Cecil Woodham-Smith facts for kids

Cecil Blanche Woodham-Smith (born Fitzgerald; 29 April 1896 – 16 March 1977) was a famous British historian and biographer. She wrote four popular history books, each about a different part of the Victorian era. She was also awarded the CBE for her important work.

Early Life and Education

Cecil Woodham-Smith was born in 1896 in Tenby, Wales. Her family, the Fitzgeralds, were a well-known Irish family. One of her ancestors was Lord Edward Fitzgerald, a hero from the Irish Rebellion of 1798. Her father, Colonel James FitzGerald, served in the Indian Army. Her mother's family included General Sir Thomas Picton, a brave soldier who died at the Battle of Waterloo.

She went to the Royal School for Officers' Daughters in Bath. She was later asked to leave for taking an unauthorized trip to the National Gallery. She finished her schooling at a French convent. After that, she went to St Hilda's College, Oxford, and graduated in 1917 with a degree in English.

In 1928, she married George Ivon Woodham-Smith. He was a respected lawyer in London. They had a very close relationship until he passed away in 1968. Cecil had a special talent for writing history. However, she waited to start her career until her two children went to boarding school. Before becoming a historian, she wrote popular stories under the name Janet Gordon. This helped her learn how to write in an entertaining way.

Writing Career

Cecil Woodham-Smith's first history book was a biography of Florence Nightingale. It was published in 1950 and immediately made her a top historian. She spent nine years doing careful research for the book. Her work helped to improve Florence Nightingale's public image. This image had been damaged by another writer, Lytton Strachey. The book was praised for being both scholarly and easy to read. Florence Nightingale won the James Tait Black Award for biography.

Her next book, The Reason Why (1953), was also very popular. This book was about the Charge of the Light Brigade. This was a big military mistake during the Crimean War. It became one of her most famous books. She once explained how she wrote the part about the Charge. She worked non-stop for 36 hours without food or breaks. She kept writing until the very end of the battle. After finishing, she had a strong drink and slept for two days.

She wrote two more important books. The first was The Great Hunger: Ireland: 1845-1849 (1962). This book told the story of the Great Irish Famine in the 1840s. She criticized how the British government handled the famine. She especially pointed out Sir Charles Edward Trevelyan. However, she also recognized that the British government did help at the beginning of the famine.

Her last major work was the first volume of Queen Victoria: Her Life and Times (1972). Sadly, she was not able to finish the second volume of this biography. Cecil Woodham-Smith passed away in London in 1977 at the age of 80.

Awards and Recognition

Cecil Woodham-Smith received several honors for her contributions. She was appointed CBE in 1960. She also received special honorary doctorates. These came from the National University of Ireland in 1964 and the University of St Andrews in 1965. In 1967, she became an honorary fellow of St Hilda's College. This was the college she had attended as a student.