a family connection with the location of the memorial, Clissold Park. Rose Mary's husband's aunt, Eliza (or Elizabeth, depending on source) Crawshay and her husband, Reverend Augustus Clissold, owned Clissold Park. Rose Mary was widowed in 1879 and then in 1889 Clissold Park was opened to the public. Just 4 years after that Rose Mary had the fountain installed there, in memory of her three sisters who had died 60 years before.

Note: Her birthplace is sometimes given as Caversham Grove (her father's family home) but the official records give Horton Grove.

This section lists the memorials created by the subject on this page:
Rose Mary Crawshay

Creations i

Yeates sisters

In memory of three sweet sisters aged 1, 3, 4, years, daughters of Wilson Yea...

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Other Subjects

University of the Arts London

University of the Arts London

It has its origins in five previously independent colleges, which were brought together to form the London Institute in 1986. In 2003, it received Privy Council approval for university status and w...

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1 memorial
Caroline Martineau

Caroline Martineau

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Sydney Charles Pigden

Sydney Charles Pigden

Royal Air Force fighter pilot and PE teacher. Born Sydenham, lived in Lewisham most of his life. Aged 18, joined the RAF and flew Spitfires and Hurricanes. When he left the RAF he taught at Turnham...

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1 memorial
Eva Hubback

Eva Hubback

Feminist and suffragette. Born Eva Marian Spielman. In 1911 she married Francis Hubback, who was killed in WW1, leaving her with three children. 1916 - 17 director of economic studies at Newnham an...

Person, Education, Gender Issues, Politics & Administration

1 memorial
Mary Wollstonecraft

Mary Wollstonecraft

Writer, philosopher and feminist before her time. Born Primrose Street, Spitalfields. Her radical book "Vindication of the Rights of Woman" (1792) in which she described marriage as "legal prostitu...

Person, Education, Gender Issues, Philosophy, Seriously Famous, Denmark, France, Norway, Sweden

10 memorials