Georgiana Solomon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Georgiana Solomon
|
|
|---|---|
A painting of Georgiana by her son William
|
|
| Born |
Georgiana Margaret Thomson
18 August 1844 near Kelso, Scotland
|
| Died | 24 June 1933 |
| Nationality | British, South African |
| Occupation | School principal, suffragette |
| Spouse(s) | Saul Solomon |
| Children | 6 (including Daisy Solomon) |
Georgiana Margaret Solomon (born Thomson; August 18, 1844 – June 24, 1933) was an important educator and activist from Britain. She worked on many different causes in both Britain and South Africa. She and her daughter, Daisy Solomon, were suffragettes. This means they fought for women's right to vote. As members of the Women's Social and Political Union, they were even sent to prison. This happened during their campaign for women's suffrage when they broke windows at the House of Lords to make their voices heard.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Georgiana Thomson was born near Kelso in Scotland. Her parents were George Thomson and Margaret Stuart Thomson. Her father was a farmer who faced many challenges. Georgiana went to a small boarding school in Edinburgh for her education.
A Career in Teaching
Georgiana started her teaching career at the same school she attended. Later, she became a governess for a family in Liverpool. In the 1870s, there was a growing movement to improve education for young women. A group in the Cape Colony (now part of South Africa) was starting the first school for girls there. They asked Georgiana to lead it.
She accepted this exciting challenge. In 1873, she moved to South Africa. She became the very first principal of what is now the Good Hope Seminary High School.
Marriage and Family Life
In South Africa, Georgiana met Saul Solomon. He was a politician and owned a newspaper. Saul believed strongly in equality for everyone, no matter their background. Georgiana and Saul shared many similar ideas, especially about girls' education. Saul even owned a first edition of a famous book about women's rights, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman by Mary Wollstonecraft.
Even though Saul was much older, they got married on March 21, 1874. Their wedding took place at his home, Clarensville House. They wanted to change the traditional wedding vows. They didn't want Georgiana to promise to "obey" Saul. However, the priests told them this would make the marriage unofficial. So, the words were included. People who knew them described their marriage as very happy.
Georgiana and Saul had six children. Their children included Saul, who became a judge. Margaret and George were also their children. William Ewart Gladstone became a painter and later led an art school. Daisy, their daughter, also became a suffragette like her mother. One son sadly died when he was very young.
In 1888, Saul retired from public life. The family moved to Bedford in England. Their sons went to Bedford School there. Saul passed away in 1892. Georgiana was left to raise four children on her own. She made a home for them first in Sidcup, and then in West Hampstead. She lived as a widow for over 40 years.
Fighting for Change
.jpg)
Georgiana Solomon was part of a large family and had many educated women friends. These friends included important reformers like Emilie Solomon, Mary Brown, and the famous writer Olive Schreiner.
Her first efforts to bring change were with the temperance movement. This movement worked to reduce alcohol use. Georgiana spoke for the Woman's Christian Temperance Union. She became the president of their group in the Cape Colony. From 1925 to 1931, she was even a world vice-president for the organization.
In 1902, Solomon visited South Africa again. There, she helped with the campaign for women's right to vote. On October 16, 1904, she helped start the Suid-Afrikaanse Vrouefederasie (South African Women's Federation). This charity still exists today.
Back in England, Georgiana became the President of the Sidcup Women's Liberation Association in 1906. Both Georgiana and Daisy Solomon joined the Women's Social and Political Union in 1908. This group was known for its strong actions to get women the vote.
In 1909, Georgiana was part of two attempts to speak with the Prime Minister. The second attempt was on November 18, 1910, a day known as "Black Friday." Georgiana was at the front of the group. She tried to deliver a message to the Prime Minister, asking him to consider women's right to vote.
On March 4, 1912, Georgiana was sent to Holloway Prison for one month. This was because she broke nine windows in the House of Lords as a protest. The office she targeted belonged to an official called Black Rod.
She left the Women's Social and Political Union in 1913. However, she continued to be active in other groups that supported women's right to vote. She also worked for social purity, which aimed to improve moral standards in society. Even during World War I, when many groups paused their protests, Georgiana continued to speak out for women's suffrage. She believed it was important to keep fighting for women's rights.
Georgiana also stayed involved in events happening in South Africa. She welcomed a group led by William Schreiner who came to London. They wanted to argue for equal voting rights for all races in South Africa. Georgiana was against the South Africa Act 1909. This law limited who could vote, unlike the older Cape Qualified Franchise which allowed more people to vote. This is when she met Mahatma Gandhi. She also opposed the Natives Land Act, 1913. She felt that rules that separated people based on their race were unfair. She served on the leadership of the Aborigines' Protection Society. There, she worked with Jane Cobden Unwin to protect the rights of native peoples.
Georgiana Solomon passed away in Eastbourne.
Works
- Echoes of Two Little Voices (1883), a book of poems about her children who died young.
