Bramwell-Booth, Catherine (1883–1987)

English Salvation Army leader. Name variations: Catherine Booth. Born Catherine Booth (added father's name to her surname, 1929), July 20, 1883, in London, England; died Oct 3, 1987, in England; dau. of William Bramwell Booth and Florence Booth (both administrators in Salvation Army); granddau. of Catherine Booth (1829–1890, social reformer); attended Clapton Salvation Army Training College, 1903

Involved in Salvation Army, began service by playing and singing in band with sisters at open-air meetings; was sworn in as Salvation Army soldier on 15th birthday and later given responsibility for newly formed "Band of Love"; trained as Salvation Army officer at Clapton (1903) and commis sioned (1904); appointed to Bath and Walthamstow and served as home officer for women and later chief side officer at Salvation Army Training College; provided relief to residents of Silvertown, East London, after massive explosion devastated area (1917); became leader of Women's Social Services (1926) and then International Headquarters secretary for Europe, providing relief for women and children after WWII; suffered nervous breakdown and bouts of depression and illness; wrote biography of father; retired from Salvation Army (1948) and lived with sisters in Finchampstead, England, writing biography of grandmother Catherine Booth: The Story of Her Loves (1970); emerged from seclusion to conduct memorial and funeral services for mother (1957); continued efforts to evangelize through radio and tv interviews (1970s). Awarded Commander of British Empire (CBE, 1971); received Humanitarian Award of Variety Clubs International (1981); admitted to Salvation Army's Order of the Founder (1983).

See also autobiography, Commissioner Catherine; Mary Batchelor, Catherine Bramwell-Booth: The Story of Her Life (Lion, 1986).