Frances Batty Shand

???? - 11th Feb 1885


Biography

Youngest daughter of planter John Shand (died c. 1825) and his long-term partner, a free woman of colour called Frances Brown. Born in Jamaica but moved to Scotland in childhood, probably in the care of her aunt Helen Shand of Elgin, Moray.

Frances Batty Shand, "sometime residing in Glasgow and also in Edinburgh thereafter at Cardiff, afterwards residing at Rosebank, Bridge of Allan, Stirlingshire, and lateley at Montreux, Switzerland" died at Montreux 11/02/1885. She was buried at St John's Cardiff.

While living with her brother in Cardiff she was instrumental in founding the Cardiff Institute for the Blind: "Miss Shand was concerned with the “ragged” children she saw in Cardiff and toured the city offering help and support. Miss Shand first opened a small workshop in the Canton area of Cardiff, employing four blind men making baskets for the coal ships sailing from Cardiff ports. Within a year larger, premises were purchased at Byron Street in the Roath area, and ten men were employed. In 1868 a third move was made to Longcross Street off Newport Road, and a fourth move to the iconic Shand House."

In her will, Frances left c. £2,600 in small legacies, £1,000 and a life interest in her property at Moss Terrace, Elgin to Ann Allardice, £1,000 to the trustees of the Cardiff Association for Improving the Social Conditions of the Blind for the 'Shand Memorial Fund' and the residue to the Glamorganshire and Monmouthshire Infirmary for the maintenance of a children's ward named for her late brother John Shand as the 'Shand Memorial Ward'. Her estate in Scotland was valued for probate at £11,777 2s 5d.

Her will gives further details of family relations, mentioning Helen, Lilian and [blank] Shand, "the daughters of my cousin the late Col. John Shand" and Helen, Minnie and Christine, "the daughters of my cousin William Shand Esq. of Newcastle Upon Tyne".


Sources

Will of John Shand, PROB 11/1710/17; will of Frances Brown, PROB 11/1953/170.

Website of the Cardiff Insitute for the Blind, http://www.cibi.co.uk/about-us/history/ [accessed 09/06/2015].

Burial of Frances Batty Shand, Familysearch.org, Wales, Glamorgan Parish Registers, 1558-1900 [database online].

Inventory of Frances Batty Shand, SC70/1/240; will of Frances Batty Shand, SC70/4/211.

1861 census at Park Place, Cardiff; 1871 census online at 13 Windsor Place, Cardiff.


Further Information

Absentee?
British/Irish
Spouse
died unmarried
Children
d.s.p.
Will
A will but no further details
Wealth at death
£11,777 2S 5D
Occupation
Charity worker

Legacies Summary

Cultural (1)

Founder
Cardiff Institute for the Blind...... 

Relationships (3)

Natural Daughter → Mother
Niece → Uncle
Natural Daughter → Father

Addresses (4)

Montreux, Switzerland
13 Windsor Place, Cardiff, Glamorgan, South Wales, Wales
Park Place, Cardiff, Glamorgan, South Wales, Wales
Rosebank, Bridge Of Allan, Stirlingshire, Central Scotland, Scotland