Dame Katharine Furse, (née Symonds; 23 November 1875 – 25 November 1952) was a British nursing and military administrator. She led the British Red Cross Voluntary Aid Detachment force during the First World War, and served as the inaugural Director of the Women's Royal Naval Service (1917–19). Furse was also the first Director of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (1928–38).
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Early life and family
Furse was born in Bristol, England, on 23 November 1875, the daughter of poet and critic John Addington Symonds and Janet Catherine North. Her aunt was the painter Marianne North. Educated by governesses and her mother, Furse spent most of her early life in Switzerland and Italy. Furse married the painter Charles Wellington Furse at St. Margaret, Westminster 16 October 1900; her husband died 16 October 1904 aged 36, leaving her with two young sons: Peter Reynolds Furse, b. Farnham, October 29, 1901, and Paul Furse, b. Farnham, October 13, 1904.
Military career
In 1909 Furse joined the British Red Cross Voluntary Aid Detachment attached to the Territorial Army. In 1911, she was lodging with Lucy Cane and family at 66 Elm Park Gardens, Chelsea.