Elizabeth Fry, English nurse and philanthropist (b. 1780)
Elizabeth Fry (née Gurney; 21 May 1780 – 12 October 1845), sometimes referred to as Betsy Fry, was an English prison reformer, social reformer, philanthropist and Quaker. Fry was a major driving force behind new legislation to improve the treatment of prisoners, especially female inmates, and as such has been called the 'Angel of Prisons'.
She was instrumental in the 1823 Gaols Act which mandated sex-segregation of prisons and female warders for female inmates to protect them from sexual exploitation. Fry kept extensive diaries in which the need to protect female prisoners from rape and sexual exploitation is explicit.She was supported in her efforts by Queen Victoria and by both Emperor Alexander I and Emperor Nicholas I of Russia and was in correspondence with both, their wives and the Empress Mother. In commemoration of her achievements she was depicted on the Bank of England £5 note, in circulation between 2002 and 2016.
1845Oct, 12
Elizabeth Fry
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Events on 1845
- 11Mar
Treaty of Waitangi
Flagstaff War: Unhappy with translational differences regarding the Treaty of Waitangi, chiefs Hone Heke, Kawiti and Māori tribe members chop down the British flagpole for a fourth time and drive settlers out of Kororareka, New Zealand. - 13Mar
Violin Concerto (Mendelssohn)
Felix Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto receives its première performance in Leipzig with Ferdinand David as soloist. - 19May
Franklin's lost expedition
Captain Sir John Franklin and his ill-fated Arctic expedition depart from Greenhithe, England. - 13Oct
United States Congress
A majority of voters in the Republic of Texas approve a proposed constitution that, if accepted by the U.S. Congress, will make Texas a U.S. state. - 20Nov
Battle of Vuelta de Obligado
Anglo-French blockade of the Río de la Plata: Battle of Vuelta de Obligado.