However, one of her primary interests was developing education for the underprivileged, and she considered her greatest achievement the establishment of Ealing Grove School.
Basing its principles on Emanuel de Fellenberg’s school at Hofwyl in Switzerland, it aimed to provide practical as well as idealistic education, with lessons including allotment schemes, carpentry, masonry, and guidance on the marketing of garden produce.
Ada regularly helped by giving lessons.
A rare reminder of her work in Ealing proved the best-performing lot at the Forum (26/25/20/12.5% buyer’s premium) Books & Works on Paper sale on June 13. This small form printed for the Ealing Depository is annotated by Lovelace in ink: Let Mrs Gore, Widow resident at The Alms Houses receive some soup A. Ada Byron. It is dated 1834, one year before she married William King, Lord Lovelace.
Estimated at £200-300, it hammered at £5500.
