Muriel Matters
Encyclopedia
Muriel Lilah Matters was an Australian born suffragist, lecturer
, journalist
, educator, actress and elocutionist. Based in Britain from 1905 till her death, Matters is best known for her work on behalf of the Women's Freedom League
during the height of the militant struggle to enfranchise women in the United Kingdom
.
in Adelaide
, South Australia
to a large Methodist family. Her mother, Emma Alma Matters (née Warburton) gave birth to five daughters and five sons with Muriel being the third oldest. Her father was John Leonard Matters, a cabinetmaker and later stockbroker.
Matters spent the majority of her youth in South Australia
and during her time there the colony had gained widespread notoriety for being the first self-governing territory to give women equal franchise on the same terms as it was granted to men. The legislation was carried by the Kingston Government
in 1894 and, though too young to be directly involved, Matters would have been inadvertently acquainted with the ideas of the Women’s Movement
.
During Matters’ upbringing she was introduced to two Nineteenth Century literary figures who proved influential in informing her political consciousness. These were the American poet Walt Whitman
and the Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen
, author of ‘A Dolls House’. Whilst attending elocution classes as a child, the works of both of these writers featured prominently.
Matters studied music at the University of Adelaide
and by the late 1890s had begun to act and conduct recitals, initially in Adelaide, but later in Sydney
and Melbourne
with the Robert Brough Company.
At the time of Federation
, Matters returned to Adelaide and taught elocution while concurrently performing for audiences at numerous halls and saloons across the state. In 1904, she left Adelaide once more to join her family who in the meantime had moved to Perth
, Western Australia
. In Perth she continued her acting and was encouraged by friends in the industry to further her career in London. She soon followed their advice and, in late 1905, a twenty-eight year old Muriel Matters boarded the passenger ship Persic - destination London, England.
). However, recital work in London was difficult to acquire due to a surplus of performers and Muriel was forced to undertake occasional work as a journalist
for income. As a journalist she is known to have interviewed George Bernard Shaw
and the exiled anarchist Prince Peter Kropotkin. Matters eventually performed at the home of Kropotkin and, after her recital, he challenged her to use her skills for something more useful stating that, “Art is not an end of life, but a means.” Matters agreed with his assessment and soon became involved with the Women's Freedom League
(WFL) to further the cause of women. She would later write that her encounter with Kropotkin, “proved to be the lifetime in a moment lived – my entire mental outlook was changed.”
and passed through Surrey
, Sussex
, East Anglia
and Kent
. The purpose of the tour was to speak about women’s enfranchisement and establish new WFL branches in the region. Despite the occasional heckler, Matters and the others involved, such as Charlotte Despard
and Amy Hicks, were successful in achieving these aims and established several branches. On this tour Matters met a young Quaker named Violet Tillard
in Tunbridge Wells who remained a close acquaintance until Tillard’s death in 1922 due to typhus
contracted while helping people in famine
-ravaged Russia
.
. It was to occur outside St. Stephen's Entrance, the Old Prison Yard and in the House of Commons. The purpose of the protest was to raise attention to the struggle of women and remove the ‘Grille’, a piece of ironwork placed in the Ladies’ Gallery that obscured their view of parliamentary proceedings. Matters was at the heart of the protest. She and an associate, Helen Fox, both chained themselves to the Grille of the Ladies’ Gallery and Matters began loudly proclaiming the benefits of enfranchisement directly to the elected MPs. Meanwhile, Violet Tillard
lowered a proclamation to the politicians below using pieces of string and a man from the Stranger’s Gallery
threw handbills onto the floor of Parliament. The police soon seized all the people involved but could not separate Matters and Fox from the Grille. Eventually the Grille was removed completely with the women attached and, once escorted to a nearby committee room, a blacksmith
was fetched to detach the women from the ironwork. Not charged over the incident, Matters and the other women involved were soon released near St. Stephen’s Entrance where they rejoined other members of the WFL who were still protesting. It was here that Matters was arrested on a “trumped-up charge of obstruction” trying to rush the Parliament’s lobby. The following day, 14 women (including Matters) and one male were tried at the Westminster Police Court. Matters was found guilty of wilfully obstructing London Police and was sentenced to one months imprisonment to be served at Holloway Gaol
.
