Mary Jane Brabazon, Countess of Meath facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Countess of Meath
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| Born |
Lady Mary Jane Maitland
15 March 1847 |
| Died | 4 November 1918 (aged 71) Kilruddery House
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| Nationality | British |
| Spouse(s) |
Reginald Brabazon, 12th Earl of Meath
(m. 1868; died 1918) |
| Parent(s) | Amelia Young Thomas Maitland, 11th Earl of Lauderdale |
Lady Mary Jane Maitland, who later became Mary Jane Brabazon, Countess of Meath (born March 15, 1847 – died November 4, 1918), was a kind-hearted British lady. She dedicated her life to helping others. She is famous for starting the Ministering Children's League. This group encouraged children to help people in need.
Early Life
Mary Jane Maitland was born in London in 1847. Her mother was Amelia (née Young), Countess of Lauderdale. Her father was Thomas Maitland, 11th Earl of Lauderdale.
A Life of Helping Others
Mary Jane's husband, Lord Meath, worked as a diplomat for a time. He later left his job in 1877. Since they did not need to work for money, they decided to focus on helping people. They wanted to solve "social problems and relieve human suffering."
In 1885, Mary Jane set up the Ministering Children's League. This organization taught children to be helpful and caring. It encouraged them to do good deeds for others.
In 1890, she bought a place called Westbrook Place in Godalming. Over the next two years, it was turned into The Meath Home of Comfort for Epileptics. This home was a special place for women with epilepsy. It officially opened on August 4, 1892. The Duchess of Albany, Princess Helena of Waldeck and Pyrmont, opened the home. It was based on ideas from Friedrich von Bodelschwingh. Later, two large additions were built to make the home bigger.
Spreading the League
Mary Jane tried to start branches of the Ministering Children's League when she traveled. In 1892, she and her husband visited New Zealand and Tasmania. In Hobart, she talked about how successful the League was. She said it had 40,000 members. A group was started in Hobart, led by Emily Dobson. By 1906, there was also a home in Victoria, Australia.
In 1909, she went to Shanghai, China. There, she inspired a new group of the League. There was already a group in Hong Kong. By 1910, she helped start more groups in Penang and Singapore. She wanted the League to help children everywhere, not just English-speaking ones. She hoped it would spread to children native to those countries. Her diaries were published after she died in 1928.
Family Life
In 1868, Mary Jane married Reginald Brabazon, 12th Earl of Meath. They had two children:
- Reginald Le Normand Brabazon, 13th Earl of Meath (1869–1949). He married Lady Aileen May Wyndham-Quin in 1908.
- Lady Violet Constance Maitland Brabazon (1886–1936). She married James Grimston, 4th Earl of Verulam.
Mary Jane died on November 4, 1918, in Ireland. Her husband lived longer than her. She left her property as a gift to her charities. This helped them continue their important work.
