The Life And Times Of Kitty Wilkinson by Michael Kelly

The Life And Times Of Kitty Wilkinson by Michael Kelly is, unfortunately, a book that is not widely available in paperback, but it is available on kindle. It’s very cheap, so I highly recommend buying it. As I prefer paperback, I borrowed it from my local library. I should start with the rating. I gave the book 4 stars. This is because there are some sensationalistic passages and there is an obvious bias in interpretation of the primary sources while ignoring the social context. Because the subject is so interesting and he did do a lot of research, I only took a point off.

I don’t want to give out spoilers as I hope the book will be borrowed/bought to see how incredibly amazing her life was. Kitty was born in Ireland, migrated to Liverpool with her mother. During the cholera outbreak of 1832 she cared for the sick and turned her home into a washhouse. Her work was appreciated by the wealthy merchants of Liverpool and many things started to change because of her example. She was honoured by the Ladies of Liverpool and received a gift from Queen Victoria.

Today Kitty is recognised in Liverpool, has a portrait window in Lady Chapel, part of Liverpool Cathedral. Her tomb is in St James’s Cemetery, besides the Cathedral. She is remembered in the Museum of Liverpool and her name is on the wall of the Central Library. Her work was an inspiration for the ones around her and she changed the lives of many. I think she should be known outside Liverpool and it’s a shame I didn’t know more about her before doing a bit of research into local history.