Author, traveller and social campaigner is an understatement.
She went with her husband Archiabld John Little (1838-1908) to China in 1887 and together as a couple made a huge contribution to the opening up of inland trade and improving the lives of Chinese women by campaigning against foot-binding. From 1895 she encouraged European women in China to join the anti-footbinding movement. She didn’t hold back on the truly shocking effects of foot-binding, showing x-rays of women with bound feet in her speeches. She even had the support of a Chinese Viceroy, Li Hung-chang, and perhaps most importantly, the Dowager Empress, Cixi.
In this blog article by Bryan Sitch, Deputy Head of Collection in Manchester Museum as part of a number of ongoing reserach projects and events for the opening of the Lee Kai Hung Chinese Cultural Gallery at Manchester Museum in 2022 we can read the remarkable life of this woman and her husband.
"Mrs Archibald Little informs us that she intends visiting Hongkong and Canton shortly in the interests of the anti-footbinding society of which she is the founder. She will doubtless lecture in Hongkong on the subject."
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Alicia Ellen Neve Bewicke
Her name is shown as Alicia Neva Bewicke on various books she wrote and which are advertised on Amazon
British Museum shows her as
1881 Census 15 Camden Hill Road Kensington London
Alice (sic) E N Bewicke Umarried age 35 Authoress Income derived from investments. Born Madeira Portugal.
She has a live in cook and parlourmaid.
She married at St Martin in the Fields in the Parish of St George Hanover Square London on 26 November 1886 and signed her own name as Alicia Ellen Neve Bewicke aged 41 spinster. Address 15 Camden Hill Road London W, daughter of Calverley Bewicke gentleman deceased. Spouse Archibald John Little 48 Bachelor Merchant address 18 Park Street London W, Witnesses Calverley J Bewicke and E. Muirhead Little.
Archibald John Little was the son of William John Little M.D. formerly senior physician at the London Hospital
Carl Smith Card 119787
27 January 1907 the couple left for England
Probate Calendar Gives date of death as 31 July 1926 aged 81 She was a widow.
Her husband Archibald John Little died in Falmouth Cornwall in 1908. Death registered Quarter 4 1908. Probate Calendar gives his date of death as 5 November 1908, He was born 18 April 1838 in London.
I've changed her family name…
I've changed her family name from Berwicke to Bewicke to match the other sources.