Elizabeth Fry

NAME  Elizabeth Fry (née Gurney)

WHAT FAMOUS FOR  Elizabeth Fry is most famous for her pioneering work in prison reform, particularly for her efforts to improve the conditions for women and children imprisoned in Britain. She advocated for humane treatment, education, religious instruction, and occupational training for prisoners. She was also a prominent Quaker minister and social reformer.

BIRTH Elizabeth Fry was born on May 21, 1780, in Gurney Court, off Magdalen Street, Norwich, Norfolk, England. She was the third of twelve children in her family. 

FAMILY BACKGROUND Elizabeth was born into a prominent Quaker family, the Gurneys. Her father, John Gurney, was a partner in Gurney's Bank and a wealthy Quaker banker and merchant. Her mother, Catherine, was a member of the Barclay family, who were among the founders of Barclays Bank. 

Her family, particularly her mother, instilled in her a strong sense of social responsibility and Quaker values, although her early life was less strict than traditional Quakerism.

Although her parents were devout Quakers and active in the Society of Friends, the family wore bright and stylish clothing rather than typical Quaker dress.

CHILDHOOD Elizabeth's childhood family home was Earlham Hall, which is now part of the University of East Anglia. 

Elizabeth's mother was the most important influence on her life. A devout Quaker, she was very involved in charity work and spent part of each day helping the poor of the district. Elizabeth was devastated when her mother died, shortly after giving birth to her 12th child, when she was twelve. As one of the oldest girls in the family, Elizabeth was partly responsible for the care and education of the younger children, including her brother Joseph John Gurney, a philanthropist and evangelical leader. 

Elizabeth became fond of fashion and amusement in her teen years and often gave excuses for not attending Quaker meetings.

EDUCATION  Elizabeth received her education primarily at home from governesses and tutors. The Gurney household was intellectually stimulating, and Elizabeth was exposed to various subject. When she was in her late teens, Elizabeth lamented her lack of a more substantial education, though it is clear in retrospect that she was exposed at an early age to many important influences. 

Elizabeth  didn't learn to spell until much later in life. Recent analysis of her journal entries suggests she may have had dyslexia, though she lived many years before such a diagnostic label was invented.

CAREER RECORD 1811 Fry was acknowledged as a "minister" by the Society of Friends and became a preacher for the Society. 

1813 Fry visited Newgate Prison in London and was appalled by the conditions there, particularly for women prisoners. This visit marked the beginning of her prison reform work.

1817 She founded the Association for the Improvement of the Females at Newgate,

1821 She formed the British Society of Ladies for Promoting the Reformation of Female Prisoners, which helped change prisons across the country.

1810 Began preaching for Quakers

1813 Visited Newgate Prison

1817 Formed association for improvement of female Prisons

1838 -1843, she made five visits to European prisons. 

APPEARANCE Elizabeth Fry had strawberry blonde hair. Portraits and silhouettes from her youth show her hair styled in various ways: at age 18, her hair was brushed upwards; in other images, it was in ringlets tied with ribbon, and later worn under a Quaker cap as she adopted the plain Quaker style. 

In terms of stature, she was tall and slender.

Elizabeth Fry, by Charles Robert Leslie (died 1859).

FASHION In her youth,  Elizabeth Fry was known for her fashion flair—once arriving at a Quaker meeting in scarlet-laced boots, a sign of her playful spirit and love of style. But after a profound religious awakening in 1798, she embraced the plain speech and modest dress of traditional Quakers, much to her family’s dismay. This outward change mirrored an inner transformation—from a lighthearted girl to a deeply committed young woman who prioritized social reform over social life. As she became a leading figure in prison reform, her signature look—a simple white muslin cap worn by Quaker women—became a symbol of her mission and identity. (1)

CHARACTER Elizabeth Fry was a very shy person with many fears, but still possessed many heroic virtues such as hope, love, vision, and a bright personality. She was always very concerned about others and wanted to help anyone she could in the kindest, most caring way. She was described as helpful to others, not caring who stood in her way, only wanting to do what was right. 

From the time she first gave her life to Christ, Elizabeth made a habit of waking up in the morning with the same question on her lips: "Lord, how can I bring You glory today?" (2)

Elizabeth was determined to use her position and resources to address the injustices she saw around her, despite the demands of family life. Her journal entries reveal that she felt guilty when she wasn't helping others, writing in 1812, "I fear that my life is slipping away to little purpose".

