Eleanor Mildred Sidgwick
Encyclopedia
Eleanor Mildred Sidgwick, née Balfour (11 March 1845 - 10 February 1936) was an activist for the higher education of women, Principal of Newnham College and a leading figure in the Society for Psychical Research
.
, daughter of James Maitland Balfour
and Lady Blanche Harriet. She was thus born into perhaps the most prominent political clan in nineteenth-century Britain, the 'Hotel Cecil': her brother Arthur
would eventually himself become prime minister. Another brother, Frank
, a biologist, would die young in a climbing accident.
One of the first students at Newnham College in Cambridge, in 1876 she married (and became converted to feminism by) the philosopher Henry Sidgwick
. In 1880 she became Vice-Principal of Newnham under the founding Principal Anne Clough
, succeeding as Principal on Miss Clough's death in 1892. She and her husband resided there until 1900, the year of Henry Sidgwick's death. In 1894 Mrs Sidgwick was one of the first three women to serve on a royal commission
, the Bryce commission on Secondary Education.
As a young woman, Eleanor had helped Rayleigh
improve the accuracy of experimental measurement of electrical resistance; she subsequently turned her careful experimental mind to the question of testing the veracity of claims for psychical phenomena. She was elected President of the Society for Psychical Research
in 1908 and named 'president of honour' in 1932.
In 1916 Mrs Sidgwick left Cambridge to live with one of her brothers near Woking
: she remained there until her death in 1936.
Society for Psychical Research
The Society for Psychical Research is a non-profit organisation in the United Kingdom. Its stated purpose is to understand "events and abilities commonly described as psychic or paranormal by promoting and supporting important research in this area" and to "examine allegedly paranormal phenomena...
.
Biography
Eleanor Mildred Balfour was born in East LothianEast Lothian
East Lothian is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, and a lieutenancy Area. It borders the City of Edinburgh, Scottish Borders and Midlothian. Its administrative centre is Haddington, although its largest town is Musselburgh....
, daughter of James Maitland Balfour
James Maitland Balfour
James Maitland Balfour , of Whittinghame, Berwickshire, was a Scottish Member of Parliament. He was the father of Prime Minister Arthur Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour....
and Lady Blanche Harriet. She was thus born into perhaps the most prominent political clan in nineteenth-century Britain, the 'Hotel Cecil': her brother Arthur
Arthur Balfour
Arthur James Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour, KG, OM, PC, DL was a British Conservative politician and statesman...
would eventually himself become prime minister. Another brother, Frank
Francis Maitland Balfour
Francis Maitland Balfour, known as F. M. Balfour, was a British biologist. He lost his life while attempting the ascent of Mont Blanc...
, a biologist, would die young in a climbing accident.
One of the first students at Newnham College in Cambridge, in 1876 she married (and became converted to feminism by) the philosopher Henry Sidgwick
Henry Sidgwick
Henry Sidgwick was an English utilitarian philosopher and economist. He was one of the founders and first president of the Society for Psychical Research, a member of the Metaphysical Society, and promoted the higher education of women...
. In 1880 she became Vice-Principal of Newnham under the founding Principal Anne Clough
Anne Clough
Anne Jemima Clough was an early English suffragist and a promoter of higher education for women.Clough was born at Liverpool, the daughter of a cotton merchant. She was the sister of Arthur Hugh Clough, the poet and assistant to Florence Nightingale. When two years old she was taken with the rest...
, succeeding as Principal on Miss Clough's death in 1892. She and her husband resided there until 1900, the year of Henry Sidgwick's death. In 1894 Mrs Sidgwick was one of the first three women to serve on a royal commission
Royal Commission
In Commonwealth realms and other monarchies a Royal Commission is a major ad-hoc formal public inquiry into a defined issue. They have been held in various countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Saudi Arabia...
, the Bryce commission on Secondary Education.
As a young woman, Eleanor had helped Rayleigh
John Strutt, 3rd Baron Rayleigh
John William Strutt, 3rd Baron Rayleigh, OM was an English physicist who, with William Ramsay, discovered the element argon, an achievement for which he earned the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1904...
improve the accuracy of experimental measurement of electrical resistance; she subsequently turned her careful experimental mind to the question of testing the veracity of claims for psychical phenomena. She was elected President of the Society for Psychical Research
Society for Psychical Research
The Society for Psychical Research is a non-profit organisation in the United Kingdom. Its stated purpose is to understand "events and abilities commonly described as psychic or paranormal by promoting and supporting important research in this area" and to "examine allegedly paranormal phenomena...
in 1908 and named 'president of honour' in 1932.
In 1916 Mrs Sidgwick left Cambridge to live with one of her brothers near Woking
Woking
Woking is a large town and civil parish that shares its name with the surrounding local government district, located in the west of Surrey, UK. It is part of the Greater London Urban Area and the London commuter belt, with frequent trains and a journey time of 24 minutes to Waterloo station....
: she remained there until her death in 1936.
Writings
Most of her writings related to Psychical Research, and are contained in the Proceedings of the Society for Psychical Research. However, some related to educational matters, and a couple of essays dealt with the morality of international affairs.Further reading
- Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
- N. Howard, "Eleanor Mildred Sidgwick and the Rayleighs," Applied Optics 3, 1120- (1964)
- Ethel Sidgwick, Mrs Henry Sidgwick. London. 1936
- Helen Fowler, "Eleanor Mildred Sidgwick 1845-1936". In Cambridge Women. Twelve Portraits, ed. Edward Shils and Carmen Blacker. Cambridge. 1996.
- University Education for Women (lecture, 1913}