Margaret Nevinson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Margaret Nevinson
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Margaret Nevinson in 1910.
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| Born |
Margaret Wynne Jones
11 January 1858 Leicester, United Kingdom
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| Died | 8 June 1932 (aged 74) London, United Kingdom
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| Nationality | British |
| Occupation | Educator, Suffragist |
| Spouse(s) |
Henry Nevinson
(m. 1884) |
Margaret Wynne Nevinson (born Margaret Jones) was an important British campaigner for women's right to vote. She lived from 1858 to 1932.
Margaret was a leading suffragette. This was a term for women who fought for the right to vote. In 1907, she helped start the Women's Freedom League (WFL). This group broke away from another suffrage organization. She wrote many articles for the WFL's newspaper, The Vote. She also wrote pamphlets about the suffrage movement. These included A History of the Suffrage Movement: 1908-1912 and Ancient Suffragettes. Margaret Nevinson also made history as the first woman Justice of the Peace in London. She also worked as a Poor Law Guardian, helping people in need.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Margaret Wynne Jones was born in Leicester, England, on January 11, 1858. Her father, Timothy Jones, was a vicar and a scholar. He taught Margaret Latin and Greek, just like her five brothers. Her mother, Mary Louisa, wanted her to learn more traditional skills.
Margaret had a short, unhappy time at a convent school in Oxford. After that, she went to a finishing school in Paris. When her father died unexpectedly, Margaret wanted to live on her own. She first worked as a governess. Then she moved to Cologne, Germany, to be a pupil teacher.
In the early 1880s, Margaret became a classics teacher. She taught at South Hampstead High School in London. She also studied for exams in Education, German, and Latin. In 1882, she earned a special diploma. It was called Lady Literate in Arts from St Andrews University. She was one of only 63 women to achieve this. From 1882 to 1883, she took more classes. These were in English at University College London.
Marriage and Family Life
On April 18, 1884, Margaret married her childhood friend, Henry Woodd Nevinson. He was a journalist. They spent a year in Germany, where Henry studied. Margaret taught English there. Their daughter, Philippa, was born in Germany. Philippa later became a talented musician.
After returning to London, the Nevinsons lived in Whitechapel. Margaret taught French evening classes at Toynbee Hall. She also helped with a girls' club. Later, she worked as a rent collector for homes built for working people.
In 1887, the Nevinsons moved to Hampstead. Their son, Christopher Richard Wynne Nevinson, was born in 1889. He grew up to be a famous artist. Christopher described his mother as a "pioneer." She was always open to new ideas, from her hairstyle to her love for modern art. She cared deeply about fairness for everyone.
In 1901, Margaret and Henry bought a house in Haverstock Hill. Margaret lived there for the rest of her life. Over time, Margaret and Henry's lives became more separate. Henry's work as a newspaper correspondent often took him away for months. Their marriage faced challenges, but they never officially separated.
Work and Activism
Margaret Nevinson was a school manager for 25 years. She first worked for the London School Board. Later, she worked for the London County Council.
In 1904, she became a poor-law guardian in Hampstead. She wanted to fix problems and unfairness. She especially focused on how poor women were treated. She shared these problems through talks, articles, and stories. In 1918, she published a collection of stories called Workhouse Characters. One of these stories, In the Workhouse, was made into a play. Margaret also wrote about laws that were unfair to married women. She published pamphlets like The Legal Wrongs of Women in 1923. Her book Fragments of Life (1922) also shared her experiences.
During World War I, Margaret helped wounded Belgian soldiers. She had trained in massage therapy. Before women gained the right to vote, she only spoke about suffrage. After women could vote, she supported the Liberal Party. She also gave talks about the League of Nations. She became a vice-president of the Women's Peace Crusade. In 1927, she joined the committee of the Society of Women Journalists.
One of her most important roles after the war was as a pioneer female Justice of the Peace. In June 1920, she became the first woman in London to judge criminal cases. She used her experience and strong sense of justice to help Hampstead. She also visited the United States to study their probation system. In 1921, she was one of three women appointed to a special committee. This committee advised the Lord Chancellor on London's justices.
In the Workhouse (1911)
Margaret Nevinson's play, In the Workhouse, was performed in 1911. It was very controversial. The play showed how unfair the Coverture Act was. This law said that a married woman had no separate legal identity from her husband. So, if her husband went into a workhouse, she and her children had to go too. They also had to leave if he left.
The play takes place in a workhouse ward. It shows mothers, both married and unmarried, with their children. It highlights the problems of the system. For example, Penelope, an unmarried mother, is freer than Mrs. Cleaver, who is married. Mrs. Cleaver cannot leave the workhouse, even though she has a job and a home waiting. This is because the law says she has no right to leave without her husband.
Some people criticized the play for being offensive. Others praised it for its importance. The Pall Mall Gazette newspaper said it was powerful. It compared the play to works that "plead for reform." The newspaper noted its "directness and force." Two years after the play, the law was changed. This was largely due to Margaret's and other suffragists' efforts.
The play was brought back in 1979 by a feminist theater group.
Role in the Suffrage Movement
Margaret Nevinson joined several groups that supported women's right to vote. She was part of the WSPU. As a committed Christian, she was also a member of the Church League for Women's Suffrage. She spoke for the Cymric Suffrage Union, as her father was Welsh. She was also the treasurer of the Women Writers' Suffrage League.
Her main focus, however, was the Women's Freedom League (WFL). She was a founding member in 1907. She became the treasurer of the Hampstead branch. Margaret was known as a witty speaker. She often used stories from history and the Bible to make her points. She took part in peaceful protests. These included picketing outside parliament and refusing to pay taxes. She also published pamphlets for the WFL. These included Ancient Suffragettes (1911) and Five Year's Struggle for Freedom: a History of the Suffrage Movement (1908-1912).
Margaret's husband, Henry, also supported the suffrage movement. He helped start the Men's Political Union for Women's Enfranchisement. He even wrote a play for the group.
Later Life and Legacy
Margaret Nevinson published her autobiography in 1926. Her final years were often lonely. She died from kidney failure at her home in Hampstead on June 8, 1932. She was buried on June 11 at St Stephen's Church, Rosslyn Hill in London.
After Margaret's death, her husband Henry married her close friend, Evelyn Sharp. Evelyn was also a well-known suffragist.
See also
In Spanish: Margaret Nevinson para niños
