Anne Clough
Encyclopedia
Anne Jemima Clough was an early English
suffragist and a promoter of higher education for women.
Clough was born at Liverpool
, the daughter of a cotton merchant. She was the sister of Arthur Hugh Clough
, the poet and assistant to Florence Nightingale
. When two years old she was taken with the rest of the family to Charleston, South Carolina
. It was not till 1836 that she returned to England, and though her ambition was to write, she was occupied for the most part in teaching.
Her father's failure in business led her to open a school in 1841. This was carried on until 1846. In 1852, after making some technical studies in London
and working at the Borough Road and the Home and Colonial schools, she opened another small school of her own at Ambleside
in Westmorland
. Giving this up some ten years later, she lived for a time with the widow of her brother Arthur Hugh Clough—who had died in 1861 — in order that she might educate his children. (The youngest daughter, Blanche Athena, subsequently devoted her life to helping her aunt.) Keenly interested in the education of women, she made friends with Emily Davies
, Barbara Bodichon
, Frances Buss
and others. After helping to found the North of England council for promoting the higher education of women, she acted as its secretary from 1867 to 1870 and as its president from 1873 to 1874.
When it was decided to open a house for the residence of women students at Cambridge University
, Clough was chosen as its first principal. This hostel, started in Regent Street
, Cambridge
, in 1871 with five students, and continued at Merton Hall in 1872, led to the building of Newnham Hall, opened in 1875, and to the erection of Newnham College
on its present basis in 1880. Clough's personal charm and high aims, together with the development of the college under her care, led her to be regarded as one of the foremost leaders of the women's educational movement. She died at Cambridge on 27 February 1892. Two portraits of Clough are at Newnham College, one by Sir William Blake Richmond
, the other by James Jebusa Shannon
.
See Memoir of Anne Jemima Clough, by Blanche Athena Clough (1897).
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
suffragist and a promoter of higher education for women.
Clough was born at Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, the daughter of a cotton merchant. She was the sister of Arthur Hugh Clough
Arthur Hugh Clough
Arthur Hugh Clough was an English poet, an educationalist, and the devoted assistant to ground-breaking nurse Florence Nightingale...
, the poet and assistant to Florence Nightingale
Florence Nightingale
Florence Nightingale OM, RRC was a celebrated English nurse, writer and statistician. She came to prominence for her pioneering work in nursing during the Crimean War, where she tended to wounded soldiers. She was dubbed "The Lady with the Lamp" after her habit of making rounds at night...
. When two years old she was taken with the rest of the family to Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
. It was not till 1836 that she returned to England, and though her ambition was to write, she was occupied for the most part in teaching.
Her father's failure in business led her to open a school in 1841. This was carried on until 1846. In 1852, after making some technical studies in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and working at the Borough Road and the Home and Colonial schools, she opened another small school of her own at Ambleside
Ambleside
Ambleside is a town in Cumbria, in North West England.Historically within the county of Westmorland, it is situated at the head of Windermere, England's largest lake...
in Westmorland
Westmorland
Westmorland is an area of North West England and one of the 39 historic counties of England. It formed an administrative county from 1889 to 1974, after which the entirety of the county was absorbed into the new county of Cumbria.-Early history:...
. Giving this up some ten years later, she lived for a time with the widow of her brother Arthur Hugh Clough—who had died in 1861 — in order that she might educate his children. (The youngest daughter, Blanche Athena, subsequently devoted her life to helping her aunt.) Keenly interested in the education of women, she made friends with Emily Davies
Emily Davies
Sarah Emily Davies was an English feminist, suffragist and a pioneering campaigners fore women's rights to university access. She was born in Southampton, England to an evangelical clergyman and a teacher in 1830, although she spent most of her youth in Gateshead...
, Barbara Bodichon
Barbara Bodichon
Barbara Leigh Smith Bodichon was an English educationalist, artist, and a leading early nineteenth century feminist and activist for women's rights.-Early life:...
, Frances Buss
Frances Buss
Frances Mary Buss was a headmistress and an English pioneer of women's education.The daughter of Robert William Buss, a painter and etcher, and his wife, Frances Fleetwood, Buss was one of six of their ten children to survive into adulthood...
and others. After helping to found the North of England council for promoting the higher education of women, she acted as its secretary from 1867 to 1870 and as its president from 1873 to 1874.
When it was decided to open a house for the residence of women students at Cambridge University
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
, Clough was chosen as its first principal. This hostel, started in Regent Street
Regent Street, Cambridge
Regent Street is an arterial street in southeast central Cambridge, England. It runs between St Andrew's Street, at the junction with Park Terrace, to the northwest and Hills Road at the junction with the A603 to the southeast. Regent Terrace runs in parallel immediately to the northeast...
, Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
, in 1871 with five students, and continued at Merton Hall in 1872, led to the building of Newnham Hall, opened in 1875, and to the erection of Newnham College
Newnham College, Cambridge
Newnham College is a women-only constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The college was founded in 1871 by Henry Sidgwick, and was the second Cambridge college to admit women after Girton College...
on its present basis in 1880. Clough's personal charm and high aims, together with the development of the college under her care, led her to be regarded as one of the foremost leaders of the women's educational movement. She died at Cambridge on 27 February 1892. Two portraits of Clough are at Newnham College, one by Sir William Blake Richmond
William Blake Richmond
Sir William Blake Richmond KCB , English painter and decorator, was born in London. His father, George Richmond, R.A...
, the other by James Jebusa Shannon
James Jebusa Shannon
Sir James Jebusa Shannon , Anglo-American artist, was born in Auburn, New York, and at the age of eight was taken by his parents to Canada....
.
See Memoir of Anne Jemima Clough, by Blanche Athena Clough (1897).