Octavia Hill
Octavia Hill was an English social reformer, whose main concern was the welfare of the inhabitants of cities, especially London, in the second half of the nineteenth century. Born into a family of radical thinkers and reformers with a strong commitment to alleviating poverty, she herself grew up in straitened circumstances owing to the financial failure of her father's businesses. Home educated by her mother, she worked from the age of 14 for the welfare of working people.
Homes of the London Poor
Vivid storytelling provides a rare glimpse into how cooperation, dignity, and good management uplifted the lives and living conditions of London's poor.
By Octavia Hill
Life of Octavia Hill as Told in Her Letters
Discover the makings of a social reformer as told through her own letters, revealing a childhood shaped by family struggles and a growing awareness of the world's problems.
By Octavia Hill
Our Common Land (and Other Short Essays)
Step back in time to explore how city dwellers of the 1800s sought relief and recreation in precious open spaces, even as those spaces were threatened and fragile.
By Octavia Hill