Bessie Anstice Baker
Bessie Anstice Baker | |
|---|---|
Portrait of Bessie Anstice Baker from the Library of South Australia | |
| Born | 24 September 1849 Magill, South Australia, Australia |
| Died | 16 October 1914 (aged 65) London, England |
| Occupation(s) | writer, lay Catholic leader |
| Notable work | A Modern Pilgrim's Progress |
Elizabeth Anstice Baker (24 September 1849 – 16 October 1914) was an Australian writer, philanthropist, and social reformer. Born into an Anglican family, she converted to Roman Catholicism and wrote a book about her religious journey, entitled A Modern Pilgrim's Progress. The book was widely read in Catholic circles and was translated into French. She received the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice medal from Pope Pius X in 1902, becoming the first Australian woman to be honored with this medal.
Baker was active in supporting charitable causes, both in Australia and in England. With her mother, Isabelle Baker, she established the first Catholic hospital in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. A women's rights activist, she participated in the suffrage movement in Australia and England, and was a member of the Catholic Women's League. She also organized a mobile church ministry in England and Wales, known as a motor church, to serve the needs of both Catholics and non-Catholics in rural areas.