Sophie Raffalovich facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sophie Raffalovich O'Brien
Sophie Raffalovich
Born	15 January 1860 Odessa
Died	8 January 1960 Neuilly

Sophie Raffalovich O'Brien (1860–1960) was a talented writer and a strong supporter of Irish independence. She was born in Ukraine and later moved to France.

Early Life and Learning

Sophie Raffalovich was born on January 15, 1860, in Odessa. Her parents were Herman and Marie Raffalovich. Her father was a banker. Sophie had two brothers, Marc-André and Arthur.

Her family was Jewish. In 1864, they moved to France. They faced difficulties in Odessa because of their religion. Sophie's father often traveled back to Odessa for his banking work. Her mother, Marie, loved art and science. She held popular gatherings in France where people discussed ideas.

Sophie grew up knowing she was lucky. She studied political economy, which is about how countries manage their money and resources. She translated books about important people like Cobden and Lord Shaftesbury. Her brother André also held literary gatherings in London. Sophie often helped host these events.

Interest in Ireland

Sophie and her mother became very interested in Ireland. They learned about the political situation there. They heard about William O'Brien's arrests during a time called the Plan of Campaign. Sophie started writing letters to O'Brien. They finally met in 1889. Soon after, they decided to get married.

Sophie decided to become a Catholic. This was a big change for her family. Her writings show that she made this choice for herself, not just for the marriage. Her brothers also later became Catholic. Even though she changed her religion, Sophie still felt connected to her Jewish background.

Marriage and Life in Ireland

Sophie married William O'Brien on June 11, 1890. Many important people attended their wedding. This included Charles Stewart Parnell, a major Irish leader. It was a big gathering of the Irish party before they split up later that year.

After the wedding, Sophie moved to Ireland with her husband. She quickly became part of the social groups there. She became close friends with Anne Deane and Henrietta Mitchel Martin. William O'Brien often had poor health. Sophie helped him a lot. She managed their money, worked as his secretary, and took care of him. They lived simply so they could give more to people in need.

In 1895, William O'Brien faced financial difficulties. He chose not to pay off old debts from the 'Plan of Campaign'. Instead, he declared bankruptcy. The couple moved to a small cottage in Westport, County Mayo. There, they worked together on farming and writing. They also helped local fishing businesses. Sophie wrote novels about their time there.

Helping the Community

While in Westport, Sophie worked with local nuns. They started craft businesses, especially making lace. Sophie helped them sell their lace in Paris. She also worked with Sister Mary Eustace Eaton, who ran a hospice. Sophie wrote a book about Sister Mary's life in 1923.

Sophie and William did not have children. Sophie decided to help young girls who needed support. She helped them even though they lived with their own families.

The effects of the Irish Famines were still clear in Connacht. Sophie and William helped with local relief efforts in 1897–1898. William believed that giving land back to people would help. Sophie became a main supporter of the United Irish League. This group helped bring the Irish Parliamentary Party back together in 1900. However, William left the party again three years later. Sophie continued to pay for his political work. This included funding his daily newspaper, the Cork Free Press.

In 1912, they moved to Bellevue House in Mallow, County Cork. Sophie continued her charity work there. She wrote a lot for newspapers about religion and politics. She even wrote a column for women. It covered topics like women's education and their role in local government.

Even with her work on women's issues, Sophie was not a suffragist. She did not believe women should have the right to vote. Her husband supported women's voting rights. She appeared with him when he spoke, but she never supported it herself. When women won the right to vote, she refused to register her name.

Sophie felt very connected to France, where she grew up. She and William supported the Allied side in the First World War. Sophie did not like Sinn Féin because she felt they put the war effort at risk. William was more understanding, and they sometimes disagreed on this topic. The war caused Sophie to lose most of her money. Her family's investments in Russia and Germany were lost. Her money had supported her husband's political career. That career also ended after the 1918 election.

Later Years

Sophie and William lived quietly for about ten years. William died in 1928. Sophie felt it was her job to keep his memory alive. She spent years going through his papers and writings. She worked with his biographer, Michael MacDonagh. She also published some of William's work. She gave his papers to University College Cork and the National Library of Ireland.

In February 1938, the National University of Ireland gave her a special degree. It was called a Doctor of Letters. This was for her work on William's legacy.

Sophie had once thought she might join a convent if her husband died. But in 1933, she realized she was too old for such a big change. Her home in Cork was also too big for her alone. She moved back to France, near Amiens. She went to live with two sisters, Fernande and Lucie Guilmart. Sophie had supported their orphanage and school since the 1880s. The sisters had visited her in Ireland in the early 1930s and became her friends. They took care of her. Sophie called them ‘the best daughters a childless old woman could have’.

Sophie was still living in France when Germany invaded during the Second World War. The sisters helped her escape with them to a region near the Pyrenees mountains. Éamon de Valera, an Irish leader, stopped a public collection of money to help the three women. They had lost almost everything. He said the government would help her. He sent a small amount of money through the Irish consulate. Paul O'Dwyer helped collect money from Irish people in New York.

Despite this help, Sophie was very poor by the end of the war. She continued to live with the Guilmart sisters in Neuilly-St Front, near Soissons. Lucie died in 1957. Fernande lived longer than Sophie. Sophie died in Neuilly on January 8, 1960.