SPEAKING VOICE As a Quaker minister and public speaker, Elizabeth Fry was known for her clear, articulate, and persuasive speaking voice. Her sincerity and passion resonated deeply with her audiences, whether she was addressing prisoners, politicians, or fellow reformers.

SENSE OF HUMOUR Given the seriousness of her life's work and her deep religious convictions, Elizabeth Fry is perceived as a grave and earnest individual. However, it's worth noting that she raised eleven children while conducting her humanitarian work, which may have required moments of levity and humor in her family life. 

RELATIONSHIPS  At 15, Elizabeth became engaged to James Lloyd, the son of the founder of Lloyds Bank. When he ended the engagement, she suffered such emotional turmoil that her father sent her to London in hopes a change of scenery would aid her recovery. (3)

Elizabeth met Joseph Fry, a banker and a cousin of the Bristol Fry family (who was also a Quaker), when she was 20 years old. They married on August 19, 1800, at the Norwich Goat Lane Friends Meeting House and moved to St Mildred's Court in the City of London. Initially, she refused his offer of marriage in 1799, as Joseph seemed dull to her, but she finally accepted in 1800.

Image of Elizabeth and Joseph Fry's wedding by Perplexity

Elizabeth and Joseph had eleven children between 1801 and 1822: five sons and six daughters. Their children included Katherine (Kitty) Fry (born August 22, 1801), Rachel Fry (born 1803), John (born 1804), William (born 1806), Richenda Fry (born 1808), Joseph (born 1809), Elizabeth Fry (born 1811), Hannah Fry (born 1812), Louisa Fry (born 1814), Samuel (born 1816), and Daniel (born 1822).

Despite her busy family life, Elizabeth managed to devote many hours to teaching boys and girls in the local workhouse and also became a preacher for the Society of Friends. She combined her humanitarian work with the care of her large family. In 1812, she experienced the loss of her little Betsy, a lovely child of five, which caused her long and bitter grief. This personal sorrow made her more sympathetic and able to enter into the sufferings of those around her.

Queen Victoria took a close interest in her work and the two women met several times. In her journal, Victoria wrote that she considered Fry a "very superior person". 

MONEY AND FAME Elizabeth was born into a wealthy family, with her father being a partner in Gurney's Bank and her mother from the Barclay banking family. She married into another prosperous family, as Joseph Fry was a banker and related to the founders of the chocolate and confectionery company J.S. Fry. They lived a prosperous lifestyle, and Elizabeth entertained business people in style.

However, in 1828, her husband's bank went bankrupt, which forced them to move from Plashet House in East Ham to Upton Lane in West Ham. This financial setback for a time limited her scope. Elizabeth's brother, Joseph Gurney, arranged for Elizabeth to receive £1600 a year and this enabled her to continue her charity work.

Elizabeth Fry became well-known in society for her prison reform work. She was supported in her efforts by Queen Victoria and by Emperors Alexander I and Nicholas I of Russia; she was in correspondence with both Alexander and Nicholas, their wives, and the Empress Mother. Queen Victoria granted her an audience a few times and contributed money to her cause. 

In commemoration of her achievements, she was depicted on the Bank of England £5 note that was in circulation from 2002 until May 2017.

FOOD AND DRINK Elizabeth Fry’s diet and drinking habits reflected both her Quaker background and the medical practices of her time. As a Quaker from a wealthy family, she ate a simple, wholesome diet typical of well-off English households—plain meats, bread, vegetables, and seasonal produce, in keeping with Quaker values of moderation and simplicity.

In terms of drink, Fry regularly consumed alcohol and laudanum (a mixture of opium and alcohol) throughout her adult life, primarily for medicinal reasons. She suffered from chronic health problems, including anxiety, depression, and physical pain, and used wine, malt liquor, and laudanum to help her “be well.” In her own words from 1802: “I sometimes think of leaving off malt liquor and wine . . . but it appears almost impossible if I do that to be well.” She was aware that these substances made her feel “heavy, languid, and stupid,” but saw them as necessary for her health, not as indulgence.

Fry’s use of alcohol and laudanum was not unusual for her era, when such remedies were commonly prescribed for pain and emotional distress. However, she did not connect her own medicinal drinking with the gin or beer consumed by the poor for oblivion.

