Archive of 6 Autographed Letters Signed by Female Leader in Women's Education & Penal Reform Movement, Mary Carpenter

Archive of 6 letters totaling 13 pages spanning 1871-77 written and signed by Mary Carpenter. Mary Carpenter was one of the foremost public speakers of her time and is best remembered for her significant contributions to educational and penal reform especially for young offenders whose criminal records reflected poverty. Letters range in size from 6" x 4" to 8.25" x 5" inches. Four of the letters are written on Red Lodge House letterhead, "National Indian Association: Red Lodge House, Bristol." In 1854 using an endowment from Lord Byron, Mary Carpenter bought the Red Lodge House in Bristol and opened the first girls reformatory in England. The students were all girls with criminal records from poor backgrounds. In one letter addressed "Dear Esther," Carpenter writes, "I must wait patiently for the rest to spring up, & am only thankful to have been thus enabled to bear a testimony which will remain, to principles of the highest importance to the well being and morality of the country:- if one tenth of this kind of thought which are devoted to speculation and theology were given to extending the reign of God by converting sinners, how different would the world be! I shall be glad when you have finished theology and are engaged in the spread of religion." After opening "ragged schools" across Canada based in the belief that young convicts would not be reformed without nurturing and loving care, Carpenter turned her attention to reforming the penal system which punished vagrants and young thieves and put children as young as seven into adult prisons. She wrote and spoke broadly of the educational and penal abuses of the day and successfully raised the age of child criminals, establishing a climate of change for later reforms. She traveled extensively in America, Europe and India, where she also sought reforms similar to those she pursued in Britain. Of an upcoming trip she writes, "As you do not appear to think that there is sufficient interest in the Journal to make it worth our while to send it, we will now discontinue doing so...I am starting next week for India, I am very busy." Carpenter was a pioneer in the field of equality for women and stood almost alone as a female orator who was widely listened to and respected.