Mary Jane Kinnaird facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mary Kinnaird
Lady Kinnaird
Born	Mary Jane Hoare 1816 Northamptonshire, England
Died	1888
Known for	founding YWCA
Spouse(s)	Arthur Kinnaird, 10th Lord Kinnaird

Mary Kinnaird (1816–1888) was an English woman who loved helping others. She is best known for helping to start the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA). This group helps young women all over the world. Mary Kinnaird also has schools and hospitals named after her in places like Pakistan and India.

Early Life and Inspiration

Mary Jane Hoare was born in 1816 in a place called Blatherwick Park in Northamptonshire, England. Sadly, her parents died when she was very young, leaving her an orphan. She lived with her grandfather, Henry Hoare, until he passed away when she was 12. After that, her older brother, Henry, became her guardian.

Mary was cared for by her aunts and uncles and had a teacher called a governess. She was inspired by religious writings to study the Bible, pray daily, and help spread Christian teachings. In 1837, she started working as a helper for her uncle, Baptist Wriothesley Noel, who was a minister in London.

Mary began her own projects to help people. In 1841, she started St John's Training School for Domestic Servants. This school helped young women learn skills to work in homes. She also helped raise money for a special hall in Geneva, Switzerland, to honor a religious leader named John Calvin. She wanted to encourage the spread of Protestantism in Europe and met with ministers from Switzerland and France.

A Powerful Partnership

Mary's ability to help others grew even more when she married Arthur Kinnaird, 10th Lord Kinnaird in 1843. He was a nobleman and became the Lord Kinnaird of Inchture. They lived in London and would often invite people to their home to talk about ways to help society.

Mary was a shy person and did not give public speeches. However, she was the main force behind many of their good works. She even raised money by collecting prayers into a book. The money went to a hospital and asylum that she and her husband supported. While her husband believed women should have the right to vote, Mary felt that was not her role. It is thought that she wrote many of her husband's speeches, even though she didn't speak publicly herself.

Mary Kinnaird also worked with Florence Nightingale, a famous nurse, to train nurses for the Crimean War. As part of this effort, Mary created the North London Home. This was a safe place where women could stay, and it even had its own library. Around this time, she also gave birth to her youngest child, Emily.

Helping Girls in India and Pakistan

In 1856, Mary and her five children moved into a new home above her husband's bank in London. This new home quickly became another hub for their charitable activities. Mary had a strong passion for helping people in India. She started a group called the Indian Female Normal School and Instruction Society. This society created more than sixty schools across India. It also helped visit over 1,300 "zenanas," which were parts of homes where women lived separately.

To recognize her important work, a school in Lahore, Pakistan changed its name around 1907 to the Kinnaird Christian Girls' High School. This school later grew into the Kinnaird College for Women University, a well-known university for women.

Founding the YWCA

Mary Kinnaird built on her experience with the North London Home to create a new organization. She founded the United Association for the Christian and Domestic Improvement of Young Women. By 1871, this group had four centers and two homes.

In 1878, Mary wanted to make this project even bigger. She decided to join forces with the Prayer Union, a Bible study group started by Emma Robarts. Emma Robarts passed away, but the combined organization continued to grow and eventually became the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA).

Mary Kinnaird also helped start the Women's Emigration Society. This group helped women find good jobs and travel to other parts of the British Empire. The YWCA would also help support these women as they moved.

In 1884, the YWCA was reorganized to be one national group instead of separate ones. This new YWCA worked to share Christian books and ideas. It also interviewed young women to help improve their living conditions. For example, in 1884, they worked with Scottish fisherwomen, published their own magazine, and ran a restaurant for women in London.

Family and Legacy

In 1887, Mary Kinnaird's husband passed away. Her son, Arthur Kinnaird, 11th Lord Kinnaird, then became the 11th Lord Kinnaird. Mary herself died in 1888.

She was survived by her children: Arthur, Frederica Georgina (1845–1929), Louisa Elizabeth (1848–1926), Agneta Olivia (1850–1940), Gertrude Mary (1853–1931), and Emily Cecilia Kinnaird. While Frederica and Agneta married, her three unmarried daughters, Louisa, Gertrude, and Emily, continued their mother's important work to help others. Louisa was active in London, and both Gertrude and Emily became missionaries, traveling to help people in other countries.