Kit Coleman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kit Coleman
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
Kathleen Blake Coleman
20 February 1856 Castleblakeney, County Galway, Ireland
|
| Died | 16 May 1915 (aged 59) Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
|
| Nationality | Irish |
| Citizenship | Canadian |
| Occupation | War correspondent |
| Known for | World's first accredited female war correspondent |
Kathleen Blake "Kit" Coleman (born Catherine Ferguson, 20 February 1856 – 16 May 1915) was an amazing Irish-Canadian newspaper writer. She became one of the very first female war correspondents in the world. Kit Coleman reported on the Spanish–American War in 1898 for the Toronto Mail newspaper. She also helped start and became the first president of the Canadian Women's Press Club, a group for women journalists.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Kit Coleman was born Catherine Ferguson in May 1856 in Castleblakeney, County Galway, Ireland. Her father was a farmer. Catherine went to school at Loretto Abbey in Rathfarnham and a special finishing school in Belgium.
Her parents greatly influenced her love for creative things. Her father taught her to love books. Her mother, who was blind, helped her appreciate music and learn to play several instruments. Her uncle, Thomas Nicholas Burke, was a wise priest who taught her to be open-minded and tolerant. These lessons later showed up in her writing.
Starting a New Life in Canada
Catherine married an older, wealthy man named Thomas Willis when she was young. Her marriage was not a happy one. After her husband and their child passed away, she moved to Canada in 1884.
In Canada, she worked as a secretary. She later married Edward Watkins and had two children, Thady and Patricia. After her second husband died or they separated, Kit needed to support her children. She started by cleaning houses. Soon, she began writing articles for local magazines, like Saturday Night in Toronto.
Becoming a Journalist
In 1890, Kathleen Blake Watkins moved to Toronto to become a full-time journalist. She was hired by the Toronto Mail newspaper. She became known as "Kit of the Mail." She was the first woman journalist in Canada to be in charge of her own section of a newspaper.
In the 1890s, she wrote a big, seven-column page called "Woman's Kingdom." It came out once a week. At first, she wrote about typical "women's topics" like fashion, recipes, and theater reviews. She even gave advice to people in love, which was very popular.
However, Kit didn't want to only write about these things. She believed women were interested in more. She pushed her editors to let her write about politics, business, religion, and science. Her columns were very honest and attracted many readers, including the Canadian Prime Minister, Wilfrid Laurier. She also wrote about important social issues like domestic violence and poor working conditions for women. Her articles were so popular that other newspapers across Canada printed them too. She worked for the Mail until 1911.
Kit Coleman became one of the Mail's best reporters. In 1891, she interviewed the famous French actress Sarah Bernhardt. She also traveled as a special reporter for the Toronto Mail to big events. These included the World's Fair in Chicago in 1893, the Mid-winter Fair in San Francisco in 1894, and Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee in London in 1897. Her reputation grew around the world. In 1894, an American book called her writing "brilliant."
Reporting on the Spanish–American War
During the Spanish–American War in 1898, Kit Coleman bravely offered to go to Cuba to report on the fighting. The Toronto Mail sent her, hoping for exciting stories. Her bosses told her to write "features" and "guff," not actual war news. They thought war reporting was not suitable for a woman.
However, Kit received special permission from the United States government. This made her North America's first officially recognized woman war correspondent. She was allowed to go with American troops. But other reporters and military leaders tried to stop her. They almost kept her stuck in Florida.
Kit didn't give up! She arrived in Cuba in July 1898, just before the war ended. Her reports about the war's aftermath and the people affected by it were the highlight of her career. They made her very famous. On her way back to Canada, Kit stopped in Washington. There, she spoke to the International Press Union of Women Journalists.
Later Career and Legacy
After returning from Cuba, Kit married Theobald Coleman. They moved to Copper Cliff, Ontario, and then to Hamilton, Ontario, in 1901.
In 1904, Kit helped create the Canadian Women's Press Club. This group aimed to fight against unfair treatment of women in journalism. She became its first President. Even though she was a pioneer for women in journalism and wrote about women's rights, Kit didn't publicly support feminism or women's right to vote until 1910. This was partly because her newspaper, the Toronto Mail, was against women's suffrage. She also wasn't sure if journalists should get involved in political issues.
Kit Coleman also wrote and published books of poetry.
Death and Remembrance
Kit Coleman passed away from pneumonia on May 16, 1915, in Hamilton, Ontario.
Her important papers and records are kept at Library and Archives Canada. In 2023, the Royal Canadian Mint released special coins to honor her. These coins celebrated the 125th anniversary of her becoming North America's first accredited female war correspondent.
See also
- Lady Florence Dixie - another early woman war correspondent
- Women journalists
- War correspondent
