Flora Masson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Flora Masson
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | 1856 Edinburgh
|
| Died | 1937 Edinburgh
|
| Nationality | British |
| Parents |
|
| Relatives | Rosaline Masson (sister) David Orme Masson (brother) |
Flora Masson (born 1856 – died 1937) was a Scottish woman who achieved many things! She was a nurse, a writer, an editor, and a strong supporter of women's right to vote.
Contents
Early Life and Family
Flora Masson was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. She was the first of three daughters born to Professor David Masson and Emily Rosaline Orme. Her mother was a well-known campaigner for women's rights. Flora's father was a professor who led the English department at the University of Edinburgh.
Flora had a younger brother, David Orme Masson, who became a scientist. Her younger sisters were Helen and Rosaline Masson, who also became a writer and supported women's right to vote. Her aunt, Eliza Orme, made history as the first woman to earn a law degree in England.
Because her parents knew many important people, Flora met famous writers and thinkers when she was young. She met Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Thomas Carlyle, and J. M. Barrie, who wrote Peter Pan. She even heard Charles Dickens read from his famous book, Oliver Twist!
Flora Masson decided to become a nurse. She trained at St. Thomas's Hospital in London.
Her Career
Flora Masson had an exciting career, making a difference in nursing, fighting for women's rights, and writing books.
Nursing Work
After her training, Flora worked as a matron, which is like a head nurse, at several hospitals. These included the Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford and the Eastern Fever Hospital in London.
During World War I, Flora Masson was the matron at a Red Cross hospital near Rosewell. For her valuable service during the war, she was given a special award called the Royal Red Cross of the 1st class.
Flora was also a close friend and colleague of Florence Nightingale, who is famous for being the founder of modern nursing. Florence Nightingale supported Flora in her career and helped her with challenges at the hospital.
Fighting for Women's Rights
Flora Masson was very active in the movement for women's right to vote. Both her mother and sister were involved, and even her father supported the cause. This was important because many men at the time did not believe women should vote.
In 1876, Flora wrote an article about women's voting rights called 'The Parliamentary Franchise for Women'. It was published in a magazine called the Ladies Edinburgh Journal. In 1881, she joined the Ladies' Edinburgh Debating Society. This group held discussions and lectures on many important topics for women, including voting rights, marriage, and religion.
Writing and Editing
Flora Masson also had a talent for writing and editing. She helped edit two books written by her father: Memories of London in the 'Forties (1908) and Memories of Two Cities (1911). She also contributed to a book written by her sister, I Can Remember Robert Louis Stevenson (1923).
Flora Masson wrote several of her own books, including:
- Florence Nightingale, O.M. By one who knew her (1910)
- The Brontes (1912)
- Charles Lamb (1913)
- Robert Boyle, a biography (1914)
- Victorians All (1931)
- The Heart Is Highland (1932)
Her book Victorians All was about the famous people she met when she was young. A newspaper review described it as a "pleasant, rather sad little book" that shared real stories from her life.
Later Life
Flora Masson lived with her sister Rosaline in Edinburgh. She passed away on October 1, 1937, in Edinburgh. She is buried with her parents in Grange Cemetery.