officially opened Parliament for the coming year. As a part of the festivities there was a precession to the Houses of Parliament led by His Majesty. To gain attention to the suffrage cause, Matters’ decided to hire a dirigible air balloon (similar to a modern-day blimp in appearance) and intended to shower the King and the Houses of Parliament with WFL pamphlets. However, due to adverse wind conditions and the rudimentary motor powering the balloon she never made it to the Palace of Westminster
. Instead, Matters, beginning at Hendon airfields
, hugged the outskirts of London flying over Wormwood Scrubs
, Kensington
, Tooting
and finally landing in Coulsdon
with the trip lasting an hour and a half in total. With the airship emblazoned with ‘Votes for Women’ on one side and ‘Women’s Freedom League’ on the other, it rose to a height of 3,500 ft. Matters scattered 56Ib of handbills promoting the WFL’s cause and leading members of the league, Edith How-Martyn
and Miss Elsie Craig, pursued her by car.
(Literary Hall), Adelaide
(Town Hall
), Melbourne
(Princess Theatre
) and Sydney
(King’s Hall). Giving three talks in each city she advocated for prison reform
, equal pay for equal work, and, naturally, for the vote to be granted to the women of Great Britain. Accompanied by Violet Tillard
on the tour, Matters presented the audience with illustrations related to the movement and donned a facsimile
of her prison dress. From the newspaper reports surrounding her visit it is evident that she played to sizeable audiences and that her performances were littered with laughter and applause.
At the conclusion of the lecture tour, Matters helped Vida Goldstein
secure an Australian Senate
resolution
that outlined the countries positive experiences with women’s suffrage. The resolution was passed and sent to Prime Minister Asquith in Britain.
led by Sylvia Pankhurst
. Matters and other concerned women worked with poor children and mothers residing in the slums of Lambeth
, London. With the help of others, she educated impoverished children in the Montessori method
in addition to feeding and clothing them.
ian dentist
. Although not giving birth to any children, she subsequently became known as Muriel Matters-Porter.
, Matters declared her opposition to the war in an address entitled ‘The False Mysticism of War’. In essence, she argued that war is not a successful problem solving mechanism and justifications for war are based on false pretences. She expressed her displeasure at Christianity
being used as a justification of war as the origins of the faith made no appeal to armed force. For Matters, those advocating war in government along theological lines could not be trusted, “For their god is in their own consciousness, a magnified edition of themselves.” Furthermore, in her address she provides a rebuttal of the militaristic arguments presented in the book, ‘War and the World’s Life’, written by Colonel Frederic Natusch Maude. Matters also questions the importance of nationality
- the rise of which being a central factor in the outbreak
of the war she was denouncing. With the newspapers of the day filled with honour rolls of dead soldiers and advertisements to purchase war bonds, her arguments were in conflict to a society engaged in total war. Nevertheless, the address was later reproduced in the form of a pamphlet by the 'Peace Committee of the Society of Friends' and sold for a small fee.
international course which focused on new educational strategies. Spain’s neutrality during the Great War allowed Matters to partake in the course and learn the child-centred approach to learning proselytised by Madam Montessori
. On her return to England she resumed work with the poor children of East London and, on occasion, was invited to lecture education students in England
and Scotland
on the merits of the Montessori method.
candidate for the seat of Hastings
in the General Election of 1924
. Her opponent was the incumbent conservative
candidate, Lord Eustace Percy. She ran on a largely socialist platform advocating a fairer distribution of wealth, work for the unemployed, and furthering the equality of the sexes. During the election, Muriel’s younger brother, Leonard Matters
, joined her on the campaign. Leonard’s experience as a writer and journalist, would have been invaluable in negotiating the rather hostile Hastings press (Leonard himself would later become the Member for Lambeth
in 1929). Despite Matters’ best efforts, Lord Eustace Percy was returned with an increased majority of 9,135 and echoed the conservative gains felt across the country. Hastings would remain a safe conservative seat and was not claimed by a Labour Party candidate until 1997.
Nevertheless, this was a significant event in Matters’ life as having the opportunity to become elected was the result of a lifetime of activism on behalf of women. Although she was unsuccessful, this actualisation of her belief that women had a natural right to participate in parliamentary decision making bodies was a victory in itself.
with her husband. It was 1928, when a fifty-one year old Muriel Matters finally got what she and the countless other women of Great Britain were craving, suffrage on the same terms as it was granted to men (partial suffrage had been granted to women in 1918). In her later years, Matters often wrote Letters to the Editor, frequented the local library and was heavily involved in the community. Widowed in 1949, she died twenty years later on November 17, 1969 in St. Lennard’s nursing home aged ninety-two.
