Frances Batty Shand

Profile & Legacies Summary

???? - 11^th Feb 1885

Biography

Youngest daughter of planter John Shand (died c. 1825) and his long-term partner, a free woman of colour called Frances Brown. Born in Jamaica but moved to Scotland in childhood, probably in the care of her aunt Helen Shand of Elgin, Moray.

Frances Batty Shand, "sometime residing in Glasgow and also in Edinburgh thereafter at Cardiff, afterwards residing at Rosebank, Bridge of Allan, Stirlingshire, and lateley at Montreux, Switzerland" died at Montreux 11/02/1885. She was buried at St John's Cardiff.

While living with her brother in Cardiff she was instrumental in founding the Cardiff Institute for the Blind: "Miss Shand was concerned with the “ragged” children she saw in Cardiff and toured the city offering help and support. Miss Shand first opened a small workshop in the Canton area of Cardiff, employing four blind men making baskets for the coal ships sailing from Cardiff ports. Within a year larger, premises were purchased at Byron Street in the Roath area, and ten men were employed. In 1868 a third move was made to Longcross Street off Newport Road, and a fourth move to the iconic Shand House."

In her will, Frances left c. £2,600 in small legacies, £1,000 and a life interest in her property at Moss Terrace, Elgin to Ann Allardice, £1,000 to the trustees of the Cardiff Association for Improving the Social Conditions of the Blind for the 'Shand Memorial Fund' and the residue to the Glamorganshire and Monmouthshire Infirmary for the maintenance of a children's ward named for her late brother John Shand as the 'Shand Memorial Ward'. Her estate in Scotland was valued for probate at £11,777 2s 5d.

Her will gives further details of family relations, mentioning Helen, Lilian and [blank] Shand, "the daughters of my cousin the late Col. John Shand" and Helen, Minnie and Christine, "the daughters of my cousin William Shand Esq. of Newcastle Upon Tyne".