Katharine Parsons facts for kids
Katharine Parsons (born Katharine Bethell in 1859, died 1933) was a very important engineer. She helped start the Women's Engineering Society (WES). She also became its second president. Katharine was an engineer herself, which was unusual for women at that time.
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Working with Charles Parsons
Katharine Bethell was born in 1859 in Yorkshire, England. She met Charles Parsons in 1882. He was an engineer in Leeds. They got married in 1883. They had two children, Algernon and Rachel.
Katharine often joined Charles for his work. She went with him to test his new torpedoes. These tests happened early in the morning. She worked closely with him for almost 50 years. This included the time when Charles developed the steam turbine.
First World War Efforts
Katharine Parsons was known for being strong and very organized. During the First World War, she helped manage women workers. These women worked in factories in Tyneside. The factories had been changed to make weapons for the war.
Because of her important war work, Katharine received a special honor. In 1919, she became the first Honorary Fellow. This was from the North-East Coast Institution of Engineers and Ship-builders.
After the war, many women were asked to leave their engineering jobs. This happened because of a law called the Restoration of Pre-War Practices Act 1919. This law gave jobs back to men returning from the war. Lady Parsons thought this was unfair.
In a speech in 1919, she spoke out. She said women had made "implements of war." But then they were not allowed to make "munitions of peace." She believed women should keep working in engineering.
Founding the Women's Engineering Society
Just a few weeks before her speech, Katharine Parsons started something new. She launched the Women's Engineering Society (WES). She did this with her daughter Rachel. Five other important women also helped. These included Eleanor Shelley-Rolls and Laura Annie Willson.
They created WES to protect women's jobs in engineering. It also helped women connect with each other. They wanted to share chances for training and employment.
Katharine Parsons chose Caroline Haslett to be the first Secretary of WES. The society often had money problems. Lady Parsons gave a lot of her own money to keep WES going.
She also helped start Atalanta Ltd. This company was made to give engineering jobs specifically to women. After her daughter Rachel was president, Lady Parsons led WES. She was president from 1922 to 1925. Her speeches during this time were very detailed and impressive. However, she later left WES after a disagreement with Caroline Haslett.
Later Life and Legacy
From 1921, Lady Parsons worked as a magistrate. This meant she helped make decisions in court. She also received special honors for her public work. She was given the freedom of the Worshipful Company of Shipwrights. Later, she received the freedom of the City of London.
Even with all her work, she enjoyed her hobbies. She loved riding horses and going on long drives. She also enjoyed having guests at her family home.
After her husband Charles died in 1931, Katharine helped write his biography. She passed away in 1933 after an illness.
Katharine Parsons's work had a lasting impact. The Women's Engineering Society, which she co-founded, still supports women in engineering, science, and technology today. The steam turbine, which she helped develop, is still used to create electricity cheaply and on a large scale.
See also
In Spanish: Katharine Parsons para niños