Lecturer
Lecturer is an academic rank. In the United Kingdom, lecturer is a position at a university or similar institution, often held by academics in their early career stages, who lead research groups and supervise research students, as well as teach...
, journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
, educator, actress and elocutionist. Based in Britain from 1905 till her death, Matters is best known for her work on behalf of the Women's Freedom League
Women's Freedom League
The Women's Freedom League was an organisation in the United Kingdom which campaigned for women's suffrage and sexual equality.The group was founded in 1907 by seventy members of the Women's Social and Political Union including Teresa Billington-Greig, Charlotte Despard, Elizabeth How-Martyn, and...
during the height of the militant struggle to enfranchise women in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
Early life
Muriel Matters was born in the inner city suburb of BowdenBowden, South Australia
Bowden is an inner northern suburb of Adelaide, South Australia. It is located in the City of Charles Sturt.-History:The 'Village of Bowden' was established in 1839 by James Hurtle Fisher, who named it after his native village in Northamptonshire....
in Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
, South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
to a large Methodist family. Her mother, Emma Alma Matters (née Warburton) gave birth to five daughters and five sons with Muriel being the third oldest. Her father was John Leonard Matters, a cabinetmaker and later stockbroker.
Matters spent the majority of her youth in South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
and during her time there the colony had gained widespread notoriety for being the first self-governing territory to give women equal franchise on the same terms as it was granted to men. The legislation was carried by the Kingston Government
Charles Kingston
Charles Cameron Kingston, Australian politician, was an early liberal Premier of South Australia serving from 1893 to 1899 with the support of Labor led by John McPherson from 1893 and Lee Batchelor from 1897 in the House of Assembly, winning the 1893, 1896, and 1899 state elections against the...
in 1894 and, though too young to be directly involved, Matters would have been inadvertently acquainted with the ideas of the Women’s Movement
Feminist movement
The feminist movement refers to a series of campaigns for reforms on issues such as reproductive rights, domestic violence, maternity leave, equal pay, women's suffrage, sexual harassment and sexual violence...
.
During Matters’ upbringing she was introduced to two Nineteenth Century literary figures who proved influential in informing her political consciousness. These were the American poet Walt Whitman
Walt Whitman
Walter "Walt" Whitman was an American poet, essayist and journalist. A humanist, he was a part of the transition between transcendentalism and realism, incorporating both views in his works. Whitman is among the most influential poets in the American canon, often called the father of free verse...
and the Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen
Henrik Ibsen
Henrik Ibsen was a major 19th-century Norwegian playwright, theatre director, and poet. He is often referred to as "the father of prose drama" and is one of the founders of Modernism in the theatre...
, author of ‘A Dolls House’. Whilst attending elocution classes as a child, the works of both of these writers featured prominently.
Matters studied music at the University of Adelaide
University of Adelaide
The University of Adelaide is a public university located in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1874, it is the third oldest university in Australia...
and by the late 1890s had begun to act and conduct recitals, initially in Adelaide, but later in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
and Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
with the Robert Brough Company.
At the time of Federation
Federation of Australia
The Federation of Australia was the process by which the six separate British self-governing colonies of New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia formed one nation...
, Matters returned to Adelaide and taught elocution while concurrently performing for audiences at numerous halls and saloons across the state. In 1904, she left Adelaide once more to join her family who in the meantime had moved to Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
. In Perth she continued her acting and was encouraged by friends in the industry to further her career in London. She soon followed their advice and, in late 1905, a twenty-eight year old Muriel Matters boarded the passenger ship Persic - destination London, England.
Conversion to the Suffrage Cause
When Muriel arrived in London she began doing recitals intermittently and eventually performed at the prestigious Bechstein Hall (now named Wigmore HallWigmore Hall
Wigmore Hall is a leading international recital venue that specialises in hosting performances of chamber music and is best known for classical recitals of piano, song and instrumental music. It is located at 36 Wigmore Street, London, UK and was built to provide London with a venue that was both...
