Emma Crawford
Encyclopedia
Emma Crawford was a teacher and mother superior
of a religious order.
, England
, in or near Woolwich
. Details on her early life are scarce, including her date of birth, which has been approximated as possibly 1864. She was well-educated and may have had teaching experience.
She moved to Queensland
, Australia
, and shortly thereafter, in September 1896, was admitted into the Anglican Society of the Sacred Advent
. The founder of the order, Sister Caroline, who had worked with the poor and neglected in England before moving to Australia, continued her work there in Brisbane
. The order had only recently accepted an offer from Bishop William Thomas Thornhill Webber
to manage an orphanage and a "rescue" home for women and infants there.
The State Education Act of 1875 prohibited any form of religious instruction in the government-funded schools of Queensland. To meet the demand for religious education, Bishop Webber asked the sisters to open a primary day school for the children of the area and to also manage the Eton High School for girls. Sister Emma was made the sister-in-charge of the latter school, and through her effort proved the viability of Anglican girl's schools in Queensland. Her influence in her order increased when the mother superior of the order, now Mother Caroline, left for England to find financial help and new members of the community. In 1905, Emma became the mother superior of the order. The community developed a school for troubled girls in Brisbane, and later took over a school in Stanhope
, which was later moved to Warwick
and renamed St. Catharine's.
During World War I, Mother Emma accepted an offer from Bishop John Oliver Feetham
to establish boarding schools for girls in his diocese. The order established St. Anne's school in Townsville
, which opened in July 1917; St. Mary's school in Herberton
in 1918, St. Gabriel's schhol in Charters Towers
in 1921. After the war ended, the order also acquired a hostel in Charleville
, for children attending the local state school who needed a place to live, and in 1992 Mother Emma accepted the responsibility of managing the St. Martin's War Memorial Hospital in Brisbane. In 1929, she began her last major venture in Brisbane, establishing St. Aidan's School at Corinda
in February.
In 1932, she accepted the offer of the Anglican Diocese of Rockhampton
to relocate there, and began to manage St. Faith's School in Yeppoon
.
on 9 March 1939, Mother Emma had established her community in three of the five Anglican dioceses of Queensland. Her schools, which were based on the model of English schools, maintained high and strict academic standards, and insisted on using only well trained teachers and staff. Her order never had more than thirty professed sisters, causing her to lament in 1906 that "responses to the call of the life of a sister are still very rare in Australia."
Bishop Feetham described her as "the principal benefactress of this diocese" on her death, for her work with the order and her efforts to moderate the rising tide of materialism and secularism in the area.
She is commemorated in the Calendar of saints
of the Anglican Church of Australia
on 9 March.
Abbess
An abbess is the female superior, or mother superior, of a community of nuns, often an abbey....
of a religious order.
Life
She was born to Lt. William Crawford, the adjutant of the coastal artillery brigade, and his wife Sarah, in KentKent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, in or near Woolwich
Woolwich
Woolwich is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.Woolwich formed part of Kent until 1889 when the County of London was created...
. Details on her early life are scarce, including her date of birth, which has been approximated as possibly 1864. She was well-educated and may have had teaching experience.
She moved to Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, and shortly thereafter, in September 1896, was admitted into the Anglican Society of the Sacred Advent
Society of the Sacred Advent
The Society of the Sacred Advent is an Anglican religious order founded at Brisbane, Australia, in 1892 by Caroline Grace Millicent Short , and still active in that city.-History:...
. The founder of the order, Sister Caroline, who had worked with the poor and neglected in England before moving to Australia, continued her work there in Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
. The order had only recently accepted an offer from Bishop William Thomas Thornhill Webber
William Thomas Thornhill Webber
William Thomas Thornhill Webber was third Anglican Bishop of Brisbane.Webber was born in London, the son of a surgeon, William Webber. He was educated at Tonbridge School, Kent, at Norwich under Dr John Woolley and Pembroke College, Oxford where he obtained B.A. in 1859 and M.A. in 1862...
to manage an orphanage and a "rescue" home for women and infants there.
