Female philanthropic voluntary action: the battle for the hearts, minds and souls of Victorian sailors, soldiers and their families

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article examines the relationships and networks of a group of philanthropic women working among the male bastions of Army camps, naval ports, garrisons and warships from the mid-nineteenth century to the early twentieth century. Concentrating on five women through autobiographical and biographical accounts, this article focuses on the nature of their relationships and broader female networks and considers the impact these combined elements had on their activism. The women were proactive setting up sailors’ and soldiers’ institutes in England, Ireland and around the British Empire, promoting evangelical beliefs and an anti-alcohol message through temperance pledges. It argues that interconnectivity, as told in their life stories, was crucial to help them face the challenges of their everyday work and suggests that their wider links to other proactive philanthropic females and membership of benevolent associations kept them informed about altruistic developments and helped to strengthen their professional activism.