Alice Ravenhill

Alice Ravenhill (1859, Epping Forest, England – 1954, British Columbia) was an educational pioneer, a developer of Women's Institutes, and one of the first authors to propound aboriginal rights in B.C. She is also the author of numerous articles and books, including her autobiography which she wrote when she was 92.

Biography

Early life and education Ravenhill was born in 1859 in Snaresbrook, then part of the Epping Forest district of Essex.

She grew up as the middle child in a well-to-do English household, one with servants and a level of schooling that was still unusual for girls of her time. Early in life she took an interest in social issues, causing her to undertake studies in public health, child development, and home economics. Study suited her temperament and she pursued every subject with interest and determination.

Her father had other plans. Instead of an education and career, he hoped she would focus her energy on finding a suitable husband. She did find a match and became engaged to marry, but thinking her fiancé unworthy, her father broke off the engagement. Ironically, the rejected suitor later became a prominent surgeon. By 1920 it was a subject for a degree and in 1928 the King's College of Household and Social Science was formed to further their initial idea.

Emigration to Canada In 1910, Ravenhill emigrated to Canada and settled at Shawnigan Lake on Vancouver Island with her sister Edith, brother Horace, and Horace's son Leslie.

After moving to Canada and becoming involved with Women's Institute branches, she continued writing for educational and community audiences. Her work shifted in the 1920s when she was asked to research Indigenous designs for rug hooking. This project led to long-term study of Indigenous cultures in British Columbia and to several publications on the subject. In 1938 she produced The Native Tribes of British Columbia, written as an elementary school curriculum text.

Her growing commitment to Indigenous arts and rights continued through her role in founding the Society for the Furtherance of Indian Arts and Crafts in British Columbia in 1940. Moral Instruction And Training In Girls’ Elementary Schools In England (1908) The Native Tribes of British Columbia (1938) A Corner Stone of Canadian Culture: An Outline of the Arts and Crafts of the Indian Tribes of British Columbia (1944) Memoirs of an Educational Pioneer (1951) Folklore of the Far West, With Some Clues to Characteristics and Customs (1953)

Legacy and honours Ravenhill received an honorary Doctor of Science from the University of British Columbia in 1948 and an honorary Doctor of Home Economics from the American Association of Home Economics in 1950.

In 2008, Ravenhill was designated as a Person of National Historic Significance by the Government of Canada. A plaque associated with this designation is located at 1775 Shawnigan Lake-Mill Bay Road, Shawnigan Lake, British Columbia.