). However, recital work in London was difficult to acquire due to a surplus of performers and Muriel was forced to undertake occasional work as a journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
for income. As a journalist she is known to have interviewed George Bernard Shaw
George Bernard Shaw
George Bernard Shaw was an Irish playwright and a co-founder of the London School of Economics. Although his first profitable writing was music and literary criticism, in which capacity he wrote many highly articulate pieces of journalism, his main talent was for drama, and he wrote more than 60...
and the exiled anarchist Prince Peter Kropotkin. Matters eventually performed at the home of Kropotkin and, after her recital, he challenged her to use her skills for something more useful stating that, “Art is not an end of life, but a means.” Matters agreed with his assessment and soon became involved with the Women's Freedom League
Women's Freedom League
The Women's Freedom League was an organisation in the United Kingdom which campaigned for women's suffrage and sexual equality.The group was founded in 1907 by seventy members of the Women's Social and Political Union including Teresa Billington-Greig, Charlotte Despard, Elizabeth How-Martyn, and...
(WFL) to further the cause of women. She would later write that her encounter with Kropotkin, “proved to be the lifetime in a moment lived – my entire mental outlook was changed.”
Caravan Tour of 1908
In early May through to mid-October 1908, Matters was ‘Organiser in Charge’ of the first ‘Votes for Women’ caravan that toured the South East counties of England. The caravan tour began in OxshottOxshott
Oxshott is a village in Surrey, England with a growing population of around 6,100. Neighbouring settlements include: Chessington, Claygate and Cobham. It is situated in fields and woodlands between Esher and Leatherhead on the A244, five minutes by car from both the A3 and the M25 London Orbital...
and passed through Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
, East Anglia
East Anglia
East Anglia is a traditional name for a region of eastern England, named after an ancient Anglo-Saxon kingdom, the Kingdom of the East Angles. The Angles took their name from their homeland Angeln, in northern Germany. East Anglia initially consisted of Norfolk and Suffolk, but upon the marriage of...
and Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
. The purpose of the tour was to speak about women’s enfranchisement and establish new WFL branches in the region. Despite the occasional heckler, Matters and the others involved, such as Charlotte Despard
Charlotte Despard
Charlotte Despard was a British-born, later Irish-based suffragist, novelist and Sinn Féin activist....
and Amy Hicks, were successful in achieving these aims and established several branches. On this tour Matters met a young Quaker named Violet Tillard
Violet Tillard
Violet Tillard was a suffragist, nurse, pacifist, supporter of conscientious objectors, international famine relief worker and devout Quaker.- Caravan tour :...
in Tunbridge Wells who remained a close acquaintance until Tillard’s death in 1922 due to typhus
Typhus
Epidemic typhus is a form of typhus so named because the disease often causes epidemics following wars and natural disasters...
contracted while helping people in famine
Russian famine of 1921
The Russian famine of 1921, also known as Povolzhye famine, which began in the early spring of that year, and lasted through 1922, was a severe famine that occurred in Bolshevik Russia...
-ravaged Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
.
The Grille Incident
On the night of 28 October 1908, the WFL conducted a simultaneous protest at the British Houses of ParliamentPalace of Westminster
The Palace of Westminster, also known as the Houses of Parliament or Westminster Palace, is the meeting place of the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom—the House of Lords and the House of Commons...
. It was to occur outside St. Stephen's Entrance, the Old Prison Yard and in the House of Commons. The purpose of the protest was to raise attention to the struggle of women and remove the ‘Grille’, a piece of ironwork placed in the Ladies’ Gallery that obscured their view of parliamentary proceedings. Matters was at the heart of the protest. She and an associate, Helen Fox, both chained themselves to the Grille of the Ladies’ Gallery and Matters began loudly proclaiming the benefits of enfranchisement directly to the elected MPs. Meanwhile, Violet Tillard
Violet Tillard
Violet Tillard was a suffragist, nurse, pacifist, supporter of conscientious objectors, international famine relief worker and devout Quaker.- Caravan tour :...
lowered a proclamation to the politicians below using pieces of string and a man from the Stranger’s Gallery
Strangers Gallery
The Strangers' Gallery is set aside for members of the public at the British House of Commons, and is intended for both invited and uninvited members of the public to watch the proceedings of the House. A similar gallery exists in the House of Lords. Members of the public may obtain tickets from...
threw handbills onto the floor of Parliament. The police soon seized all the people involved but could not separate Matters and Fox from the Grille. Eventually the Grille was removed completely with the women attached and, once escorted to a nearby committee room, a blacksmith
Blacksmith
A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...
was fetched to detach the women from the ironwork. Not charged over the incident, Matters and the other women involved were soon released near St. Stephen’s Entrance where they rejoined other members of the WFL who were still protesting. It was here that Matters was arrested on a “trumped-up charge of obstruction” trying to rush the Parliament’s lobby. The following day, 14 women (including Matters) and one male were tried at the Westminster Police Court. Matters was found guilty of wilfully obstructing London Police and was sentenced to one months imprisonment to be served at Holloway Gaol
Holloway (HM Prison)
HM Prison Holloway is a closed category prison for adult women and Young Offenders, located in the Holloway area of the London Borough of Islington, in north and Inner London, England...
