Anne Clough

Anne Clough, a pioneer in women’s education, was herself educated at home—common practice for women of her time—but determined to create public educational opportunities for other young women. She opened her first school in the family home in 1841, and a second followed when she moved to Ambleside. Her commitment to education led to her appointment in 1871 as director of a hostel in Cambridge for women who traveled there to attend lectures. This hostel, originally home to five students, grew to become Newnham College, a women’s college at the University of Cambridge founded in 1880. Clough was Newnham’s first principal; Clough Hall was named in her honor.