Eglantyne Louisa Jebb was born in 1845 in Dublin to Emily Harriett and Robert Jebb. She was four years younger than her brother, who would become the classicist Sir Richard Claverhouse Jebb and five years older than their twin siblings, Heneage and Bob. Her father was a Queen's Counsel of the Irish bar and studied literature. His family included Sir Joshua Jebb, a prison reformer; Oxford Movement pioneer, John Jebb, Bishop of Limerick; and court physician, Sir Richard Jebb. Her mother was the daughter of the Dean of Brechin, Rev. Heneage Horsley. In 1850, the family moved to Killiney, due to the delicate health of the twins. From an early age, she was called Tye and studied art and poetry. In 1871, she married her cousinArthur Trevor Jebb, a barrister and landowner from Ellesmere, Shropshire. The couple's first child, Emily was born in 1872 and the following year, Jebb gave birth to another daughter, Louisa, or "Lill". Their son, Richard, known as Dick, was born in 1874; followed by Eglantyne in 1876; Arthur, known as "Gamul", in 1879 and Dorothy in 1881. In 1884, Jebb founded the Cottage Arts Association to create a network for craft education throughout England and assist in philanthropic efforts to overcome poverty in rural areas. She renamed the organization in 1885, as the Home Arts and Industries Association. The organization sponsored courses in craftwork, specifically woodworks and wearable items. The idea behind the programs was to provide education and training on art production to help people make a living, but also to build appreciation for the beauty of handicrafts. Jebb was able to secure patrons such as Earl Brownlow and his wife, Countess Adelaide; Katherine Cavendish, Duchess of Westminster; and Louisa Beresford, Marchioness of Waterford as patrons. They helped provide not only funding for the schools, but exhibition spaces for the goods to be shown to society figures. She ran the organization until 1887, when health concerns forced her to withdraw from active participation, though she did continue to organize free classes. After her husband's death in 1894, Jebb resided with her unmarried daughter and namesake, Eglantyne, in Cambridge. A further health issue caused them to move to the Swiss Riviera in 1910, traveling between health spas in Austria, Italy and Switzerland. During the war, Eglantyne agreed to collect, distribute, and monitor funds for the Macedonia Relief Fund. Jebb, contributed £50 to the relief efforts, and supported her daughter's 1913 trip to the Balkan states.
