Elizabeth Fry (1780-1845) was a major proponent of prison reform in Britain, known as the “angel of prisons.”
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Hello! From Wonder Media Network, I’m Jenny Kaplan and this is Encyclopedia Womannica.
Today’s activist was a major proponent of prison reform in Britain. She is known as the “angel of prisons.” Let’s talk about Elizabeth Fry.
Elizabeth Gurney was born in Norwich, Norfolk in 1780 to a wealthy Quaker family. Her father, John, was a successful banker, and her mother, Catherine, was a member of the family that founded Barclays Bank, which still operates as one of the largest banks in the world.
Elizabeth was the odd one out amongst her siblings. She experienced mood swings and had difficulty learning, which biographers attribute to her dyslexia. Elizabeth once said, “I was thought and called very stupid & obstinate—I certainly did not like learning nor did I, I believe, attend [to] my lessons.”
When Elizabeth was twelve years old, her mother passed away, and Elizabeth was left to care for her younger sisters and brothers.
In 1800, at the age of 20, Elizabeth married Joseph Fry, a London banker and fellow Quaker. Together, they had many children. Most sources say eleven,: five sons and six daughters, though some suggest they had even more.
Elizabeth was an observant Quaker and frequently worshipped at the Friends’ Meeting House. It was there that she heard William Savery preach about the importance of altruism and philanthropy. His words inspired Elizabeth to help those in need.
In 1813, Elizabeth visited Newgate Prison, which was notorious for its filthy state and its dismal treatment of its prisoners. Elizabeth was appalled to see such harsh conditions. Women and children were tightly packed in small spaces with little room to wash themselves or clean their clothes. And while many of the Newgate prisoners had committed severe crimes, some of them had not. . Others hadn’t even received a trial.
Elizabeth was determined to act. The next day, she returned to the prison with fresh loaves of bread and clean clothes, which she had sewn herself. She distributed them among the prisoners, and encouraged them to keep their cells clean and find ways to be hygienic in the oppressive environment.
Elizabeth didn’t come back to Newgate until 1816 due to financial difficulties within her family. But upon her return, she dove back into the work. Elizabeth educated the children of Newgate who were imprisoned with their parents, teaching them practical skills like reading and sewing. She presented suggestions for new prison regulations and had the women vote on them.
In 1817, Elizabeth founded the Association for the Improvement of Female Prisoners. Along with twelve other women, she worked to advance prison reform, and to provide female prisoners with education and tools for employment.
Elizabeth fought for the idea that prison should be based around rehabilitation rather than punishment. She wrote, “It must indeed be acknowledged, that many of our own penal provisions, as they produce no other effect, appear to have no other end, than the punishment of the guilty.”
In 1819, Elizabeth wrote Prisons in Scotland and the North of England and encouraged her society friends to visit Newgate themselves.
At that time, Britain was in the practice of sending prisoners to penal colonies in North America, Australia, and India. At Newgate, the prisoners en route to be transferred to convict ships were bound by chains and unable to move around in tiny open carts. People in the streets pelted them with garbage. Elizabeth convinced the governor of Newgate to carry the women in closed carriages, rather than open ones, and to ensure that all the women and children had enough food to eat on their voyage.
Elizabeth also gave the prisoners sewing tools, Bibles, and other necessities to accompany them on their long journeys. With the help of her efforts, the act of transporting criminals to far away lands was prohibited in 1837. Prior to that change in policy, Elizabeth visited every convict ship bound for Australia for more than twenty-five years.
Throughout the 1820s, Elizabeth inspected prison conditions and continued to advocate for the rights of prisoners. She presented her findings to the House of Commons committee. In doing so, she became the first woman to present evidence to Parliament. Elizabeth’s ideas influenced the 1823 Gaols Act, which introduced a series of prison reforms including regular visits made by prison chaplains.
Elizabeth also cared for the homeless and poor, establishing a homeless shelter and an organization to collect and provide resources for those in need.
In 1840, Elizabeth opened a nursing school which inspired Florence Nightingale to take the nurses Elizabeth trained to help the soldiers of the Crimean War.
Elizabeth’s work was met with praise throughout Britain, and she was internationally recognized. The King of Prussia was so impressed by her activism that he visited Elizabeth on a trip to the country. Queen Victoria also expressed her support and donated to prison reform causes.
In 1845, Elizabeth died from a stroke in Ramsgate, England. She was 65 years old.
After her death, the Lord Mayor of London founded an institute for ex-prisoners called the Elizabeth Fry Refuge, which accommodates women on probation and out of prison. It still operates to this day.
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Talk to you tomorrow!