User:OkobiC/sandbox

Early Life
Rosa Mary Barrett, was born on the 15th of January 1854 in Royston, Hertfordshire, England. While it is claimed by other sources she was born in Jamaica, Rosa emerged into a world shaped by her distinguished lineage. Her parents were Rev W.G. Barrett, a congregational minister and missionary, and Martha Barrett (née Fletcher). Rosa was one of four siblings, including an unknown sister and two brothers, Sir William Fletcher Barrett (1844-1925) – a physicist, "A leading figure of psychical research", and fellow of both the Royal Society of Edinburgh and the Royal Dublin Society – and George Slayter Barrett, a Congregationalist.

The Barrett family underwent a significant transition, relocating to Kingstown (later known as Dun Laoghaire) following after W.G.'s missions trip to Jamaica in which several of his children were born. Rosa's nature became evident during her formative years when she utilized her pocket money to compensate nurses for caring for the children of operational charwomen. This benevolent act laid the foundation for her future contributions to society.

Rosa's philanthropic spirit manifested in a groundbreaking initiative – the establishment of the first creche in Dublin, situated in Kingstown. It was known as the Cottage Home for little kids. The establishment of this creche provided well needed care to children who’s were absent from homes due to less than fortunate circumstances and required their mothers to work to survive. This visionary move marked a milestone in societal progress, providing a platform for women to enter the workforce with newfound support for childcare. Rosa Mary Barrett's then became widely known amongst the communities of philanthropy by the late 1870s.

Barret went onto to later publish the works of these creches in Our Kingstown Nursery (1880) and Guide to Dublin Charities (1884), these publishing’s effectively communicated the work being carried out in such establishments and the social requirement of them at the time.