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Mary Ann Gilbert
Years: 1776 - 1845
Role: Agronomist and social reformer
1776 – 1845 Mary Ann Gilbert was born into the wealthy and prominent Gilbert family in 1776. At the age of 6 she lost her father and when her mother […]
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Wilhelmina Brodie Hall
Years: 1845 - 1939
Role: Guardian at Eastbourne Workhouse, early proponent of foster care
1845 – 1939 Wilhelmina was born in Eastbourne in 1845 to Dr David Hall and Anna Brodie. She was the youngest child and lived at various addresses in Eastbourne.
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Hendrina Holman Bentley
Years: 1855 - 1928
Role: Victorian missionary in The Congo
1855 – 1928 Hendrina Holman Bentley (nee Kloekers) was a Victorian missionary in The Congo. In her obituary she was described as a ‘woman of wide interests, great strength of […]
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Ada Ellen Bayly
Years: 1857 - 1903
Role: Novelist
1857 – 1903 a.k.a Edna Lyall. Ada Ellen Bayly was born in Brighton at No. 5 Montpelier Villas on the 25th March 1857, she was the youngest of 4 children […]
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Edith Nesbit
Years: 1858 - 1924
Role: Author and co-founder of The Fabian Society
1858 – 1924 Edith Nesbit, who her family called Daisy, is known to her reading public as E . Nesbit. She wrote initially for adults in order to support her […]
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Marie Corbett
Years: 1859 - 1932
Role: Early proponent of foster care, Co-founder Liberal Woman's Suffrage Society
1859 – 1932 Victorian women had few rights and little say in politics. Their place was very much in the home unless they were extremely wealthy and brave enough to […]
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Emily Phipps
Years: 1865 - 1943
Role: Headmistress, Feminist, Barrister and important figure in the National Union of Women Teachers.
1865 – 1943 Emily Phipps was a headmistress, a feminist, a barrister and an important figure in the National Union of Women Teachers. . Known for her sparkling personality, wit […]
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Lady Emily Shackleton
Years: 1868 - 1936
Role: Emissary, progressive, Divisional Commissioner, Girl Guides
1868 – 1936 Emily Mary Dorman, later to become Lady Ernest Shackleton, was born into a large wealthy family in Sydenham, Kent. The surname is well known because of her […]
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Violet Gordon-Woodhouse
Years: 1871 - 1948
Role: Musician
1871 – 1948 Violet was born on the 23rd April 1871 to James Eglinton Gwynne and Mary (May) Earle. She spent her early years at Folkington Manor, just outside Eastbourne, […]
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Alice Hudson
Years: 1877 - 1960
Role: Justice of the Peace and first female Mayor of Eastbourne
1877 – 1960 Eastbourne Town Hall was only 40 years old when it had it’s first woman councillor, Miss Alice Hudson in 1919. She subsequently became the first female Mayor […]
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Mabel Lucie Atwell
Years: 1879 - 1964
Role: Illustrator and author
1879 – 1964 Mabel Lucie Attwell was a British illustrator. She was known for her cute, nostalgic drawings of children, based on her daughter, Peggy. Her drawings are featured on […]
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Winifred Lady Peck
Years: 1882 - 1962
Role: Author
1882 – 1962 On the death of her mother when she was nine, Winifred went to live with her aunt in Eastbourne and attended school there. She wrote over 20 […]
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Elsie Bowerman
Years: 1889 - 1973
Role: Barrister, Author and Titanic survivor
1889 – 1973 Elsie Edith Bowerman was born in Tunbridge Wells and died in Eastbourne. She challenged the establishment by becoming a suffragist whilst at Girton College, Cambridge and again […]
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Jessy Blackburn
Years: 1894 - 1995
1894 – 1995 Jessy was born 20th April 1894 and christened Tryphena Jessy Thompson the youngest daughter of Wesley and Catherine. She became the first woman to fly a monoplane […]
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Noel Streatfeild
Years: 1895 - 1986
Role: Author
1895 – 1986 Born into a family of clergy in Frant, Mary Noel Streatfeild, known as Noel, grew up to be one of England’s most-loved authors of children’s fiction, books […]
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Peggy Angus
Years: 1904 - 1993
Role: Artist and Designer
1904 – 1993 Peggy Angus was born in Chile and came from a large family. Despite a Chilean upbringing Peggy was Scottish, and was soon sent away to Scotland for […]
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Elizabeth David
Years: 1913 - 1992
Role: Cookery Writer
1913 – 1992 Elizabeth David is well-known as an influential cookery writer. She was born Elizabeth Gwynne at Wootton Manor, near Polegate. Her father, Rupert Gwynne was Conservative MP for […]
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Angela Carter
Years: 1940 - 1992
Role: Writer of fiction, non-fiction, poetry and plays
1940 – 1992 Angela Carter was a writer in the second half of the 20th century whose work dealt with areas of magical realism and adventure with undertones of feminism. […]
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