[3] Discouraged from continuing her studies by the prevailing antipathy towards female education, she joined Leeds Literary and Philosophical Society (of which her brother was, at one time, President), amongst various other societies and libraries and began to correspond with authors.

After his death in 1852 she inherited a substantial amount, allowing her independence to travel and to start an art collection.

[4] Heaton was a notable art collector, whose collection of pre-Raphaelite paintings is now housed at Tate Britain.

[5] In her account of the Pre-Raphaelite movement, Fiona MacCarthy describes her as "a wealthy, well-travelled, forthright maiden lady."

[6] Her house is now the campus of the Swarthmore Education Centre, which holds an annual lecture in her memory.