Mary Kinnaird

Mary Jane Kinnaird, Lady Kinnaird (born Hoare; 1816–1888) was an English philanthropist and co-founder of the Young Women's Christian Association. Kinnaird has one Women's College and a girls' High School in Pakistan and at least one school and hospital in India named after her.

Life Kinnaird was born Mary Jane Hoare in 1816 at Blatherwick Park in Northamptonshire. Her parents William Henry and Louisa Elizabeth died in 1819 and 1816 respectively leaving her an orphan whilst still a child. She lived with her paternal grandfather Henry Hoare of Mitcham Grove until he died in 1828, when her elder brother Henry Hoare (1807–1866) became her legal guardian. Her day-to-day care was left to aunts and uncles and a governess. She was inspired by reading the evangelist William Romaine's works to Bible study, daily prayers and evangelism. In 1837 she became her uncle's de facto secretary. He was the Honourable and Reverend Baptist Wriothesley Noel who was based at St John's Chapel in Bedford Row in London. She established her own projects and formed St John's Training School for Domestic Servants in 1841. Another pet project was to help fund a Calvin memorial hall in Geneva. She and the Reverend Noel wanted to encourage the spread of European Protestantism and she was visited several times by both the Swiss minister Jean-Henri Merle d'Aubigné and the French minister Frédéric Monod. The school went on to become Kinnaird College for Women University.

YWCA Kinnaird built on her work in establishing the North London Home to found the United Association for the Christian and Domestic Improvement of Young Women, which by 1871 had four institutes and two homes. Wanting to expand this project in 1878, she decided to combine it with the Prayer Union, a Bible study group created by Emma Robarts. Robarts died, but the organisation went on to become the Young Women's Christian Association.

In 1884 the YWCA was restructured – up to that point, London had almost a separate organisation, but there was now just one national YWCA organisation. Beneath this there was different presidents and staff for London, England and Wales, Scotland, Ireland, "Foreign", and Colonial and Missionary. This organisation was involved in distributing Christian texts and literature, but it also interviewed young women in an effort to improve living conditions. In 1884 they were working amongst Scottish fisherwomen, publishing their own magazine and operating a ladies' restaurant in London.

Children In 1887, Kinnaird was widowed, and her son Arthur became the 11th Lord Kinnaird. She died in 1888, survived by Arthur and Frederica Georgina (1845–1929), Louisa Elizabeth (1848–1926), Agneta Olivia (1850–1940), Gertrude Mary (1853–1931) and Emily Cecilia Kinnaird. Frederica and Agneta both married, but the three unmarried daughters, Louisa, Gertrude and Emily, continued their mother's good works. Louisa was active in London but both Gertrude and particularly Emily were missionaries.