6:30pm-8:00pm on Wednesday 13 September
Quaker Meeting House , 12 Jesus Lane , CB5 8BA
Elizabeth Fry, nee Gurney, (1780—1845), Quaker minister and social reformer made a seminal impact on the treatment of convicts in Victorian Britain. Fry campaigned for prison reform after visiting Newgate in 1813, where she found hundreds of female prisoners and their children in crowded, unsanitary conditions. She lobbied to introduce female attendants, a school for the children of those who had been convicted, and a workshop for the younger female convicts to learn sewing skills that would enable them to earn a living when they left prison.
Fry's work led to wider reforms of prison inspections, improvements to convict ships and impacted penal reform in Europe and America. Commissions such as the transportation embroidery, which became known as the 'Rajah Quilt’, demonstrate how her influence was seminal at a time when prison reform was in its infancy. A marble statue to her was erected in 1912 in the Old Bailey and she has been featured on the five-pound bank note.
Come and learn about the inspiring work of a pioneering woman from art historian, Magdalen Evans who has extensive experience herself in prison education.
Booking is advised for this event but you can just turn up!
This event is hosted by Cambridge Quakers. To find out more about Quakers visit: https://www.quaker.org.uk/about-quakers