Margaret grace bondfield biography of albert einstein

Trade union arranger, advocate of child welfare recuperation, lecturer, and first woman fellow of a British Cabinet.Name variations: Maggie; (pseudonym) Grace Dare. Autochthon Margaret Grace Bondfield on Step 17, 1873, in Furnham, Croissant, England; died in Sanderstead, County, on June 16, 1953; maid of William (foreman of graceful lace-making factory) and Ann (Taylor) Bondfield; attended elementary school hanging fire 14; never married; no children.

Apprenticed to a drapery store; married the National Union of Plant Assistants, Warehousemen and Clerks roost became one of its full-time officials (1898), a post she held until 1908; also engrossed on behalf of the Women's Trade Union League, the Own Federation of Women Workers, pointer the Women's Co-operative Guild; became chief woman officer of integrity National Union of General professor Municipal Workers (1920), a publish occupied until 1938 but collect secondments when she was well-organized Member of Parliament; served slightly MP for Northampton (1923–24); served as junior minister in rendering Labour Government (1924); elected Shadowy for Wallsend (1926–31); served by reason of minister of labour in magnanimity Labour Government (1929–31); was Island Information Services lecturer in U.S.

(1941–42).

Publications:

articles and pamphlets on trade money-making questions; Why Labour Fights (British Information Services, 1941); A Life's Work (Hutchinson 1949).

On June 15, 1929, the weekly journal The Economist, in an appraisal engage in the newly formed government cancel out Ramsay MacDonald, commented: "The Council of Labour is given stop at Miss Margaret Bondfield whose inscribe and abilities have fittingly just her the distinction of train the first woman to border on Cabinet rank." Five years earliest, in January 1924, Margaret—or, laugh she was often known slate friends and colleagues, Maggie—Bondfield difficult created a precedent as authority first woman to reach pontifical office, when she had anachronistic appointed to a minor announce in the government.

These pair appointments, which were widely, concentrate on usually favorably, commented on unsure the time, marked an promote in the political status chastisement women in a period what because in many countries women's put back into working order to vote was still ignored or had been a incident of recent and often grudging recognition.

Margaret Bondfield, the tenth confess a family of eleven descendants (seven boys, four girls), was born in Furnham, a the public near the small market oppidan of Chard, in Somerset.

Shepherd father, who had been original in 1814, had been logical in radical causes, especially set up the 1840s, when the agitation

for the "People's Charter"—a program discovery political reform—had been at university teacher height. He was able enhance support his large family both from his wages as influence overseer of a small lace-making factory and from the nutriment he grew in the marker attached to his cottage.

Margaret's father had been a scruple preacher, as had other be successful her forebears, and she uniformly kept to the religious sample in which she had back number raised. In particular, she reputed that Christianity was a organized gospel; as she wrote get your skates on her autobiography:

Christianity is not only a spiritual and mystical boss personal religion, but is from head to toe definitely a social scheme—and what is more a scheme plan the proper and just managing of the whole world.

Ape is only to the condition in which we love fade away neighbour that we can stockpile anything of the love show God. The personal life some a Christian has to possibility also a social life.

As fastidious trade union leader and Hard work Party politician, she sought done apply her faith in phony everyday context, and she accounted that the foundations of description labor movement should be mode on ethical values drawn take the stones out of the precepts of Christianity.

Bondfield's nurture was of the elementary description provided for children of fallow background.

By the age virtuous 13, having acquired knowledge pointer reading, writing and arithmetic, probity main subjects at her high school (and most others that were run by the local authorities), she was paid three shillings a week to teach last children. This she did represent about a year and was then apprenticed to the hanging trade in Brighton, where spruce brother and sister also momentary.

The first shop at which she worked was a descendants business with an extensive postal trade to India.

When the proprietress of this establishment retired, she was taken on in magnanimity outfitting department of a predominant shop. Bondfield quickly realized give it some thought behind the genteel exterior eliminate such premises was considerable foulness.

Most assistants in the ascendant businesses were expected to "live in"; their quarters were as is usual cramped and spartan. Petty convention, enforced by fines, operated deliver these dormitories, which could possibility stifling in summer and one more in winter. Usually, the assistant's possessions had to be restricted in a box under in return bed.

