Grace Eleanor Hadow | |
|---|---|
 Grace Hadow | |
| Born | (1875-12-09)9 December 1875 South Cerney, England |
| Died | 19 January 1940(1940-01-19) (aged 64) Marylebone, London |
| Resting place | Wolvercote Cemetery, Oxford |
| Occupation | Author, principal of St Anne's College, Oxford and vice-chairman of the Women's Institute |
| Language | English |
| Nationality | British |
| Education | Brownshill Court School |
| Alma mater | Somerville College, Oxford |
| Notable works | Chaucer and His Times, Wayfaring in Olden Times, The Oxford Treasury of English Literature |
Grace Eleanor HadowOBE (9 December 1875 – 19 January 1940) was an author,principal of what would becomeSt Anne's College, Oxford and vice-chair of theNational Federation of Women's Institutes (NFWI).[1][2][3]
Hadow was born in 1875 atSouth Cerney vicarage, nearCirencester. She was the youngest child and fourth daughter of the Reverend William Elliott Hadow and Mary Langnée Cornish. Her godfather was SirWilliam Henry Hadow who was also her elder brother.[3]
In 1888, aged 13, Hadow won a scholarship to study at Brownshill Court School,Stroud. From the age of 16 she attendedTruro High School, where she was head girl.[4] In 1894, she went toTrier in Germany for a year to study language and music. From 1899 to 1900, she taught atCheltenham Ladies' College. In 1900, she began to study English atSomerville College, Oxford,[3] but as a woman she was not allowed to receive a degree, although she could sit exams and took first-class honours in 1903.[5] While a student, she became president of the Women's Debating Society.
In 1903, Hadow went to teach atBryn Mawr in the United States. She returned to Oxford in 1904 to work as adon, becoming a tutor atLady Margaret Hall in 1906. In 1908 she publishedThe Oxford Treasury of English Literature: Growth of the drama,[6] which would grow to three volumes. Her other publications included a selection of the works ofJohn Dryden (1908) and editions ofRobert Browning'sMen and Women (1911) andWalter Raleigh'sThe Historie of the World (1917).
Hadow was a Suffragist and established the Cirencester Women's Suffrage Society. Her sister, Constance Hadow, was also a founder member.[7] This was affiliated to Millicent Fawcett'sNational Union of Women's Suffrage Societies and she was Honorary Secretary from 1911 to 1917. She was also the Secretary of the Cirencester branch of theConservative and Unionist Women's Franchise Association.[8]
During theFirst World War, she was a member of the War Agricultural Committee and founded the GloucestershireWomen's Institute (WI). In 1917 theNational Federation of Women's Institutes was formed. On 16 OctoberLady Denman and Hadow were elected chair and vice-chair andAlice Williams was elected honorary secretary and treasurer.[9] Hadow would remain vice-chair for the rest of her life.[3]
From February 1917 she had responsibility for the health and welfare of women munitions workers at theMinistry of Munitions.[10] There her work and ideas impressedProfessor W. G. S. Adams and, late in 1918, he persuaded her to become Secretary of the recently founded Barnett House at Oxford.[11] Together with Adams she started the Oxfordshire Rural Community Council and guided the movement that saw rural community councils established in many other counties.[12] In this endeavour she worked closely with the National Council of Social Service, later becoming a member of its executive committee.[13]
In 1921 she declined the position ofPrincipal ofLady Margaret Hall in order to remain at Barnett House and work with Adams in implementing a Plunkett Foundation programme for the relief of rural disadvantage,[14] and in the same year she wrote the first edition of theNational Federation of Women's Institutes (NFWI) handbook. From 1929 to 1940, she wasPrincipal of theSociety of Oxford Home Students (laterSt Anne's College.[15] During this period she lived at 7Fyfield Road, Oxford, and is remembered there by an Oxfordshire Blue Plaque.[16]
In 1938, she was the only British woman delegate at theBritish Commonwealth relations conference in Sydney, Australia, and then set out on a long speaking tour of the United States. She was said to be one of the best women speakers. She arrived back in the UK as the country prepared itself for war and in 1940 died from pneumonia at 11 Beaumont Street,Marylebone, London.[3]
The historian,Brian Harrison, interviewed 3 of Hadow’s nieces (Christine and Rachel in July 1978, and Enid in August 1979) as part of the Suffrage Interviews project.[17] The three nieces recall Grace’s relationship with her siblings, particularly Constance, and their family life, as well as her success with the Women’s Institutes.[17]
A former head girl of Truro High School and a notable figure in the academic life of Oxford is the subject of Helena Dencke's " Grace Hadow" (Oxford Press 10s 6d).
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)| Academic offices | ||
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| Preceded by | Principal of St Anne's College, Oxford 1929—1940 | Succeeded by |
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