MUSIC AND ARTS Elizabeth Fry's relationship with music changed throughout her life. In her youth, she enjoyed singing, but as part of her religious transformation in 1798, she resolved to give it up along with dancing. By October 1798, she was worrying about dancing and singing, as she loved them both but was concerned with how they brought out characteristics in her, such as vanity, which she did not like. In December of that year, she resolved to give up dancing, and she also gave up singing as she adopted a more strict Quaker lifestyle. (5)

LITERATURE Elizabeth Fry was well-read and corresponded extensively. Her education included literature, and she was capable of articulate written and spoken communication. 

Elizabeth Fry kept extensive diaries throughout her life, spanning the years 1797 to 1845, which are now held by the Library of the Society of Friends. These diaries tell her life story in an episodic format and encapsulate the last forty-eight years of her life. The reasons she gave for keeping her journal changed as her journal evolved and her life priorities changed.

In 1839, she published a pocket-sized devotional work titled Textes ou sujets de méditation, pour l'année, intended for distribution to women prisoners in France. This work counted out the year in 365 short daily readings, with the recommendation that each be read and memorized first thing after rising each morning.

She also wrote Observations on the Visiting, Superintending and Government of Female Prisoners (1827), and after her death, Memoir of the Life of Elizabeth Fry was published in 1847. Her writings, particularly her diaries, provide valuable insights into her thoughts, experiences, and the development of her humanitarian work.

Below is a wood engraving of Elizabeth Fry reading to prisoners in Newgate Prison by Jerry Barrett,, circa 1860, 

Source http://johnjohnson.chadwyck.co.uk/info/durableURLpopup.do

NATURE Growing up at Earlham Hall, a beautiful estate, Elizabeth was intimately connected with nature. Her journals sometimes reflect an appreciation for the natural world, which for many Quakers, served as a source of spiritual reflection and connection to the divine.

When she moved to Plashet House in East Ham in 1809, she expressed her joy in her diary and devoted time to enhancing the grounds. The garden corners and plantations bloomed with wildflowers she and her children had gathered during moments of rest, transplanting them from nearby woods, hedgerows, and meadows. To her, the grounds at Plashet were second only to the beloved beauty of Earlham. (6)

HOBBIES AND SPORTS In her youth, Elizabeth enjoyed dancing and riding. As an adult, her life was dominated by her family and her reform work, which left little time for conventional hobbies or sports. Her "hobbies" became her deep spiritual contemplation, letter writing, and the meticulous organization of her charitable initiatives.

SCIENCE AND MATHS Elizabeth Fry was an early advocate of vaccinations and helped to distribute smallpox inoculations in East Ham and neighboring villages. 

PRISON AND SOCIAL REFORMS Picture Elizabeth Fry, aged 18, floating into a Quaker meeting wearing scarlet-laced boots and a mind full of fashion and flirtation. And why not? Life was still a bit of a laugh. Then along comes William Savery, a visiting Quaker minister from America, radiating such an overwhelming sense of God's presence that Elizabeth’s heart did a triple somersault and landed squarely in the lap of divine purpose. She wrote, “Today I felt there is a God,” which is not the sort of thing you jot down after an ordinary Tuesday. From that point on, life was no longer about lace and boots, but about bandages, Bibles, and very uncomfortable prison visits.

Naturally, being the sort of person who couldn’t walk past a broken soul without trying to mend it, she set up a Sunday school in the family home and taught poor children how to read—presumably after they'd stopped staring wide-eyed at the stately parlour they'd just been ushered into. But things really kicked off in 1813 when she visited Newgate Prison and was absolutely flattened by what she saw: women crammed together like forgotten laundry, children hanging on to their mothers' skirts, and the smell—well, let’s just say she carried a vinaigrette bottle around with her not because she liked salad dressing.

She went home, probably had a quiet cry, and then—in that glorious Quaker way—got on with things. By Christmas 1816, she’d decided that if nobody else was going to sort out the prisons, she would. She returned to Newgate, rolled up her sleeves (figuratively—Quaker sleeves don’t roll easily), and set about restoring a bit of human dignity.

In 1817, she founded an association for the improvement of female prisoners, focused on giving them something wildly radical at the time: education, a bit of structure, and something to do that didn’t involve weeping or waiting for the gallows.

She was undeterred by the smells, the noise, the moral chaos—and not remotely fussed about being the only well-bred woman spending long days in a place most people wouldn't visit without divine assurance and several armed guards. To Elizabeth, prisoners weren’t wretches to be condemned; they were fellow souls, badly bruised, who deserved a chance. She didn’t just preach this belief; she lived it, with ginger biscuits, sewing kits, and a gospel message tucked under her arm.

