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Harriet Findlay

1880 – 1954

English political activist and philanthropist

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About Harriet Findlay

Lived 1880 – 1954 (aged 74). Harriet Findlay was a justice of the peace and politician.

Life Harriet Jane Backhouse was born in County Durham, the only daughter of banker Sir Jonathan Backhouse, 1st Baronet (1849–1918) and Florence Salusbury-Trelawny (1845–1902), daughter of John Salusbury-Trelawny. She had five brothers; her eldest, Edmund Blackhouse, was a prominent scholar, and two others, Sir Roger Backhouse and Oliver Backhouse, had distinguished careers in the Royal Navy. In 1929, she founded the Portobello Toddler Hut, the longest-running community-operated nursery school in the United Kingdom.

She was active in Scottish politics becoming a Justice of the Peace in Edinburgh in 1926 and being elected president of the Scottish Unionist Association in 1927. She chaired the management board of the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary during the Great Depression.

Personal life Harriet Backhouse married Scottish newspaper proprietor Sir John Ritchie Findlay, 1st Baronet (son of John Ritchie Findlay and Susan Leslie) on 9 July 1901. They had three sons and two daughters, including:

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Important facts

Birth century
Awards
Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire

People in Harriet Findlay's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Harriet Findlay's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Harriet Findlay?

English political activist and philanthropist (1880–1954)

When was Harriet Findlay born?

Harriet Findlay was born on 12 March 1880.

When did Harriet Findlay die?

Harriet Findlay died on 24 July 1954.

What was Harriet Findlay's occupation?

Harriet Findlay was a justice of the peace and politician.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Harriet Findlay

· Wikidata: Q5664125

· DBpedia: Harriet Findlay

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Harriet Findlay. https://biography.guide/harriet-findlay/

MLA: "Harriet Findlay." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/harriet-findlay/.

Chicago: "Harriet Findlay." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/harriet-findlay/.

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