.
The Balloon Flight
On 16 February 1909, King EdwardEdward VII of the United Kingdom
Edward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910...
officially opened Parliament for the coming year. As a part of the festivities there was a precession to the Houses of Parliament led by His Majesty. To gain attention to the suffrage cause, Matters’ decided to hire a dirigible air balloon (similar to a modern-day blimp in appearance) and intended to shower the King and the Houses of Parliament with WFL pamphlets. However, due to adverse wind conditions and the rudimentary motor powering the balloon she never made it to the Palace of Westminster
Palace of Westminster
The Palace of Westminster, also known as the Houses of Parliament or Westminster Palace, is the meeting place of the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom—the House of Lords and the House of Commons...
. Instead, Matters, beginning at Hendon airfields
Hendon Aerodrome
Hendon Aerodrome was an aerodrome in Hendon, north London, England that, between 1908 and 1968, was an important centre for aviation.It was situated in Colindale, seven miles north west of Charing Cross. It nearly became "the Charing Cross of the UK's international air routes", but for the...
, hugged the outskirts of London flying over Wormwood Scrubs
Wormwood Scrubs
Wormwood Scrubs, known locally as The Scrubs, is an open space located in the north-eastern corner of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in west London. It is the largest open space in the Borough, at 80 ha , and one of the largest areas of common land in London...
, Kensington
Kensington
Kensington is a district of west and central London, England within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. An affluent and densely-populated area, its commercial heart is Kensington High Street, and it contains the well-known museum district of South Kensington.To the north, Kensington is...
, Tooting
Tooting
Tooting is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Wandsworth. It is situated south south-west of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-History:...
and finally landing in Coulsdon
Coulsdon
Coulsdon is a town on the southernmost boundary of the London Borough of Croydon. It is surrounded by the Metropolitan Green Belt of the Farthing Down, Coulsdon Common and Kenley Common...
with the trip lasting an hour and a half in total. With the airship emblazoned with ‘Votes for Women’ on one side and ‘Women’s Freedom League’ on the other, it rose to a height of 3,500 ft. Matters scattered 56Ib of handbills promoting the WFL’s cause and leading members of the league, Edith How-Martyn
Edith How-Martyn
Edith How-Martyn, nee How was a British suffragette and a member of the Women's Social and Political Union . She was arrested in 1906 for attempting to make a speech in the House of Commons. This was one of the first acts of suffragette militancy.-Life:Edith How was born in London in 1875, an...
and Miss Elsie Craig, pursued her by car.
1910: First Lecture Tour of Australia
From May to July 1910, Muriel Matters gave lectures focusing on her experiences in Britain agitating for change. In the four-month tour, she spoke in PerthPerth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
(Literary Hall), Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
(Town Hall
Adelaide Town Hall
Adelaide Town Hall is a landmark building on King William Street in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.-Description and history:Adelaide Town Hall was designed by Edmund Wright and Edward Woods, with construction commencing in 1863 and completed in 1866...
), Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
(Princess Theatre
Princess Theatre, Melbourne
The Princess Theatre is a 1488-seat theatre in Melbourne, Australia.It is listed by the National Trust of Australia and is on the Victorian Heritage Register.-History:...
) and Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
(King’s Hall). Giving three talks in each city she advocated for prison reform
Prison reform
Prison reform is the attempt to improve conditions inside prisons, aiming at a more effective penal system.-History:Prisons have only been used as the primary punishment for criminal acts in the last couple of centuries...
, equal pay for equal work, and, naturally, for the vote to be granted to the women of Great Britain. Accompanied by Violet Tillard
Violet Tillard
Violet Tillard was a suffragist, nurse, pacifist, supporter of conscientious objectors, international famine relief worker and devout Quaker.- Caravan tour :...
on the tour, Matters presented the audience with illustrations related to the movement and donned a facsimile
Facsimile
A facsimile is a copy or reproduction of an old book, manuscript, map, art print, or other item of historical value that is as true to the original source as possible. It differs from other forms of reproduction by attempting to replicate the source as accurately as possible in terms of scale,...
of her prison dress. From the newspaper reports surrounding her visit it is evident that she played to sizeable audiences and that her performances were littered with laughter and applause.
