Louisa Lumsden facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Louisa Innes Lumsden
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on 4 July 1925 by Bassano Ltd
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| Born | 31 December 1840 Aberdeen, Scotland, UK
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| Died | 2 January 1935 (aged 94) Edinburgh, UK
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| Education | Girton College, Cambridge |
| Occupation | Headmistress St Leonards School (1877-82) |
| Known for | Girton pioneer. Campaigner for equality for women in education. |
| Awards | Honorary LL.D (St.A.) |
| Honours | DBE (Dame of the British Empire) |
Dame Louisa Innes Lumsden DBE (born December 31, 1840 – died January 2, 1935) was a very important person in the history of education for girls and women. She was born in Aberdeen, Scotland. Louisa was one of the first five students at Hitchin College, which later became Girton College, Cambridge. She was also one of the first three women to pass the difficult Tripos exam in 1873.
After her studies, she became the first female resident tutor at Girton. From 1877 to 1882, Louisa Lumsden was the first Headmistress of St Leonards School in Fife. Later, in 1894, she became the first warden of University Hall at the University of St Andrews. She is also known for bringing the sport of lacrosse to St Leonards School. In 1908, she became the President of the Aberdeen branch of the National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies (NUWSS), working for women's right to vote.
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Louisa's Early Life
Louisa was the third daughter and youngest of seven children. Her father, Clements Lumsden, was a lawyer in Aberdeen. When Louisa was 12, her father passed away in 1853. Her mother then moved to Cheltenham for a short time.
Louisa went to a private school there. Later, she attended a boarding school in Brussels, Belgium, called Château de Koekelberg. In 1856, she moved to a smaller school in London. By 1857, she returned to live with her family in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
University Education for Women
In 1868 and 1869, Louisa Lumsden attended classes organized by the Edinburgh Association for the University Education of Women. These classes were taught by professors from the University of Edinburgh. At that time, women could attend lectures but could not get full degrees.
A new college for women was started in 1869 by Emily Davies in Hitchin, near Cambridge. This was a big step because it allowed women to study for the Cambridge Tripos exams, just like men. In 1873, this college, now called Girton College, moved to its current location.
Louisa Lumsden was one of the first five students at Hitchin. She was also one of the first three women to take the unofficial University of Cambridge Tripos exams in 1873. The other two women were Rachel Cook and Sarah Woodhead. These three women were celebrated in a song called "The Girton Pioneers."
Louisa Lumsden was a student at Girton from 1869 to 1872. She then became a tutor there from 1873 to 1874. She officially received her Classical Tripos degree in 1892. She later left her tutoring job because she disagreed with Emily Davies about how students were being cared for.
Leading St Leonards School
In 1877, a new girls' school was founded in St Andrews, Fife. Louisa Lumsden became its first headmistress, leading the school from 1877 to 1882. St Leonards School was the first school for young women in Scotland that was set up like a famous English public school. The school's lessons included classical subjects, mathematics, and sports.
Before this, Lumsden taught classics at Cheltenham Ladies College from 1876 to 1877. Her good friend from Cambridge, Constance Maynard, joined her from Cheltenham to help start St Leonards. Maynard later left in 1880 to become the first principal of Westfield College. Louisa Lumsden resigned as headmistress in January 1882 due to health reasons. Frances Dove, who also studied at Girton and taught at Cheltenham, took her place.
Introducing Lacrosse
Louisa Lumsden played a key role in bringing the sport of lacrosse to Scotland. In a letter from the White Mountains in New Hampshire, dated September 6, 1884, she described watching a lacrosse game. She saw the Canghuwaya Indians play against the Montreal Lacrosse Club in Montreal.
She wrote, "It is a wonderful game, beautiful and graceful. (I was so charmed with it that I introduced it at St Leonards.)" This shows how much she loved the sport. Later, Rosabelle Sinclair, who attended St Leonards from 1906 to 1910, established the first women's lacrosse team in the United States. She started it at the Bryn Mawr School in Baltimore, Maryland.
University Hall for Women
In 1896, University Hall was founded at St Andrews University. This was the first residential hall for women students in Scotland. Louisa Lumsden was chosen to be its first warden. The goal was to create a place for women students similar to Girton College. However, there was some opposition from men and even some of the female students it was meant for. Louisa Lumsden resigned from her position in 1900.
Working for Women's Rights
In 1908, Louisa Lumsden accepted an invitation to become the president of the Aberdeen Suffrage Association. She was a suffragist, meaning she supported women's right to vote but did not use militant (violent) methods. She even provided a caravan called "Curlew" for campaigners to travel around the country.
In 1913, she spoke at a large rally in Hyde Park, London, representing the Scottish branch of the National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies. She later became one of the vice-presidents of the Scottish Churches' League for Woman Suffrage. She had the honor of planting The Suffragette Oak in Glasgow, a tree chosen as "tree of the year" in 2015. This tree marked the achievement of some women getting the right to vote in 1918.
Recognizing Her Achievements
Louisa Lumsden received an honorary doctorate of laws (LL.D) from St Andrews University in 1911. This was part of their Quincentenary celebrations (500th anniversary). In 1924, under a special Girton College charter, Louisa Lumsden was made a life governor. Nationally, she was given the title of Dame in 1925, a very high honor.
The Lumsden Club is named after her. Its members are current female students at the University of St Andrews, and their goal is to raise money for charity. Also, a part of University Hall at The University of St Andrews is named after Lumsden. There is also a memorial plaque for Louisa Lumsden in Aberdeen, at 214 Union Street, to remember where she worked.
