The Northamptonshire woman who dedicated her life to helping the poor
Born in Raunds, Ada Salter was a social reformer and the first woman mayor in London
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By Natalie Bloomer
Along the Bermondsey Wall and overlooking the City of London sits a monument entitled Dr Salter’s Daydream. It depicts the doctor watching his young daughter Joyce play with her cat and his wife Ada walking towards them carrying a spade.
The original monument was first unveiled at London’s Cherry Garden Pier in 1991 and at the time only included Alfred Salter, his daughter and their pet. It was only after the statue of the doctor was stolen in 2011 and local people raised money for it to be replaced that Ada was included at all. As is so often the case, her life’s work was largely overshadowed by her husband’s.
Born in Raunds in 1866, Ada Brown was always interested in improving the lives of the poor. She donated money t…