She was also remarkably practical. When women convicts were being shipped off to Australia with nothing but misery in their baggage, Fry made sure each one had cloth and thread—basic supplies to stitch and sell, so they might have an alternative to prostitution upon arrival. She did this for 20 years, checking every ship as if each one carried her own daughters.

Of course, not everyone appreciated a woman being wise, influential, and perpetually surrounded by officials. The press took swipes. Some said she neglected her home and family. But Fry, being Fry, just carried on. She was even invited to France in 1838 by King Louis Philippe to tidy up his prisons too—which she did, with her usual serenity and an alarming number of train journeys. Belgium, Holland, Switzerland, Germany, Denmark—none were safe from her clipboards and gentle disapproval.

Queen Victoria herself took a shine to her, declaring her a “very superior person,” which from Victoria is like a standing ovation. The Queen even gave her money for her charities, which is always handy.

Fry’s faith wasn’t just a footnote; it was the pulse of everything she did. She preached the transforming message of the Cross to anyone who would listen—sometimes thousands at a time—in an era when women were expected to stay quietly near the tea service.

She founded Britain’s first nurses' training school after a trip to Germany, reformed attitudes to criminals, opposed capital punishment and slavery, and somehow became the most famous Englishwoman of her day—all while maintaining that plain Quaker attire and carrying that faithful vinaigrette bottle wherever she went.

In short: Elizabeth Fry was a force of grace-fuelled compassion wrapped in muslin and moral courage. And the rest of us? We’ve still got some catching up to do.

PHILOSOPHY & THEOLOGY Elizabeth Fry was a devout Quaker whose faith shaped every aspect of her life and work. The Quaker tradition—formally known as the Religious Society of Friends—is a Christian movement rooted in values of equality, peace, and social justice. These principles deeply influenced Fry's humanitarian efforts, especially her groundbreaking work in prison reform.

Her family worshipped at the Quaker Meeting House in Upper Goat Lane, Norwich. Under her mother’s guidance, Elizabeth and her siblings spent two hours each day in silent worship. As a young woman, she befriended Amelia Alderson, whose father was involved in the radical Corresponding Society, which campaigned for universal suffrage and annual parliaments. At the Alderson home, Elizabeth was introduced to the revolutionary ideas of thinkers such as Mary Wollstonecraft, Tom Paine, and William Godwin. For a brief time, she even adopted republican views and was seen riding through Norwich with a tricolor in her hat.

One February day in 1798 when she was 18 Elizabeth heard a sermon by William Savery, a visiting Quaker minister from America, and was deeply moved. She persuaded her father to invite Savery to dinner, and the conversation that followed left a lasting impression. In her journal, she wrote, “Today I felt there is a God,” and described his words as “a refreshing shower on parched up earth.” This experience marked a profound spiritual awakening and led her to turn away from youthful frivolity and toward a life of purpose. (7)

Over time, Elizabeth embraced a more rigorous Quaker life. Yet, she wrestled with the desire to avoid becoming a “plain Friend” in the traditional sense. Instead, she channeled her energy into helping others. At Earlham Hall, she ran a Sunday school in the laundry for working-class children, many of whom were already employed in Norwich’s factories. Her sisters affectionately called the children “Betsy’s imps.” There, she taught them to read and write and shared Bible stories.

In 1811, she was officially recognized as a Quaker minister—a role that was open to both men and women and based on spiritual inspiration rather than professional status. Her outreach expanded to include collecting clothes for the poor and visiting the sick.

Elizabeth’s prison reform work was rooted in her belief that compassion, not punishment, was the true path to rehabilitation. She emphasized providing both spiritual and practical support, believing that religious instruction, kindness, and humane treatment could inspire change. Rather than fixating on past offenses, she focused on prisoners' behavior and potential for reform—especially among women. Her faith taught her that every individual, no matter their circumstance, was capable of redemption.

POLITICS Elizabeth Fry's political views were shaped by her Quaker beliefs and her experiences with prison reform. While not overtly political in the partisan sense, she was a social reformer who worked to influence government policy regarding prisons and the treatment of prisoners.

In 1818, she gave evidence to the House of Commons on the conditions in British prisons, becoming the first woman to present evidence in Parliament. Her testimony and advocacy were instrumental in the passage of the 1823 Gaols Act, which mandated sex-segregation of prisons and female warders for female inmates.

