Charlotte Mary Yonge celebrated on her 200th birthday
The woman who gave Eastleigh its name is remembered
Eastleigh Borough Council is commemorating the bicentenary of Charlotte Mary Yonge’s birth. The best-selling Victorian writer, admired by many of her peers including Lewis Carroll and George Eliot, is important locally for giving Eastleigh its name.
A statue of Charlotte has sat proudly on a bench outside Eastleigh Railway Station since 2015.
Charlotte was one of the most prolific and best-selling novelists of the Victorian period and at the forefront of charitable endeavours to develop good housing and facilities for the people of Eastleigh. In 1868 she donated £500 towards the parish church (Church of the Resurrection) and was asked to choose which of the two merging villages the parish should be named after. She chose Eastley but advised that it should be spelt ‘Eastleigh’ as we know it today.
Mayor of Eastleigh Cllr Nick Couldrey said, ”It’s a lovely statue and a fitting tribute to remember Charlotte and the contribution she made to Eastleigh on the 200th anniversary of her birth. I’m sure local people have enjoyed the statue over the last few years and will do so for many years to come.”
Photo: Mayor of Eastleigh Cllr Nick Couldrey with the statue of Charlotte Yonge