Florence Moser was a childcare pioneer. Picture: Bradford Museums and Galleries
A WOMAN who provided childcare for working mothers in Victorian Bradford, in premises known as “The Nest”, is to have a blue plaque in her honour.
Florence Moser, who became a pioneer in nursery care and early years education, is one of four Bradford women honoured in Bradford Civic Society’s blue plaque scheme addressing an historic gender inbalance of memorials in the city.
Florence's plaque will be installed by the society on International Women’s Day next week.
A ‘forgotten philanthropist’, Florence Moser was a prominent member of Bradford’s 19th century German-Jewish community and a major funder of the fledgling Bradford Royal Infirmary, as well as several other charities. But it was her work in supporting the city’s working mothers that led to her to break new ground in childcare. Florence established “The Nest”, off Westgate in the city centre, where working mothers could leave their babies and young children to be cared for and fed during the day. It ran for 26 years.