Ebenezer Howard, father of the garden city movement, is rightly celebrated all over the world.

But he wouldn’t have been able to campaign as he did for the world’s first garden city – Letchworth – and see it established from 1903, without the support of his wife, Lizzie.

She, too, spoke and argued for the cause but also looked after the couple’s four children and ran the family home, enabling Ebenezer to devote his time to his vision of an ideal town, combining the best of urban and rural living. It’s time to commemorate Eliza Ann in the place where she was buried.

She was born in Nuneaton, Warwickshire, in 1853, daughter of an inn keeper and married her husband in 1879. The family never had much money and moved house several times, but it was a happy marriage.

Despite her poor health, Eliza was remembered as “an adorable woman, witty and bright with a sweet tolerant character".

It is sad that Eliza Ann’s significant contribution to the establishment of Letchworth Garden City is not more fully recognised and that she never actually lived in the town to which her family moved in 1906.

She died in the family home at Stamford Hill, London, on November 7, 1904 but, fittingly, was buried (in an unmarked plot) in the churchyard of St Mary the Virgin, Letchworth Lane.

It seems that no headstone or other grave marker was erected because, in Ebenezer’s own words (speaking as a convinced Spiritualist), “she is not there”. Possibly, the family had no spare money for a memorial although, of course, Letchworth residents did fund the Mrs Howard Memorial Hall in Norton Way South, opened in 1906 as a much-valued local resource.

Now, in 2022, Letchworth Local History Research Group would like to raise £1,840 to erect a simple stone memorial in St Mary’s churchyard to commemorate this noteworthy woman.

It won’t be placed on her exact grave plot but in a location where residents and visitors can easily see it. St Mary’s incumbent, churchwardens and PCC are supportive of the scheme, as are Howard family descendants.

If you would like to contribute to this appeal you can do so to our dedicated bank account, kindly operated for us by Letchworth Arts & Leisure Group. The details are:

Letchworth Arts and Leisure Group, Lloyds Business Account, sort code 30-65-22, account number 75328968.

A cheque, payable to Letchworth Arts & Leisure Group, can be delivered or posted to Philippa Parker, Leader LLHRG, 34 Sollershott West, Letchworth Garden City SG6 3PX.

In both cases it is essential to give the reference ‘EAH Memorial’. (In the unlikely event of the appeal failing, for whatever reason, please indicate whether you wish your money to be returned or whether you would be happy for it to be applied to a different Letchworth local history project.)