Fry, Elizabeth (1780–1845)

Biographical Details

Elizabeth Gurney Fry was born at Earlham in Norwich, England, on May 21, 1780. She was the third daughter of John Gurney and Catherine Bell, and 1 of 11 children. Her mother died when she was 12 years of age, at which point, in her mother's place, her eldest sister became responsible for tending to the children.

Elizabeth Gurney married Joseph Fry in August 1800. Joseph too, was a devout Quaker, and he hailed from a wealthy family. The newlywed couple settled in London, where Fry found her calling of assisting female prisoners. Fry was acknowledged in 1811 as a Quaker minister. Following her first visit to Newgate Prison in 1813, she dedicated herself to prison reform. Elizabeth Fry died on October 12, 1845, at the age of 65 years. She was the mother to 11 children and left an indelible imprint on prison reform practices.

Newgate Prison

At the time of Fry's first visit to Newgate Prison, all female prisoners were confined in what was later labeled as the “untried side” of the jail. The women's division was made up of two cells and two wards, in a zone of about 190 yards. More than 300 women were crowded into this area, mixing those on trial with those who had been convicted of both mild and the most violent crimes. Children were also confined in this area alongside their mothers.

In April 1817, Fry organized a committee, the Ladies Association for the Reformation of the Female Prisoners in Newgate, which was extended in 1821 into the British Ladies' Society for Promoting the Reformation of Female Prisoners. The committee consisted of nine Quaker women and one clergyman's wife. These 10 women served the female prison population at Newgate, by providing clothing, religious and educational instruction, and employment training and opportunities. They sought to instill the habits of sobriety and order in the women with the hope of rendering them docile and peaceful in prison and beyond.

The Ideology of Reform

In 1818, under the reign of King George III, and one year after the establishment of her school within Newgate Prison, Elizabeth Fry was called to give evidence before the Committee of the House of Commons on the Prisons of the Metropolis. She was the first woman, other than a queen, to be called into the councils of government in an official manner to advise on matters of public concern. It was during this meeting that Fry set forth her main ideology of penal reform.

Fry suggested that there should be women warders taking care of women inmates. According to her, a single-sex environment would be more conducive to their reformation, as the warders would be positive role models for the women offenders. Second, Fry suggested that there be an entirely separate prison for female inmates. Rather than using a section within the male institution, she thought that women should be held separately in order to address their special needs more thoroughly. She also sought to have the prisoners paid at a fair rate by the government and to be allowed to spend a portion of their earnings upon reception. Fry believed that if the inmates were able to support themselves through legal means upon release, they would be less likely to engage in criminal activity.

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