Charitable giving in Victorian Britain: Lord Overstone’s philanthropy. 1843-1883 - Sarah Flew

Описание: In the Victorian age, the British regarded themselves as the most philanthropic nation in the world, and this was an embodiment of their status as the wealthiest nation. The special philanthropic character of the English and British was often referenced in national newspapers with some self-glorification, particularly when the cause related to an incident or disaster overseas. Through a study of the philanthropy of the wealthy banker Samuel Jones Loyd, Baron Overstone (1796-1883), this talk examines the extensive international dimension of his philanthropy. He supported emergency appeals from overseas for a wide range of disasters from isolated weather-related events to national famine. It also covers Lord Overstone’s leadership role in the management of Britain’s distribution of relief during the Irish famine. Lord Overstone also supported a wide range of causes connected to the military and the impact of war in Europe. These focus on charitable efforts relating to: supporting refugees; supporting servicemen and their families; and the establishment of the organisation that went on to become the British Red Cross. Many of these initiatives were closely connected to his son-in-law, Colonel Robert Loyd-Lindsay, later Baron Wantage (1832-1901). In particular, this talk highlights Britain’s philanthropic response to humanitarian crises overseas and how such fundraising was structurally organised in the period 1843 to 1883.


Sarah Flew is an economic historian whose research centres on the financial underpinnings of religious and philanthropic institutions in nineteenth-century Britain. Her scholarship explores the intersection of charity, finance, and religious voluntary organisations, with a particular focus on the Church of England and its funding mechanisms during the Victorian era. Her first book, Philanthropy and the Funding of the Church of England, 1856–1914, investigates the financial strategies employed by the Church and the role of philanthropic networks in sustaining its mission. Her more recent book, Charitable Giving in Victorian Britain: The Legacy of Samuel Jones Loyd (2025), offers a case study of Victorian philanthropy through the lens of one of its most prominent benefactors. Her research is characterised by a rigorous analysis of financial data, archival sources, and institutional records, offering new insights into the economic dimensions of religious life and charitable culture in modern Britain.