Ruth Herbert Lewis facts for kids

A portrait of Ruth Caine, who later became Lady Herbert Lewis.

Ruth, Lady Herbert Lewis (born Ruth Caine; 29 November 1871 – 26 August 1946) was an English woman who worked to promote the temperance movement and collected Welsh folk songs. She was very important in the Welsh Folk-Song Society during the first half of the 20th century. She also published books of the Welsh folk songs she collected.

Ruth Caine's Early Life and Schooling

Ruth Caine was born in Liverpool, England. Her father, William Sproston Caine, was a Member of Parliament, which means he was a politician who helped make laws for the country. Ruth went to Newnham College, which is part of Cambridge University. At that time, Cambridge University did not give degrees to women. So, she received her master's degree from Trinity College Dublin in Ireland instead.

Collecting Welsh Folk Music

After Ruth married a Welsh politician, she moved to Wales. She learned to speak Welsh and became very interested in Welsh culture. In 1906, she helped start the Welsh Folk-Song Society (Cymdeithas Alawon Gwerin). This group worked to find and save old Welsh songs. In 1930, she was even chosen to be the president of the society.

Ruth and other members of the society used special machines to record traditional Welsh songs. These recordings were made on wax cylinders, which were an early way to save sound. They also wrote down what they found in a journal.

Lady Herbert Lewis wrote two important books about the songs she collected:

• Folk-Songs Collected in Flintshire and the Vale of Clwyd (published in 1914)
• Second Collection of Welsh Folk-Songs Collected by Lady Herbert Lewis (published in 1934)

Working for Social Change

Ruth, Lady Herbert Lewis, was very active in the North Wales Women's Temperance Union. This group worked to encourage people to drink less alcohol.

During World War I, she also helped soldiers. She ran a special canteen in Westminster, London, that stayed open all night to provide food and drinks for soldiers. For her hard work during the war, she received an OBE award. This award is given by the British King or Queen to people who have done great things for their country.

Ruth's Family and Lasting Impact

Ruth Caine married Sir John Herbert Lewis in 1897. They lived in Caerwys, Wales, and also in London. They had two children, a daughter named Kitty and a son named Mostyn. Ruth's husband passed away in 1933. She died in 1946 when she was 75 years old.

Her old wax cylinder recordings are still kept safe today. You can find them in museums like the St Fagan's National History Museum in Cardiff and the National Museum Wales. Some are also at the British Library. Other papers and items belonging to Lady Herbert Lewis are stored at Bangor University, the National Library of Wales, and the Flintshire Record Office.

Both of her children, Kitty Lewis and Dr. Herbert Mostyn Lewis, continued their mother's work. They both served as president of the Welsh Folk-Song Society, just like their mother. Today, the National Eisteddfod, a big Welsh festival, has a special "Lady Herbert Lewis Memorial Competition" for adult folk singers. This competition helps keep her memory and her love for Welsh folk music alive.