Partner Constance Maynard

Queer Places:
The Woodhouse, Bessbrook, Newry BT35 7EF, UK
Moyallon Friends' Graveyard, 117 Stramore Rd, Portadown, Craigavon BT63 6HN, UK
Westfield College, 4 and 6 Maresfield Gardens, London NW3 5SU
University of Cambridge, 4 Mill Ln, Cambridge CB2 1RZ

Original Westfield staff, 1888. Pictured here are: (back row left to right) Anne Richardson, Constance Maynard, Mable Beloe, (front row left to right) Caroline Willoughby, Frances Ralph Gray.Anne Wakefield Richardson (September 18, 1859 - 1942) was amongst the original five Westfield College staff. Constance Maynard engaged in a series of passionate relationship with other women during her career in teaching and as mistress of Westfield College. Within a year of founding Westfield, Maynard invited Anne Wakefield Richardson, a young Quaker student from Newnham College, to transfer in the hope of sharing some of the responsabilities of Maynard's position. Richardson brought a friend, Frances Ralph Gray (Ralph), with her and the three women formed a close emotional bond. Constance ultimately fell in love with Ralph and the two were very close for two years before Ralph abruptly withdrew, first into a separate apartment outside of Westfield and later travelling away. However, in 1891 Ralph returned to Westfield, apparently hoping to renew their intimacy.

Anne Wakefield Richardson was born in Northern Ireland, the daughter of John Grubb Richardson (1813-1890) and Jane Marion Wakefield (1832-1909). John Grubb Richardson rwas an Irish linen merchant, industrialist and philanthropist who founded the model village of Bessbrook near Newry in 1845, in what is now Northern Ireland. In 1844, Richardson married Helena Grubb (1819–1849) of Cahir Abbey, Co. Tipperaray,[1] who was his second cousin, his mother, Anne Grubb, and her father, Richard Grubb, were first cousins. John and Helena had a son, James Nicholson Richardson before she died giving birth to a daughter, named Helena. In 1853, Richardson married Jane Marion Wakefield, of Moyallon House, Co. Down.[1] A Quaker, John declined the offer of a baronetcy. With Jane, he had one son and seven daughters: Thomas Wakefield Richardson (7th Dec 1856 - 1928, married Hilda and had one child John Stephens Wakefield Richardson (1898-1985)), Marion (b. 23 Nov 1854), Sarah A. (1855?-1946), Maria (b. about 1857), Anne Wakefield Richardson (18th Sept 1859 -1942), Sarah Edith (born c. 1861), Jean Goff (born 31 May 1861, married George Maynard), Gertrude (b. 21 April 1865, married Mr. Leverton Harris) and Ethel Jasmine/Johanna? (17th Sept 1868 - 1938, married her cousin, R. H. Stephens Richardson).[3] John Grubb Richardson died at Moyallon House, an estate inherited through his second wife's family, near Gilford, County Down.[5] His estate surrounding his Bessbrook home at The Wood House (which was inhabited by the Richardson family until the 1980s) and Derrymore House (now a National Trust property) is a designated historic park.[6] The Woodhouse, his Bessbrook residence, lies a few hundred yards from the Meeting House.

Anne Wakefield Richardson was educated at home. She attended Newnham College, Cambridge from 1881 until 1883.

She became one of the first students to attend Westfield College, where she attained a first class degree in Classics in 1886. Also at the school were Florence (born 1870) and Marion Wakefield (b. 1876) (Anne's cousins) were at Westfield College, London, which had been founded by Constance Maynard (after she spent three years at St Leonards School, in St Andrews, Scotland). Anne and Marion appear to have had what we would now call a relationship with Constance Maynard. Anne was one of the first graduates and was acting Principal between 1917-1919. Marion ended up at Bedford College, gained a BA in Philosophy, an MA in Psychology and pursued a PhD in History at University College London. The college was very evangelical in its outlook because of Constance’s ideas. Perhaps Marion was left a bit impoverished as she never worked or her family did not like her new religious view point.' Florence Wakefield would have had quite an influence on women's education.

Anne Richardson was appointed as Classical Lecturer at Westfield College, a post which she held from 1887 until 1925. She was designated as Senior Residential Lecturer c1903.

She became Acting Principal in 1917, when Principal Agnes de Selincourt died suddenly. Richardson remained Acting Principal until 1919 when Bertha Phillpotts was appointed Principal.

From 1920 to 1928, Richardson was President of the Westfield College Association. Two of her sisters attended Westfield College; Ethel in 1889 and Mary in 1894, although neither of them successfully took a degree. Jean Richardson, another sister, married Constance Maynard's brother, George.

Richardson maintained a life-long connection to Westfield College. She died in 1942.

Papers relating to Richardson's work at Westfield, including letters and photographs, are held by the College Archives.

The Richardson family is buried at Moyallon Friends' Graveyard, Banbridge, County Down, Northern Ireland

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