Women, Charity, and Philanthropy in the Long Nineteenth Century

Abstract

Charity and philanthropy were one of the central means by which women in the long nineteenth century (1776–1928) participated in the making of civil society. This article provides an overview of women’s involvement in charitable and philanthropic work throughout the period. It begins by considering the various ways in which charitable acts by aristocratic and middle-class women in the early nineteenth century were deeply rooted in Anglicanism and nonconformist religious cultures, and were valued as expressions of piety and benevolence. It then considers the opportunities made available to women by the professionalisation of philanthropic work during the mid-century. It concludes by briefly surveying the challenges to and possibilities for women’s continued participation in the public realm as parliamentary legislation establishing the contours of the modern welfare state led to a diminution of traditional philanthropy and charitable practices.