RAVEN, Mrs John ((Constance) Faith Alethea Hugh nee SMITH (1930-2026)

[colinp]

Obit in the Telegraph  -  Faith Raven, plantswoman who drew a circle of Cambridge dons to her two remarkable gardens – obituary

She was the da of Owen Hugh SMITH (1869-1958), scion of the gentry family Smith of Midhurst (BLG 1965), and (m 1923) Emmeline (1894-?)  da of Eustace ABEL SMITH (1862-1938), scion of the gentry family Smith of Longhills (BLG 1965).  She m 1954 John Earle RAVEN (1914-1980), son of Rev Dr Charles Earle RAVEN and his 1st w Margaret Ermyntrude Buchanan da of Stanley George Buchanan WOLLASTON  scion of the gentry family Wollaston of Shenton and Thurlaston Grange, and had 2 s and 3 d.

Her son Andrew's death here - + Andrew Owen Earle Raven, OBE (1959-2005)

Also - Smith LG and Raven

EXTRACTS:

Faith Raven, plantswoman who drew a circle of Cambridge dons to her two remarkable gardens

Her Highland estate, Ardtornish, was dubbed ‘Cambridge-on-sea’ for the number of intellectuals who holidayed there, including EM Forster

​Faith Raven, who has died aged 95, was the steward of one of Britain’s most remarkable gardens, at Ardtornish, her family’s Highland estate; with her husband John, she also created another fine garden at Docwra’s Manor, near Cambridge.

Her gifts as a plantswoman were complemented by the skill and knowledge of her husband, a classics don at Cambridge who, as a sideline, was one of the foremost botanical scholars of his day. Faith Raven combined her horticultural achievements with a busy life as a helpmeet to her husband in his role as Senior Tutor at King’s College; she was also a committed campaigner for progressive causes.

She was born Constance Faith Alethea Hugh Smith in London on July 31 1930. Her parents were both scions of the Smith banking dynasty that had originated in Nottingham in the 17th century; Hugh Colin Smith, her maternal grandfather, was one of the last Victorian governors of the Bank of England.

Faith’s father, Owen Hugh Smith, was born in 1869 and devoted himself to his business career for many decades before marrying his cousin Emmeline Abel Smith, some 25 years his junior, in his fifties. He was a lifelong friend of MR James and was one of the circle invited to his Christmas Eve ghost story readings at King’s College; James was godfather to Faith’s sister Fortune [….]

Faith carried out social work – a strong tradition in her family – while studying for a certificate in social science at the London School of Economics. In 1954, however, she married the Cambridge don John Raven – she had been engaged to a friend of his when they met – and gave up her ambition of becoming a professional social worker [….]

John Raven, who was 16 years his wife’s senior, suffered long bouts of depression and ill health; he died in 1980. Faith Raven is survived by her three daughters, Anna, Sarah and Jane, and her son Hugh, who now runs the Ardtornish estate. Another son, Andrew, died in 2005.

Faith Raven, born July 31 1930, died March 22 2026​

[Paul Theroff]

Here is a link to an archived copy of my page on the Smith family, from which the relationship between her parents can be seen.

https://web.archive.org/web/20211021044912/https://www.angelfire.com/realm/gotha/gotha/smith.html