Sophia Armitt

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Sophia Armitt (1847-12/6/1908)

Biography

Sophia Armitt 1847-1908

Eldest of the Armitt sisters (the others being Annie Armitt 1850-1933 and Mary Louisa Armitt, known as Louie 1851-1911).

Born in Salford.
Attended the Manchester School of Art.
In 1866 Sophia and Annie were sent to Paris to study French.
1867 their father died suddenly.
Sisters founded a school and Sophia became the headmistress.
In 1882 Louie and Sophia received a legacy enough to live on, and moved to Lake District where Annie was already living near Hawkshead.
In 1894 they moved to Rydal, to be joined by Annie now widowed.
Sophia Armitt died on 12 June 1908.

Wrote botanical notes 1870-1892, eg:
Irritability in Plants The Parents Review, Volume 7, 1896, pp. 521-526.
Winter Buds Ibid. Volume 8, no. 3, 1897, pp. 162-169.
Water Plants Ibid. Volume 8, 1897, pgs. 375-381.
Characteristic Forms of the Lake District Flora Ibid. Volume 9, 1898, p. 780.
Seedless Reproduction of Seed Plants Ibid. Volume 10, 1899, p. 98.
Nature Notes for April (with her sister Mary = Louie) Ibid. Volume 10, 1899, p. 251.
Garden Gossip 2 Ibid. Volume 12, 1901, pp. 146-148.
Garden Gossip 3 Ibid. Volume 12, 1901, pp. 222-225.
Garden Gossip 4 Ibid. Volume 12, 1901, pp. 296-297.
Garden Gossip 5 Ibid. Volume 12, 1901, pp. 382-386.
Garden Gossip 6 Ibid. Volume 12, no. 9, 1901, pp. 459-462.
Garden Gossip 7 Ibid. Volume 12, 1901, pp. 715-717.
Garden Gossip 8 Ibid. Volume 12, no.9, 1901, pp. 814-816.
Garden Gossip 9 Ibid. Volume 12, no. 9, 1901, pp. 884-886.
Garden Gossip 10 Ibid. Volume 12, no. 9, 1901, pp. 965-967.

Book of drawings and watercolours of fungi 1906.

'By her will Miss M. L. Armitt left her own and her sister Sophia's books to form a students' library in Ambleside. Opened in November, 1912, under the name of the Armitt Library' (details from "Rydal. Edited by Willingham F. Rawnsley" 1916). This library was the forerunner of the Armitt Museum.