Her books were more than entertaining stories of travel and adventure; they provided information of substantial use to the empire as it pushed for new markets and sources of raw materials.
Bird's upbringing produced the combination of energy, seriousness, and courage necessary to a solitary lady traveler. Her father, Edward, a dreamer and idealist, was related to the Wilberforce family, an intellectual and impeccable lineage. As a barrister he traveled to Calcutta with his first wife, where he suffered a devastating loss when she and their only child, a son, died of cholera. Upon returning to England, Edward demonstrated his religious earnestness by becoming a minister and marrying a minister's daughter, Dora Lawson. Isabella Lucy Bird was born on 15 October 1831 in the family home in Boroughbridge Hall, Yorkshire. Her sister, Henrietta, was born soon after the family had moved to Tattenhall in Cheshire.
According to Pat Barr, Bird's family was illustrious without being ostentatious. The women in particular were strong-minded and courageous, holding closely to Christian ideals as they traveled throughout the world as missionaries. Bird's aunts (two Marys) were surprisingly successful in their Christian missions in India and Persia. Bird's mother provided additional examples of strong-mindedness and sacrifice by scrimping from her meager allowance to support Sunday school classes.
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