Octavia Hill (1838-1912) was an English social reformer whose main concern was the welfare of the inhabitants of cities, especially London, in the second half of the 19th century. With no formal schooling, she worked from the age of 14 for the welfare of working people and became a moving force behind the development of social housing. Her early friendship with John Ruskin enabled her to put her theories into practice with the aid of his initial investment. Another of her concerns was the availability of open spaces for poor people and she was one of the three founders of the National Trust, set up to preserve places of historic interest or natural beauty for the enjoyment of the British public. This collection of essays was first published in 1877.