At the conclusion of the lecture tour, Matters helped Vida Goldstein
Vida Goldstein
Vida Jane Mary Goldstein was an early Australian feminist politician who campaigned for women's suffrage and social reform.-Early years:...
secure an Australian Senate
Australian Senate
The Senate is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the lower house being the House of Representatives. Senators are popularly elected under a system of proportional representation. Senators are elected for a term that is usually six years; after a double dissolution, however,...
resolution
Resolution (law)
A resolution is a written motion adopted by a deliberative body. The substance of the resolution can be anything that can normally be proposed as a motion. For long or important motions, though, it is often better to have them written out so that discussion is easier or so that it can be...
that outlined the countries positive experiences with women’s suffrage. The resolution was passed and sent to Prime Minister Asquith in Britain.
Work in East London
Within a year of Matters’ return from her country of origin, she became involved with the ‘Mothers Arms’ project in East LondonEast End of London
The East End of London, also known simply as the East End, is the area of London, England, United Kingdom, east of the medieval walled City of London and north of the River Thames. Although not defined by universally accepted formal boundaries, the River Lea can be considered another boundary...
led by Sylvia Pankhurst
Sylvia Pankhurst
Estelle Sylvia Pankhurst was an English campaigner for the suffragist movement in the United Kingdom. She was for a time a prominent left communist who then devoted herself to the cause of anti-fascism.-Early life:...
. Matters and other concerned women worked with poor children and mothers residing in the slums of Lambeth
Lambeth
Lambeth is a district of south London, England, and part of the London Borough of Lambeth. It is situated southeast of Charing Cross.-Toponymy:...
, London. With the help of others, she educated impoverished children in the Montessori method
Montessori method
Montessori education is an educational approach developed by Italian physician and educator Maria Montessori. Montessori education is practiced in an estimated 20,000 schools worldwide, serving children from birth to eighteen years old.-Overview:...
in addition to feeding and clothing them.
Marriage
On 15 October 1914, Muriel married William Arnold Porter, a divorced BostonBoston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
ian dentist
Dentist
A dentist, also known as a 'dental surgeon', is a doctor that specializes in the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases and conditions of the oral cavity. The dentist's supporting team aides in providing oral health services...
. Although not giving birth to any children, she subsequently became known as Muriel Matters-Porter.
Objection to the First World War
In June 1915, one year after the outbreak of World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Matters declared her opposition to the war in an address entitled ‘The False Mysticism of War’. In essence, she argued that war is not a successful problem solving mechanism and justifications for war are based on false pretences. She expressed her displeasure at Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
being used as a justification of war as the origins of the faith made no appeal to armed force. For Matters, those advocating war in government along theological lines could not be trusted, “For their god is in their own consciousness, a magnified edition of themselves.” Furthermore, in her address she provides a rebuttal of the militaristic arguments presented in the book, ‘War and the World’s Life’, written by Colonel Frederic Natusch Maude. Matters also questions the importance of nationality
Nationality
Nationality is membership of a nation or sovereign state, usually determined by their citizenship, but sometimes by ethnicity or place of residence, or based on their sense of national identity....
- the rise of which being a central factor in the outbreak
Causes of World War I
The causes of World War I, which began in central Europe in July 1914, included many intertwined factors, such as the conflicts and hostility of the four decades leading up to the war. Militarism, alliances, imperialism, and nationalism played major roles in the conflict as well...
of the war she was denouncing. With the newspapers of the day filled with honour rolls of dead soldiers and advertisements to purchase war bonds, her arguments were in conflict to a society engaged in total war. Nevertheless, the address was later reproduced in the form of a pamphlet by the 'Peace Committee of the Society of Friends' and sold for a small fee.
The Montessori Method
In 1916, Matters spent a year in Barcelona attending the Italian educator Maria Montessori’sMaria Montessori
Maria Montessori was an Italian physician and educator, a noted humanitarian and devout Catholic best known for the philosophy of education which bears her name...
international course which focused on new educational strategies. Spain’s neutrality during the Great War allowed Matters to partake in the course and learn the child-centred approach to learning proselytised by Madam Montessori
Maria Montessori
Maria Montessori was an Italian physician and educator, a noted humanitarian and devout Catholic best known for the philosophy of education which bears her name...
