Eliza and Isabella Riddel facts for kids
Eliza (born 1831, died 1924) and Isabella Riddel (born 1836, died 1918) were sisters from Belfast, Northern Ireland. They are most famous for creating Riddel Hall in Stranmillis. This building opened in 1913 as a special home for women attending university.
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The Riddel Sisters' Story
Eliza and Isabella were the two youngest children in a large, wealthy family of ten. Their family became rich from a hardware business that their father, John Riddel, started in 1803. When their last bachelor brother, Samuel Riddel, passed away, the sisters inherited a huge amount of money – over £400,000! This was a massive fortune back then.
Ruth Duffin, who was the first person in charge of Riddel Hall, wrote that the sisters were very dedicated to their Unitarian faith. They were also very generous and lived simple, old-fashioned lives. Even when motor cars became popular, the sisters preferred to ride in their old horse-drawn carriage.
The Riddel sisters never worked in the family business themselves. They also didn't get the chance to go to university. Their family home, Beechmount, on the Falls Road, is now an Irish-speaking school called Coláiste Feirste.
Helping Others: Their Generosity
The Riddel sisters were known for their kindness and charity. They gave money to many important places. These included the Royal Victoria Hospital and the Belfast Hospital for Sick Children. They also supported the Midnight Mission, which helped women in need. Another group they helped was the Society for Providing Nurses for the Sick Poor. They also supported their own church's mission to help poor people in Belfast.
Riddel Hall: A Home for Women Students
The Riddel sisters gave £35,000 to build and support a new hall of residence. Their wish was for it to be used specifically for female students at Queen's University.
This was an incredibly large and generous gift, especially for women's education. At that time, money for women's halls was usually collected in small amounts. It came from ladies' committees, local donations, or grants from groups like the Carnegie or Pfeiffer Trusts. Only Emma Holt at the Liverpool University Women's Hall was giving a similar amount.
Because of their amazing generosity, Eliza Riddel, the older sister, was made a member of the Queen's University Senate in 1912. This was a very important position.
Both sisters were named founding members of Riddel Hall's permanent committee. Important people on this committee included the Mayor of Belfast and the Church of Ireland Bishop of Down. There were also five elected 'lady graduate governors'. These included F W Rea, one of the first women lecturers at Queen's, and Marion Andrews and Elizabeth Bell, two of the first women to become doctors in Ireland.
In 2011, Riddel Hall had a big £14 million upgrade. Two new buildings were added, creating more teaching rooms and office space. After this upgrade, the Queen's Management School moved to the site. This school includes the William J Clinton Leadership Institute. The new school was officially opened by Mary McAleese in 2012. Even more development happened with another £28 million project. A new building was opened in June 2023 by Joe Kennedy III.
Supporting Students: The Endowment Fund
Besides building the women's hall, the sisters also set up a special fund. This fund was created to help students who needed financial support. Even though Riddel Hall itself was changed into offices in 1975, this important fund still exists today. It continues to help students in need.
See also
- Henry Musgrave
- Sir James Musgrave, 1st Baronet