Many Quakers, including Fry, spoke out against capital punishment, believing it conflicted with their religion. Although Fry comforted the condemned, she never openly campaigned for the complete abolition of the death penalty. She did, however, campaign with some success against capital punishment.

Fry's approach to reform was pragmatic rather than radical. She worked within existing systems to bring about change, using her social connections and reputation to influence those in power. She used her position in society to influence the view of prisons and prisoners among the political elite.

SCANDAL Her work was not without controversy. Some people criticized Fry for having such an influential role as a woman, while others alleged that she was neglecting her duties as a wife and mother in order to conduct her humanitarian work. These criticisms reflect the gender norms and expectations of her time rather than any personal scandal.

In 1828, Joseph Fry — Elizabeth Fry’s husband — was declared bankrupt after the collapse of his banking business, J. Fry & Sons. As a result, he was disowned (or excluded) by the Society of Friends (Quakers). The Quaker community had strict ethical standards around financial responsibility and stewardship, especially regarding the use of other people’s money. The fact that Fry’s business failure had jeopardized other people’s assets was seen as a serious breach of those principles.

Following the bankruptcy, Elizabeth Fry faced public criticism, including accusations that she had used funds from her husband’s bank to support her charitable activities. There is no evidence that Elizabeth misused bank funds, and these accusations appear to have stemmed from misunderstanding or suspicion during a time of public scrutiny and financial scandal.

MILITARY RECORD  As a Quaker, she would have adhered to the Peace Testimony, which opposes war and military service.

HEALTH AND PHYSICAL FITNESS Elizabeth Fry experienced both mental and physical health challenges throughout her life.  During childhood, she suffered from what she described as "the most tender nervous system" and experienced "serious attacks of convulsions" between the ages of 13 and 16. She found it difficult to articulate her experiences and had few people she could confide in.

As an adult, her journals contain over 70 entries describing herself as “depressed,” “low in mind,” or “melancholy.” When considered alongside her persistent anxieties, these symptoms suggest she likely suffered from what would today be diagnosed as a mixed anxiety and depressive disorder.

In adulthood, Fry also endured bouts of physical illness, including recurring coughing and fevers that reminded her painfully of the two sisters she had lost to tuberculosis. Like many in the 19th century, she suffered from severe dental problems, which doctors treated with bloodletting—attaching leeches to her gums. Understandably distressed by such procedures but fearful of tooth extraction without anaesthetic, Fry sought other forms of relief, turning to common pain remedies of the era such as brandy and water, gin, and laudanum (a mix of opium and alcohol) 

Remarkably, rather than hindering her, these experiences seemed to deepen her empathy, particularly for those facing mental illness. (3)

HOMES Elizabeth Fry lived in several homes throughout her life. Her childhood family home was Earlham Hall, which is now part of the University of East Anglia. Her family moved from Norwich to Earlham Hall in 1768.

Earlham Hall at the University of East Anglia, by George Littleboy,  Wikipedia

After her marriage to Joseph Fry in 1800, the couple moved to London and settled at St Mildred's Court, Poultry in the City of London. 

In 1809, following the death of her husband's father, the family moved to Plashet House in East Ham, which was a larger home and had been Joseph's father's house. This is where she raised her 11 children and was active in the local area, co-founding a school for girls and donating food and clothing to the community.

After her husband's bank went bankrupt in 1828, they moved to Upton Lane in West Ham. Plashet House was demolished in the 1880s.

TRAVEL Elizabeth Fry traveled extensively as part of her prison reform work. She toured prisons in England and Scotland in 1818 and established Ladies' Associations in various locations. She also traveled in northern England, Ireland, and much of Europe, inspecting prisons and writing reports.

Between 1838 and 1843, she made five visits to various European countries, including France, Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Switzerland, where she met with royalty, government officials, and other reformers to share her methods and advocate for prison reform. Her travels helped disseminate her ideas internationally.

During these visits, she observed prison conditions and advocated for reforms similar to those she had implemented in England. In her journal, she described some of her travel experiences, such as finding a hotel in Paris "oppressive" due to "the noise of the streets so great".

DEATH Elizabeth Fry died of a stroke on October 12, 1845, in Ramsgate, Kent, at the age of 65. Her death marked the end of a life dedicated to social reform, especially the improvement of prison conditions for women and the marginalized.