The State Education Act of 1875 prohibited any form of religious instruction in the government-funded schools of Queensland. To meet the demand for religious education, Bishop Webber asked the sisters to open a primary day school for the children of the area and to also manage the Eton High School for girls. Sister Emma was made the sister-in-charge of the latter school, and through her effort proved the viability of Anglican girl's schools in Queensland. Her influence in her order increased when the mother superior of the order, now Mother Caroline, left for England to find financial help and new members of the community. In 1905, Emma became the mother superior of the order. The community developed a school for troubled girls in Brisbane, and later took over a school in Stanhope
Stanhope, Victoria
Stanhope is a small town in north central Victoria, Australia. Stanhope is from Shepparton. It lies north of the state capital Melbourne and south east of Canberra the capital city of Australia...
, which was later moved to Warwick
Warwick, Queensland
Warwick is a town in Queensland, Australia, lying south-west of Brisbane. It is the administrative centre of the Southern Downs Local Government Area. In 2006 the town of Warwick had a population of 12,562....
and renamed St. Catharine's.
During World War I, Mother Emma accepted an offer from Bishop John Oliver Feetham
John Oliver Feetham
John Oliver Feetham was a long serving Anglo Catholic Bishop in the first half of the 20th century.Born into an ecclesiastical family - his father was the Reverend William Feetham, Rural Dean of Raglan, Monmouthshire and his mother the daughter of an Archdeacon - he was educated at Marlborough...
to establish boarding schools for girls in his diocese. The order established St. Anne's school in Townsville
Townsville, Queensland
Townsville is a city on the north-eastern coast of Australia, in the state of Queensland. Adjacent to the central section of the Great Barrier Reef, it is in the dry tropics region of Queensland. Townsville is Australia's largest urban centre north of the Sunshine Coast, with a 2006 census...
, which opened in July 1917; St. Mary's school in Herberton
Herberton, Queensland
Herberton is a town on the Atherton Tableland in Far North Queensland, Australia. At the 2006 census, Herberton had a population of 974.-History:...
in 1918, St. Gabriel's schhol in Charters Towers
Charters Towers, Queensland
Charters Towers is a city in northern Queensland, Australia. It is located 137 kilometres inland from Townsville on the Flinders Highway. In 2006 the population was 7,979 people, some 450 fewer than in the 2001 census. During the last quarter of the 19th century the town boomed as the rich gold...
in 1921. After the war ended, the order also acquired a hostel in Charleville
Charleville, Queensland
Charleville is a town in south western Queensland, Australia, 758 kilometres by road west of Brisbane . It is the largest town and administrative centre of the Murweh Shire, which covers an area of 43,905 square kilometres...
, for children attending the local state school who needed a place to live, and in 1992 Mother Emma accepted the responsibility of managing the St. Martin's War Memorial Hospital in Brisbane. In 1929, she began her last major venture in Brisbane, establishing St. Aidan's School at Corinda
Corinda, Queensland
Corinda is a suburb in Brisbane, Australia. Located approximately 9 km southwest of the Brisbane central business district.It is believed that the name Corinda originates from a local cattle station owned by Sir Arthur Palmer, which he named after his Corinda pastoral station near...
in February.
In 1932, she accepted the offer of the Anglican Diocese of Rockhampton
Anglican Diocese of Rockhampton
The Anglican Diocese of Rockhampton is a diocese of in the Province of Queensland and one of the 23 dioceses of the Anglican Church of Australia. The diocese covers an area of approximately 57 million hectares, roughly twice the size of New Zealand and four times the size of England and Wales. ...
to relocate there, and began to manage St. Faith's School in Yeppoon
Yeppoon, Queensland
Yeppoon is a coastal resort town situated in Central Queensland, Australia. Located on Keppel Bay, at the 2006 census, Yeppoon had a population of 13,284.-Geography:...
.
Legacy
By the time of her death from cancerCancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
on 9 March 1939, Mother Emma had established her community in three of the five Anglican dioceses of Queensland. Her schools, which were based on the model of English schools, maintained high and strict academic standards, and insisted on using only well trained teachers and staff. Her order never had more than thirty professed sisters, causing her to lament in 1906 that "responses to the call of the life of a sister are still very rare in Australia."
Bishop Feetham described her as "the principal benefactress of this diocese" on her death, for her work with the order and her efforts to moderate the rising tide of materialism and secularism in the area.
She is commemorated in the Calendar of saints
Calendar of saints (Anglican Church of Australia)
The calendar of the Anglican Church of Australia follows Anglican tradition with the addition of significant people and events in the church in Australia....
of the Anglican Church of Australia
Anglican Church of Australia
The Anglican Church of Australia is a member church of the Anglican Communion. It was previously officially known as the Church of England in Australia and Tasmania...
on 9 March.