. On her return to England she resumed work with the poor children of East London and, on occasion, was invited to lecture education students 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 Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
on the merits of the Montessori method.
1922: Second Lecture Tour of Australia
In 1922, Matters undertook a second lecture tour of Australia but this time her primary concern was to advocate Montessori’s ideas to the educators of her native country. Giving lectures in Perth, Sydney, Adelaide and Melbourne, her tour was closely followed by the Australian press.Candidate for Hastings
The once young actress-cum-suffragist turned education reformer then tried her hand at electioneering, running as the Labour PartyLabour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
candidate for the seat of Hastings
Hastings
Hastings is a town and borough in the county of East Sussex on the south coast of England. The town is located east of the county town of Lewes and south east of London, and has an estimated population of 86,900....
in the General Election of 1924
United Kingdom general election, 1924
- Seats summary :- References :* F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987* - External links :* * *...
. Her opponent was the incumbent conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
candidate, Lord Eustace Percy. She ran on a largely socialist platform advocating a fairer distribution of wealth, work for the unemployed, and furthering the equality of the sexes. During the election, Muriel’s younger brother, Leonard Matters
Leonard Matters
Leonard Warburton Matters was an Australian journalist who became a Labour Party politician in the United Kingdom.He was born a British subject in Adelaide, Australia, and fought in the Second Boer War in South Africa...
, joined her on the campaign. Leonard’s experience as a writer and journalist, would have been invaluable in negotiating the rather hostile Hastings press (Leonard himself would later become the Member for Lambeth
Lambeth
Lambeth is a district of south London, England, and part of the London Borough of Lambeth. It is situated southeast of Charing Cross.-Toponymy:...
in 1929). Despite Matters’ best efforts, Lord Eustace Percy was returned with an increased majority of 9,135 and echoed the conservative gains felt across the country. Hastings would remain a safe conservative seat and was not claimed by a Labour Party candidate until 1997.
Nevertheless, this was a significant event in Matters’ life as having the opportunity to become elected was the result of a lifetime of activism on behalf of women. Although she was unsuccessful, this actualisation of her belief that women had a natural right to participate in parliamentary decision making bodies was a victory in itself.
Later Life and Death
In the years after the election Matters settled in HastingsHastings
Hastings is a town and borough in the county of East Sussex on the south coast of England. The town is located east of the county town of Lewes and south east of London, and has an estimated population of 86,900....
with her husband. It was 1928, when a fifty-one year old Muriel Matters finally got what she and the countless other women of Great Britain were craving, suffrage on the same terms as it was granted to men (partial suffrage had been granted to women in 1918). In her later years, Matters often wrote Letters to the Editor, frequented the local library and was heavily involved in the community. Widowed in 1949, she died twenty years later on November 17, 1969 in St. Lennard’s nursing home aged ninety-two.
See also
- Violet TillardViolet TillardViolet Tillard was a suffragist, nurse, pacifist, supporter of conscientious objectors, international famine relief worker and devout Quaker.- Caravan tour :...
- Leonard MattersLeonard MattersLeonard Warburton Matters was an Australian journalist who became a Labour Party politician in the United Kingdom.He was born a British subject in Adelaide, Australia, and fought in the Second Boer War in South Africa...
- Women's suffrageWomen's suffrageWomen's suffrage or woman suffrage is the right of women to vote and to run for office. The expression is also used for the economic and political reform movement aimed at extending these rights to women and without any restrictions or qualifications such as property ownership, payment of tax, or...
- Women's suffrage in the United KingdomWomen's suffrage in the United KingdomWomen's suffrage in the United Kingdom as a national movement began in 1872. Women were not prohibited from voting in the United Kingdom until the 1832 Reform Act and the 1835 Municipal Corporations Act...
External links
- Australian Dictionary of Biography Entry
- Sister Suffragists: An Essay on Australian Women in Britain
- Oxford Dictionary of National Biography Entry
- Brief Biography in the Hastings Women's Suffrage Website
- Why Muriel Matters: Transcript of Stateline SA's Report
- http://www.murielmatterssociety.com.au/Muriel_Matters_Society_Inc./The_Muriel_Matters_Society_Inc..html