Julie Schwabe

Julie Schwabe (or Julie Salis-Schwabe; 31 January 1818 – 20 May 1896) was a British philanthropist, educationalist and school founder. She founded schools in Italy and in the UK she established the influential Froebel Education Institute now known as Froebel College. Life Schwabe was born in Bremen in 1818 and when she was 20 she married her cousin Salis (born Salomon ben Elias) Schwabe, a successful cotton printer in Manchester, of Westphalian Jewish origin but a convert to the Unitarian church. She was known as Julie by the time of their marriage on 14 October 1837. Her husband had become a British citizen two years before. He worked closely with his workers, although he abhorred socialism. This view was not shared by Julie who could see benefits if it fed those in need. Salis Schwabe bought an established mill that had once been damaged in Luddite riots. The Schwabes became very rich from this cotton print factory but they also supplied the funds to establish a school and a library for their employees. Schwabe was known for entertaining which was done at Crumpsall House near Manchester, a leisure residence Glyn Garth near Beaumaris and a house in Paris. They moved into Crumpsall House in 1848 and this was a Georgian styled house with grounds, stables and sixteen staff who, according to the 1851 census, were looking after the Schwabes and their seven children and guests. The staff included nurses and at one time she employed Celestine Doudet as a governess. After Doudet left their employ, she was charged with murder in Paris. Doudet had been employed to take a Dr Marsden's five daughters to Paris where she was to "cure" them of masturbation. Marsden and Doudet had introduced restraints and punishments to try and cure the girls. Marsden threatened to abandon his daughters if they could not desist. Mary Ann Marsden died from cruelty and starvation or as Doudet said from whooping cough. Schwabe appeared at her trial as a character witness and when Doudet was found guilty of causing the death (reduced on appeal to cruelty) Schwabe tried unsuccessfully to get the novelist Charles Dickens to intercede.