May, 1890 . 
CONSTANCE C. W. NADEN. 
09 
Following a suggestion of Sir Philip Magnus, which appeared 
in a letter addressed to the Pall Mall Gazette of 8th March, 
1889, she had it in contemplation to assist as honorary 
secretary in the foundation of a “ Spencerian ” or “ Evolution 
Society” in London, the first meetings of which were to be 
held in her drawing room, and her colleagues were to be Sir 
Philip Magnus, Dr. Romanes, Professor Rhys Davids, and 
Mr. Edward Clodd. 
The claims of sweet charity—that “voluntaryism,” so 
incessantly urged by Mr. Herbert Spencer, as opposed to the 
“ State aid compulsion,” which he everywhere as strongly 
deprecates—also appealed to her sympathies, and shortly 
before her death she was, as a member of the Working 
Ladies’ Guild, in correspondence with Lady Mary Feilding 
(the founder of the guild) with regard to taking the entire 
charge and responsibility of the Campden Houses, a block of 
houses on Campden Hill, arranged for the reception of ladies 
of limited means. In April last she held a drawing room 
meeting at her house, in aid of the new Hospital for Women 
in Marylebone Road, at which her friend, Mrs. Garrett 
Anderson, delivered an address on the subject of the hospital 
and its relations to the training of-medical women for India ; 
and at the close of the meeting several hundred pounds were 
obtained in aid of the funds. She was most generous in her 
private charities, and agreed with Mrs. Daniell, one day when 
they were chatting over the subject, that “ she had so many 
private cases to help that she had little money to subscribe to 
public charities.” 
Progress, emancipation, and social reforms naturally had 
a large share of Miss Naden’s active energies. She was a 
Liberal in politics, and canvassed for Mr. George Leveson 
Gower when he was an unsuccessful candidate for Marylebone. 
She was a member of the Denison Club, principally composed 
of members of the Charity Organisation Society, who met 
monthly to discuss questions connected with the condition of 
the poor. She was also a member of the Somerville Club 
(only for women), and of the National Indian Association. 
Miss Naden was in favour of the extension of the suffrage to 
women, and under the auspices of the Women’s Liberal 
Association, recently gave a lecture at Deptford on the 
subject, which has been described by a contemporary as 
having been delivered “in that matured and commanding 
strain of oratory which only the very highest gifts could, at 
her age, either impart or justify.” 
Miss Naden’s last public appearance in Birmingham was 
at the Mason College, on Tuesday evening, 22nd October, 
1889, on the occasion of the opening meeting for the session 
