Elizabeth Fry

by Emma Raymond Pitman

A hundred years ago, Norwich was a remarkable centre of religious, social and intellectual life. The presence of officers, quartered with their troops in the city, and the balls and festivities which attended the occasional sojourn of Prince William Frederick, Duke of Gloucester, combined to make the quaint old city very gay; while the pronounced element of Quakerism and the refining influences of literary society permeated the generation of that day, and its ordinary life, to an extent not easily conceived in these days of busy locomotion and new-world travel. Around the institutions of the established Church had grown up a people loyal to it, for, as an old cathedral city, the charm of antiquity attached itself to Norwich; while Mrs. Opie and others known to literature, exercised an attraction and stimulus in their circles, consequent upon the possession of high intellectual powers and good social position. It was in the midst of such surroundings, and with a mind formed by such influences, that Elizabeth Fry, the prison philanthropist and Quaker, grew up to young womanhood.

158 pages, Paperback

First published June 27, 1969

Reviews

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very reverent 19th century biography of Elizabeth Fry that provides many details of the reformer's life through diaries and correspondence. A pleasant and easy read. There are many passages focusing on praising Elizabeth's piety but her relationship with God clearly very central to her life so it didn't come across as preachy, but a natural observation and appreciation. It's the best book about her that I've read so far.

[Rachel Cross · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good Insight into Prison Reform

Other than taking into account the word intercourse to mean meeting and gay to mean happy by today's definitions this is a great story of a woman of the 19th century deciding that she could when other said she couldn't and with God's help defied society, other women, and even her own depression and fears to effect global change in the prison system. Without Fry's efforts many would not have been saved and we might well still institute the death penalty for minor but repeated crimes. Perhaps prison systems of today could go back and read what she did to full new ideas in prison reform today.

[Genie · Rating 1 out of 5]

While Elizabeth Fry is fascinating, this book is not. An old book in quite an older style (flowerly text, no critical analysis), the only good thing were the frequent and long quotes from Fry's own journals. Next time, I will just track down her journals and read them myself.