As a devout Quaker, Elizabeth Fry’s funeral followed Quaker customs, which are typically simple and do not involve formal religious services. Nevertheless, her burial was a significant public event due to her national reputation. Over a thousand people attended her burial, standing in silence to pay their respects—a remarkable turnout, especially for a Quaker funeral. In an extraordinary gesture of respect, the seamen of the Ramsgate Coast Guard flew their flag at half-mast, a practice previously reserved only for the death of a ruling monarch.

Elizabeth Fry was buried in the Friends' (Quaker) burial ground at Barking, Essex. Her headstone, which also commemorates her husband Joseph Fry, was later moved to the Quaker Cemetery in Bush Road, Wantage, but her remains are still interred at Barking. The inscription on the stone is simple, in keeping with Quaker tradition.

APPEARANCES IN MEDIA

Elizabeth Fry has been commemorated in various forms of media and memorials

1. Biographical Accounts and Memoirs: Elizabeth Fry’s life was first widely known through the Memoir of Elizabeth Fry, published shortly after her death by her daughters. This became an influential Victorian-era biography and helped cement her reputation as a moral and religious reformer.

2. Television and Film: Though she hasn't been the focus of many mainstream films, she has featured in several British television documentaries and historical dramatizations about social reform or notable women in history. 

BBC and Channel 4 have referenced her in programming focused on 19th-century reformers.

She was featured in the BBC Radio 4 series Great Lives, which profiled her humanitarian work.

3. Documentaries: Her story is often covered in prison reform documentaries or specials about women’s history in Britain. She’s portrayed as a pioneering figure whose work helped inspire modern ideas about humane incarceration.

4. Currency:  Elizabeth Fry appeared on the back of the Bank of England £5 note that was in circulation from 2002 until May 2017. She was one of only three historical women (aside from Elizabeth II) to appear on a Bank of England banknote. This brought renewed public awareness of her legacy, especially in education and media coverage at the time.

5. Books and Educational Media She appears in many school curricula, children’s history books, and BBC Bitesize resources, particularly in lessons about social justice, prison reform, and notable British women.

6. Public Monuments and Cultural References: There are several plaques commemorating her at various locations, including her birthplace in Norwich, her childhood home of Earlham Hall, and St. Mildred's Court in London where she lived when first married. There is also an Elizabeth Fry Road in Earlham and a St. Mildred's Road in Earlham commemorating her.

On the campus of The University of East Anglia, there is a modern building named in her honor, which is home to the university's School of Social Work and Psychology. There is also a stone statue of her in the Old Bailey.

In the United States, the School of Social Work at Stanford University is located in a building named after her. Her story has been used to inspire members of the Suffragette movement in the 1900s.

ACHIEVEMENTS Elizabeth Fry's achievements were numerous and far-reaching:

She was instrumental in the 1823 Gaols Act, which mandated sex-segregation of prisons and female warders for female inmates to protect them from sexual exploitation.

She established schools for prisoners and their children, providing education that could help them after release.

She founded the 'Ladies' Association for the reformation of the Female Prisoners in Newgate', which later became the British Society of Ladies for Promoting the Reformation of Female Prisoners in 1821.

She became a leader in the principles of prison management, advocating for humane treatment and rehabilitation rather than harsh punishment.

She was the first woman to present evidence in Parliament, testifying to the House of Commons about prison conditions in 1818.

She established a nightly shelter in London in 1820.

She campaigned with some success against capital punishment.

She traveled and spoke widely and wrote on humanitarian issues.

She regularly visited the poor and sick and did what she could to improve their lives.

In 1840, she established one of Britain's first nurse training schools, the 'Institute of Nursing Sisters', which trained early mental health nurses through a partnership with Dr. John Connelly's Hanwell Lunatic Asylum.

She directly influenced renowned nineteenth-century North American mental health reformer Dorothea Dix.

She introduced a scheme for women being transported to Australia, providing them with bags containing useful items including materials to make patchwork quilts during the voyage, which could demonstrate their skills to potential employers upon arrival.

Elizabeth Fry's legacy continues through the Elizabeth Fry Societies established throughout Canada and other countries, which carry on her work of supporting marginalized women and advocating for prison reform.

Sources (1) Christians For Social Action (2) Set Apart  (3) National Library of Medicine (4) Western Friend (5) UK Wells (6) Gutenberg.org (7) Encyclopaedia Of Trivia