Octavia Hill

Octavia Hill was an English social reformer who focused on the well-being of city dwellers, particularly in London, in the second half of the nineteenth century. She was born into a family of radical thinkers and reformers who were deeply committed to reducing poverty, and she grew up in difficult circumstances as a result of her father's business failures. Her mother educated her at home, and she began working for the welfare of workers when she was 14 years old. Hill was a driving factor in...See more

Octavia Hill was an English social reformer who focused on the well-being of city dwellers, particularly in London, in the second half of the nineteenth century. She was born into a family of radical thinkers and reformers who were deeply committed to reducing poverty, and she grew up in difficult circumstances as a result of her father's business failures. Her mother educated her at home, and she began working for the welfare of workers when she was 14 years old. Hill was a driving factor in the construction of communal housing, and her early association with John Ruskin allowed her to put her theories into action with the help of his initial investment. Hill was also concerned about the availability of open areas for low-income people. She battled against development in existing suburban woodlands and helped to prevent construction on London's Hampstead Heath and Parliament Hill Fields. She was one of the three founding members of the National Trust, which was established to preserve places of historical interest or natural beauty for the enjoyment of the British people. She was a founding member of the Charity Organisation Society (now Family Action), which organised philanthropic funds and pioneered a home-visiting program that laid the groundwork for modern social work. She was on the Royal Commission on Poor Laws in 1905. See less