15 Facts About Louisa Goldsmid

Lady Louisa Sophia Goldsmid was a British philanthropist and education activist who targeted her life at improving education provision for British women.

Louisa Goldsmid took a leading role in persuading Cambridge University to create women graduates.

Louisa Goldsmid was born into a privileged Anglo-Jewish family who were closely related to other Jewish families who organised British Jewry.

Louisa Goldsmid continued her community's habit of endogamy by taking her first cousin Francis Goldsmid as her husband.

Louisa Goldsmid's mother-in-law was the women's education activist Isabel Goldsmid and her uncle Isaac Lyon Goldsmid helped to change the laws that restricted the rights of British Jews.

Louisa Goldsmid joined the ladies' committee of the Governesses' Benevolent Institution in 1849.

Louisa Goldsmid became involved with the Langham Place Circle via her mother-in-law Isabel Goldsmid.

Louisa Goldsmid became the treasurer of the circle and friends with Emily Davies who was the secretary and the major activist of the circle.

Louisa Goldsmid found an advocate in John Stuart Mill but he believed that all women should be given the vote.

Louisa Goldsmid argued against this believing that it was more realistic to ask that the vote be given only to spinsters and widows.

At this point Louisa Goldsmid realised that she and Emily Davies should ignore the campaign to gain votes for women and concentrate on the more achievable goal of gaining the right of women to gain university degrees.

Louisa Goldsmid continued her advocacy of women's education albeit for middle class women.

Zimmermann was said to have shared eighteen years of "devoted attention" with Louisa Goldsmid and it has been speculated that this was a lesbian relationship.

Louisa Goldsmid died at 13 Portman Square on 7 December 1908.

Louisa Goldsmid left a statue title "Lost Innocence" by Emilio Santarelli to UCL.