Susanna Meredith facts for kids
Susanna Meredith (born Lloyd; 1823–1901) was an amazing Irish woman from the 1800s. She was a pioneer who visited prisons and worked hard to help female prisoners get their lives back on track.
Her Early Life
Susanna Lloyd was born in Ireland. Her father was in charge of the Cork County Gaol, which was a prison in County Cork. Growing up, Susanna was very smart. She learned many languages, including Latin, Hebrew, French, and German.
When she was 17, she married a doctor. Sadly, her husband passed away after only seven years of marriage, leaving her a widow.
Starting to Help Others
From 1847 to 1852, Susanna managed a school called the Adelaide Industrial School in Cork. This school helped with the making and selling of Irish lace to England.
Around 1856, she moved to England with her widowed mother. In 1858, Susanna Meredith started visiting Millbank Prison in London. She did this with a group called the British Society.
In 1860, she moved to London permanently with her mother. Susanna was very concerned about finding jobs for women. She even became an editor for a magazine called Alexandra.
Helping Women in Prison
Susanna Meredith visited female prisoners in Brixton prison. She started a special mission to help women who had just been released from prison. This mission offered them breakfast, good advice, and even some chances to find work. She reported her visits and findings to a government official, Sir George Grey, who was the Home Secretary at the time.
Her home, which was known as The Mission to Women, became a place where female prisoners could go after leaving prison. Susanna also became the Treasurer for a group called the Female Prisoners' Aid Society. This group worked to help women who were in prison.
A Home for Children
Later, Susanna Meredith also started thinking about the children of women who were in prison. In 1871, she opened her first home for these children in Addlestone, Surrey. Princess Mary helped open this special home.
In 1877, Susanna was told she could no longer talk to women prisoners unless a matron (a female officer) was present. Because of this new rule, she decided to stop her prison visits.
In 1895, Susanna Meredith shared her experiences and ideas with a special group called the Gladstone Committee. This committee was looking into how prisons were run.
