Emily Faithfull
Encyclopedia
Emily Faithfull was an English
women's rights
activist.
and was born at Headley
Rectory, Surrey. She took a
great interest in the conditions of working-women. With the
object of extending their sphere of labour, which was then
painfully limited, in 1860 she set up in London
a printing
establishment for women. The Victoria Press
, as it was called,
soon obtained quite a reputation for its excellent work, and Faithfull
was shortly afterwards appointed printer and publisher
in ordinary to Queen Victoria.
In 1863 she began the publication of a monthly organ, The Victoria Magazine, in which for eighteen years she continuously and earnestly advocated the claims of women to remunerative employment
. In 1868 she published a novel, Change upon Change. She also appeared as a lecturer, and, with the object of furthering the interests of women, lectured widely and successfully both in England
and the United States
, which latter she visited in 1872 and 1882.
She was a member of the Society for Promoting the Employment of Women
. She considered compositor's work (a comparatively lucrative trade of the time) to be a possible mode of employment for women to pursue. This upset the London Printer's Union, which was male-dominated and claimed that women lacked the intelligence
and physical skill
to be compositors.
Of her nephews, one was the actor Rutland Barrington
and another the Indologist John Faithfull Fleet
,ICS. Amongst her friends she counted Richard Peacock
, one of the founders of the Beyer Peacock Locomotive Company, to whom she dedicated the Edinburgh edition of her book Three Visits To America with the words to my "Friend Richard Peacock Esq of Gorton Hall" in 1882. She was also the witness to the marriage of Peacock's daughter Jane Peacock to William Taylor Birchenough, the son of John Birchenough another manufacturer cited in Three Visits To America for his treatment of women employees in his silk mill in Macclesfield
, at Brookfield Unitarian Church
which Richard Peacock built in Gorton
.
In 1888 she was awarded a civil list
pension
of £50. She died in Manchester.
, ref 7EFA
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
women's rights
Women's rights
Women's rights are entitlements and freedoms claimed for women and girls of all ages in many societies.In some places these rights are institutionalized or supported by law, local custom, and behaviour, whereas in others they may be ignored or suppressed...
activist.
Biography
She was the youngest daughter of the Rev. Ferdinand Faithfull,and was born at Headley
Headley, Surrey
Headley is a small village and civil parish in Surrey, England covering 675 hectares.The village is bordered to its west by Leatherhead, to the north by Ashtead and Langley Vale, Walton-on-the-Hill to the east and to its south by Box Hill. It is just outside the M25 motorway encircling...
Rectory, Surrey. She took a
great interest in the conditions of working-women. With the
object of extending their sphere of labour, which was then
painfully limited, in 1860 she set up in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
a printing
establishment for women. The Victoria Press
Victoria Press
The Victoria Press was started by Emily Faithfull in London, in 1860.Faithfull was a member of The Society for Promoting the Employment of Women. She was convinced that work as a compositor could be a well-suited trade for women seeking occupation . Faithfull learned type-setting...
, as it was called,
soon obtained quite a reputation for its excellent work, and Faithfull
was shortly afterwards appointed printer and publisher
in ordinary to Queen Victoria.
In 1863 she began the publication of a monthly organ, The Victoria Magazine, in which for eighteen years she continuously and earnestly advocated the claims of women to remunerative employment
Employment
Employment is a contract between two parties, one being the employer and the other being the employee. An employee may be defined as:- Employee :...
. In 1868 she published a novel, Change upon Change. She also appeared as a lecturer, and, with the object of furthering the interests of women, lectured widely and successfully both in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, which latter she visited in 1872 and 1882.
She was a member of the Society for Promoting the Employment of Women
Society for Promoting the Employment of Women
The Society for Promoting the Employment of Women was one of the earliest British women's organisations.The society was established in 1859 by Jessie Boucherett, Barbara Bodichon and Adelaide Anne Proctor to promote the training and employment of women...
. She considered compositor's work (a comparatively lucrative trade of the time) to be a possible mode of employment for women to pursue. This upset the London Printer's Union, which was male-dominated and claimed that women lacked the intelligence
Intelligence
Intelligence has been defined in different ways, including the abilities for abstract thought, understanding, communication, reasoning, learning, planning, emotional intelligence and problem solving....
and physical skill
Skill
A skill is the learned capacity to carry out pre-determined results often with the minimum outlay of time, energy, or both. Skills can often be divided into domain-general and domain-specific skills...
to be compositors.
Of her nephews, one was the actor Rutland Barrington
Rutland Barrington
Rutland Barrington was an English singer, actor, comedian, and Edwardian musical comedy star. Best remembered for originating the lyric baritone roles in the Gilbert and Sullivan operas from 1877 to 1896, his performing career spanned more than four decades...
and another the Indologist John Faithfull Fleet
John Faithfull Fleet
John Faithfull Fleet C.I.E was an English civil servant with the Indian Civil Services and became known as a historian, epigraphist and linguist...
,ICS. Amongst her friends she counted Richard Peacock
Richard Peacock
Richard Peacock was an English engineer, one of the founders of locomotive manufacturer Beyer-Peacock.-Early life and education:...
, one of the founders of the Beyer Peacock Locomotive Company, to whom she dedicated the Edinburgh edition of her book Three Visits To America with the words to my "Friend Richard Peacock Esq of Gorton Hall" in 1882. She was also the witness to the marriage of Peacock's daughter Jane Peacock to William Taylor Birchenough, the son of John Birchenough another manufacturer cited in Three Visits To America for his treatment of women employees in his silk mill in Macclesfield
Macclesfield
Macclesfield is a market town within the unitary authority of Cheshire East, the county palatine of Chester, also known as the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. The population of the Macclesfield urban sub-area at the time of the 2001 census was 50,688...
, at Brookfield Unitarian Church
Brookfield Unitarian Church
Brookfield Unitarian Church, Gorton, Manchester, is a Victorian Gothic church built between 1869–71. It was commissioned by Richard Peacock , engineer and Liberal MP for Manchester and designed by the prolific Manchester architect Thomas Worthington. The church cost Peacock £12,000. It was...
which Richard Peacock built in Gorton
Gorton
Gorton is an area of the city of Manchester, in North West England. It is located to the southeast of Manchester city centre. Neighbouring areas include Longsight and Levenshulme....
.
In 1888 she was awarded a civil list
Civil list
-United Kingdom:In the United Kingdom, the Civil List is the name given to the annual grant that covers some expenses associated with the Sovereign performing their official duties, including those for staff salaries, State Visits, public engagements, ceremonial functions and the upkeep of the...
pension
Pension
In general, a pension is an arrangement to provide people with an income when they are no longer earning a regular income from employment. Pensions should not be confused with severance pay; the former is paid in regular installments, while the latter is paid in one lump sum.The terms retirement...
of £50. She died in Manchester.
Archives
The archives of Emily Faithfull are held at The Women's Library at London Metropolitan UniversityLondon Metropolitan University
London Metropolitan University , located in London, England, was formed on 1 August 2002 by the amalgamation of the University of North London and the London Guildhall University . The University has campuses in the City of London and in the London Borough of Islington.The University operates its...
, ref 7EFA
External links
- Felicity Hunt, ‘Faithfull, Emily (1835–1895)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, Sept 2004; online edn, Oct 2005, accessed 11 Jan 2008
- Emily Faithfull biography & selected writings at gerald-massey.org.uk