Harriet Mellon

Harriet Mellon’s story is one of remarkable social mobility. Born illegitimately in Cumbria, the daughter of a single mother who worked as a wardrobe keeper for a travelling band of “strolling players” (poorly-viewed actors), Harriet grew up far removed from polite society - which regarded the theatre with both fascination and distaste.

By her twenties, Harriet had secured a place on the London stage, earning £14 a week at the Drury Lane Theatre - a decent sum for a woman at the time. In 1805, her life changed dramatically when Thomas Coutts, the 70-year-old founder of Coutts Bank, saw her perform, fell in love, and eventually married her in 1815.

As Thomas Coutts approached the end of his life, he instructed Farrer & Co to draft a will bequeathing his entire estate to Harriet - an extraordinary and unconventional decision for the era, which may have reflected his profound confidence in her judgement and financial acumen. Through this marriage and inheritance, Harriet became the wealthiest woman in England, assuming control of the Coutts fortune and a commanding interest in the bank.

Harriet as a businesswoman

Despite society looking down on her - dismissing her manners as “common” - Harriet quickly proved herself a force to be reckoned with at the bank. She could read a balance sheet and understood management accounts.

In many ways, she became an engine for social mobility. One famous example from Coutts’ records shows this in action. When the bank’s partners in The Strand asked Harriet to consider promoting a nephew to partner, she dismissed the idea, pointing out that he knew nothing about banking. She firmly argued that the senior clerk - whose ability was evident - should be made partner instead, a suggestion the partners ultimately followed, the clerk going on to be a huge success.

Angela Burdett-Coutts: A new era of philanthropy

Angela was a very different character from her step-grandmother. Raised in privilege as the daughter of a wealthy baronet & MP, she was confident and financially astute. Unlike Harriet, who reportedly tossed bags of gold coins to the poor when arriving in Brighton, Angela took a more strategic approach to philanthropy. She resolved to live comfortably but give away the rest of her fortune during her lifetime - probably one of the first, and biggest philanthropists of the nineteenth century.

At first, her focus was driven by her Anglican faith - building churches, endowing bishoprics, and funding missionary efforts - but her vision evolved after she met Charles Dickens, another Farrer’s client. Dickens persuaded her that poverty needed to be tackled directly through housing, education, and social reform.

Together, they established Urania Cottage in Shepherd’s Bush, a refuge for women seeking to escape prostitution. Angela also funded schools, technical colleges, and ambitious projects like Columbia Market - a pioneering social housing scheme designed to combine homes with economic opportunity. Though some ventures failed, her vision was bold, forward-thinking and transformative.

Our work

Letters patent creating Angela Burdett-Coutts - “Queen of the Poor” - a baroness

In 1871, Queen Victoria honoured Angela by creating her Baroness Burdett-Coutts of Highgate and Brookfield. This was completely unprecedented at the time for a woman, and a mark of the huge extent of her good works and the respect in which she was held. Normally, one might expect a document like this to be framed on the walls of a stately home belonging to the individual’s descendants. Largely because the Baroness had no children, the document has lain gathering dust in the firm’s strongrooms for 150 years.

Managing a high-profile marriage and inheritance challenge

In 1881, Angela’s unexpected marriage at the age of 67 to her much younger (aged 29) secretary, William Bartlett (later William Burdett-Coutts), shocked even her close friend Queen Victoria and alarmed Coutts & Co, where she held a controlling share.