Mary Ward (1585–1645)

Mary Ward was an English Catholic who, when persecution of Catholics increased following the Gunpowder Plot, fled to the Spanish Netherlands. There, she entered the monastery of Poor Clares. In 1611, she founded a religious society for the education of exiled English Catholic girls. This society developed into the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary, better known as the Sisters of Loreto (or simply “English Ladies” in some countries). The Institute received Papal recognition in 1703. Mary Ward paved the way for the improved education of girls, and many schools are named after her today.

Portrait of Mary Ward (1585–1645), engraving, 120x77 mm, ca. 1690–1730, unknown artist (German school); source: © Trustees of the British Museum, https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1855-0714-33.