Mary Elizabeth Heywood was born on 31st December 1828 in Swinton, Lancashire to Thomas Heywood, a banker, and his wife Mary Elizabeth Barton. She was the third of four children.

Thomas Heywood bought Hope End Estate in 1832 from Edward Moulton Barrett.

Mary grew up in the same house as Elizabeth Barrett Browning. She was also educated at home, learnt to speak three foreign languages and to sing well.

Thomas donated the land for the Church, cemetery and the Vicarage in Wellington Heath and paid for them to be built in 1841. He also paid for the running expenses for the Infant School on The Common. Mary’s mother held meetings for mothers.

To complete her musical education, Mary travelled to Rome with her mother and there met George Henry Sumner, the son of the Bishop of Winchester.

They married in Colwall Church on 26th July 1848 amid great celebrations in our village.

They moved to Alresford in Hampshire when George was appointed vicar there. They had three children and Mary gave music and Bible lessons.

After the deaths of her father Thomas in 1866 and her mother Mary in 1870, the Hope End Estate was sold in 1873 to the Hewitt family. The font in the Church was given as a memorial to Mr. and Mrs. Heywood by the Rev. and Mrs. Sumner. Thomas and Mary Heywood were buried in the old cemetery behind Christ Church.

In 1876, when her daughter Margaret gave birth, Mary was inspired to start meetings for mothers in the Alresford parish to offer mutual support. This was quite radical for the time as it called for mothers of all social classes to support one another and it also recognised motherhood as an important profession in it’s own right.

In 1885, while attending the Portsmouth Church Congress, Mary was invited to address women churchgoers. She gave a passionate address about the importance of women’s vocation as mothers to change the nation for the better.

A number of women started similar mothers’ meetings in their own parishes and the then Bishop of Winchester, Edward Browne, made the Mothers’ Union a diocesan organisation.

The concept spread quickly to other dioceses, including Hereford, and then throughout the U.K. A Central Council was set up in 1896 and Mary was elected President, a post she held into her 90’s. Subsequently branches were set up around the world.

From 1900 onwards, Mary and Mothers’ Union members started to advocate on issues of key importance to families and children. She campaigned to stop children collecting alcohol for their parents from public houses and for the age of marriage for girls to be raised from 12 to 16. She was not afraid to speak up on difficult issues despite resistance from the establishment.

Mary died aged 92 on 11th August 1921 and was buried in the grounds of Winchester Cathedral with her husband.

The Mother’s Union now has branches in 84 countries and has 4 million members.

There are 17 groups in Herefordshire and they volunteer across all age groups.

(Images courtesy of the Women's Institute Website)