her Neighbours' (Jan. 1898) and 'The Yangtze Valley and Beyond' (November 1899) dedicated to Lord Salisbury.
Mrs. Bishop was a keen photographer, and in 1900 published a collection of 'Chinese Pictures,' notes on photographs made in China. In December 1900, though nearly seventy years of age, she went to Morocco for six months, but illness prevented her from writing more than an article in the 'Monthly Review' on her experiences. Another visit to China was contemplated, but her health entirely gave way, and after many months of illness she died at Edinburgh on 7 Oct. 1904; she was buried at the Dean cemetery. In 1905 a memorial clock to her sister's memory, the 'Henrietta Amelia Bird' memorial clock, was erected at Tobermory from funds bequeathed by her for the purpose.
Mrs. Bishop was small in stature, quiet in speech and manner, and was a traveller of extraordinary courage. Fearless on horseback, she explored alone the most dangerous and barbarous countries. A keen observer with a retentive memory, she was a fluent speaker and had great power of vivid narrative. A restless disposition led her, even when not travelling, constantly to change her home in England and Scotland. Her love of travel was stimulated by chronic ill-health, the repeated losses in her family, which produced a sense of loneliness, and above all by her missionary enthusiasm. 'A critical but warm supporter of missions, especially of medical missions,' she held that Christianity should be presented to natives as far as possible through native teaching. She combined with a sympathetic interest in native races love of adventure and zeal for scientific study. Her valuable records of travel and the extent of her wanderings give her a place among the most accomplished travellers of her time (Geographical Journal, July to December, 1904, p. 596).
[Life of Isabella Bird (Mrs. Bishop), by Anna M. Stoddart, 1906; Women of Worth, by Jennie Campbell, 1908 the Adventures of a Lady Traveller; The Story of Isabella Bird Bishop, by Constance Williams, Sunday School Union, 1909; Annual Register, 1904; The Times, 10 Oct. 1904; Geographical Journal (Roy. Geog. Soc.), July to Dec. 1904.]
BLACKBURN, HELEN (1842–1903), pioneer of woman's suffrage, born at Knightstown, Valencia Island, co. Kerry, on 25 May 1842, was only surviving daughter of Bewicke Blackburn, civil engineer, manager of the Knight of Kerry's slate quarries on Valencia from 1837. Her mother was Isabella, youngest daughter of Humble Lamb of Ryton Hall, co. Durham.
The father (1811-1897), who left Ireland for London about 1859, was an ingenious inventor (cf. Indexes, 1854-63, Patent Office Library). The Blackburn steam car which he patented 1877 was an early anticipation of the motor-car (see Field, 23 Nov. 1878, p. 660; W. W. Beaumont's Cantor Lectures, 1896, p. 29; his Motor Vehicles, 1900, i. 41, 320; and Rhys Jenkins's Motor Cars, 1902, p. 116). Blackburn also patented improvements in velocipedes; his death at the age of eighty-five resulted from an accident while riding near Tunbridge Wells, on 13 Jan. 1897. Some relics of Charles I which he inherited were sold subsequently to King Edward VII. Miss Blackburn, who early developed literary and artistic tastes, soon interested herself in the woman's suffrage movement. From 1874 to 1895 she acted in London as secretary to the central committee of the National Society, which was founded in 1867. But she frequently visited Bristol, and from 1880 to 1895 was also secretary of the Bristol and West of England Suffrage Society. A series of historical portraits of notable women which she formed for the International Exhibition at Chicago of 1893 she presented to the women's hall of University College, Bristol. She was sole editor of the 'Englishwoman's Review' from 1881 to 1890; from that year Miss Ann Mackenzie was joint editor with her. In 1895 Miss Blackburn gave up most of her public work to look after her father. She was well versed in the history of the suffrage movement, and her 'Women's Suffrage: a Record of the Movement in the British Isles' (1902) remains the standard work.
She died at Greycoat Gardens, Westminster, on 11 Jan. 1903, and was buried at Brompton cemetery. A crayon portrait by Miss Guinness, on her retirement from the Bristol secretaryship, was presented to University College there, and hangs in the women students' room. By her will she bequeathed her excellent library of books upon women's interests to Girton College, Cambridge. A loan fund for training young women, established in her memory in 1905, is administered by the Society for Promoting the Employment of Gentlewomen.
Besides the books cited, Miss Blackburn wrote:
- 'A Handbook for Women engaged
