Elizabeth Anstice Baker (24 September 1849 – 16 October 1914) was an Australian writer, philanthropist, and social reformer. Born into an Anglican family, she converted to Roman Catholicism and wrote a book about her religious journey, entitled A Modern Pilgrim's Progress. The book was widely read in Catholic circles and was translated into French. She received the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice medal from Pope Pius X in 1902, becoming the first Australian woman to be honored with this medal.
Baker was active in supporting charitable causes, both in Australia and in England. With her mother, Isabelle Baker, she established the first Catholic hospital in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. A women's rights activist, she participated in the suffrage movement in Australia and England, and was a member of the Catholic Women's League. She also organized a mobile church ministry in England and Wales, known as a motor church, to serve the needs of both Catholics and non-Catholics in rural areas.
Early life and family
Elizabeth Anstice Baker, known as "Bessie", was born on 24 September 1849. According to newspaper articles at the time of her death, she was born in England; she later emigrated to Australia with her family at the age of 15. However, the Australian Dictionary of Biography lists her birthplace as Magill, a suburb of Adelaide, in South Australia.
Her parents were John Baker and Isabella Morrison Baker (née Allan), wealthy landowners. John Baker was born in England, and emigrated at age 25 to the British colony of Van Diemen's Land, now known as Tasmania. Isabella Baker was born in Scotland; her father George Allen was a wealthy landowner in Van Dieman's land. The couple had twelve children; Elizabeth was the sixth child. Her sister Mary Ross died at age 20, shortly after giving birth, and her younger brother, Augustus, died in 1868 of diphtheria.
Baker's father was a successful pastoralist who became quite wealthy through his business dealings. After spending years in Van Diemen's Land, he moved to South Australia where he was a leading figure in society. Among other business and civil endeavors, he helped to establish the South Australia Chamber of Commerce, and served as its first chair. He entered politics in the 1850s, serving on the South Australia Legislative Council and briefly serving as the South Australian premier. He died in 1872, and was given a state funeral. One of his sons, Richard Chaffey Baker, also became a noted Australian politician.
Elizabeth's childhood was shaped by being raised in an affluent and socially active family. She had private schooling at home, and was tutored by Anglican clergyman, as was typical of well-to-do families at that time. Elizabeth was highly intelligent and an avid reader. She also studied in England, and in Paris from 1860 to 1862, before returning to Adelaide to live again with her family.
Conversion to Catholicism
Baker was raised in the Anglican Church of Australia. She recalls in her book A Modern Pilgrim's Progress that her family said daily prayers at home, presumably from the Anglican prayer book, and attended church every Sunday. The family observed a strict sabbath, not allowing children to play or read novels, but encouraging them to read religious material only. Despite finding Sunday services "dull", Baker continued to be regular in church attendance. As a young woman and adult, she was an active church member. When she was grown, she played organ at services at the Anglican church in Adelaide, and taught Sunday School classes.
However, she wrestled internally with questions about her faith. She found it troubling that there were divergent views within Anglicanism; in Australia, these differences were highlighted by internal disputes in the Anglican Church in Australia between those favoring a "high church" tradition, adopting a formal liturgy, and those with a more evangelical approach to the faith, with an emphasis on personal conversion. Baker read widely in theology and philosophy, seeking to find a firm foundation that she could rely on. She was particularly concerned with reconciling a modern view of science with religious belief.
In 1876, Baker traveled to Europe with her sisters and their mother, Isabelle. While residing in France, she was influenced by Etienne Le Vigoureux, a French Dominican priest who served as a teacher and mentor. He was particularly helpful in addressing her questions about science and religion.