A service of Commemoration will be held for Mary Carpenter at Arnos Vale Cemetery on Sunday 26th September 2010. 

Starting at 12 noon Carla Contractor, a Trustee of Arnos Vale, together it is hoped with the Lord Mayor of Bristol, will greet guests at the tomb of the Rajah Rammohun Roy before the start of the service of commemoration for Mary Carpenter inside the wonderfully restored Anglican Chapel.  For those who wish, there will be a visit to the grave of Mary Carpenter followed by refreshments inside the Spielman Centre. 

Mary Carpenter was a well known and highly regarded social reformer who lived in Bristol carrying out her work in setting up boys` and girls` Reformatories and ending penal sentences for children.  She was a lifelong admirer of the Rajah Rammohun Roy and was at hand locally to meet the many Indian and Brahmo-Samaji pilgrims who came to see the chattri. She kept a record of their visits in her handwritten "Book of Indian Visitors to the grave of Rajah Rammohun Roy", who's chattri is in the cemetery to the right of the main A4 Bath Road entrance and clearly visible from the gates,  and invited many of them to stay with her in her home next to the Red Lodge Reformatory in Clifton.

Finally, when her many educational and penal reforms had taken hold in Britain, she set herself the task of writing "The Last Days of Rajah Rammohun Roy ". As soon as this book was printed in 1866, she went off to India herself to carry similar reforms to the sub-continent. In fact she went to India four times in all, during her last decade, "in memory of my beloved father and the noble Rajah" where she carried out her work. 

She is  buried in Arnos Vale, up a short path which runs from behind the Memorial Wall. Her grave carries a large white cross, and is very clean and shining today as her grave too has recently been restored and cleaned.

All are welcome to attend the event for Mary Carpenter but it would help greatly if you could contact the office on This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or telephone 0117 971 9117 to confirm your attendance in order to help with the catering arrangements.