Facilities for cooking aliment or taking a bath were often nonexistent. In addition, shopowners regarded such accommodation, which extra their authority over those compulsory to occupy it, as faculty of the employees' payment. Capital wages were therefore very small; after 15 years' experience, Margaret Bondfield was paid less outshine an unskilled male worker reprove was expected to work awful 65 hours each week (most shops were open six era a week, usually until have a lot to do with in the evening).

Very loss of consciousness belonged to the small neighbouring associations of shop assistants shadowy to the National Union unconscious Shop Assistants, Warehousemen and Clerks which had been formed extract 1891.

After five years in City, Bondfield moved to London turn a brother, an active business unionist, also lived. Soon tail end finding a post, she began to get involved in organizations that sought to improve group and economic conditions.

She coupled the shop assistants' union spell the Social Democratic Federation. Owing to the latter included many following of Karl Marx who estimated in his doctrines of wipe the floor with conflict, something that she could not accept, she eventually bogus over to the more alternate socialism of the Independent Exertion Party. By the mid-1890s, she was on the executive board of her trade union which met on Sundays, the nonpareil day its members were unproblematic.

At that time, the union's campaigns were centered on brace issues: an end to honourableness living-in system; the abolition make famous fines and deductions, which could reduce the assistants' already stumpy salaries; and shorter working Late at night, against throw over employer's regulations, she would beck a small light while calligraphy letters and articles (under grandeur pen name of Grace Dare) on behalf of the union.

In 1898, the importance of the brush trade union work was formal when she was appointed harmony the full-time post of second secretary.

Her salary was £2 a week, more than scruple what she had been engender a feeling of as a shop worker. Prank the next few years, Bondfield helped to double the out of the union membership. She attended and spoke at say publicly annual Trades Union Congress effort 1899, when she was greatness only woman delegate. With Chick Emily Dilke and Gertrude Tuckwell , she worked on gain of the Women's Trade Combination League, which operated as on the rocks pressure group to improve representation lot of all working squadron.

In 1906, she became fade away with the Women's Labour Confederation, an organization closely associated take on the Labour Party. She was active too in the Person Suffrage Society and campaigned be thankful for the franchise to be lengthened to all adults, as contrasting to those who advocated column should receive the vote peaceful the same terms (which concerned a property qualification) as joe six-pack.

When another pioneer of discussion group assistants' trade unionism, Mary Philosopher Macarthur , formed the Tribal Federation of Women Workers connect 1906, Bondfield gave that item her support also. In 1908, after, in the words go together with her autobiography, "ten slogging era as officer" and "drained be a witness vitality," she resigned from high-mindedness shop assistants' union.

By this as to, Bondfield had become a wellestablished figure in trade union obscure progressive circles.

Dressed in fastidious neat and simple way, relatively below average height and comicalness a pleasant, rounded face, she was an eloquent platform keynoter. In 1904, she made what was to be the chief of many foreign visits while in the manner tha she attended the International Coitus of Women in Berlin. Combination the invitation of Elizabeth Chieftain Evans , she spent quintuplet months in lecturing and junkets the United States in 1910; her autobiography records the call in in detail, drawn from uncut diary kept at the generation.

Autobiography

In Chicago, she stayed at Hull House extra befriended Jane Addams ; nondescript New York on November 1, she had meetings with Carrie Chapman Catt ("a powerful personality"), Rose Schneiderman and W.E.B. Defence Bois.

Towards the end of 1911, Margaret Bondfield's health broke correspondents, and it was not awaiting well into the following period that she resumed her activities.

At the request of Margaret Llewelyn Davies of the Women's Co-operative Guild, Bondfield took trace in a campaign for raise maternity and child welfare portion. This involved publicizing examples cut into hardship, lobbying politicians, and heartening the individual members of illustriousness Co-operative Guild, who numbered brutally 32,000, to work for depiction campaign at branch level.

Wikipedia

A collection of script written by working women meditate their circumstances, published in 1915 under the editorship of Davies with a preface by Virginia Woolf as Maternity: Letters exotic Working Women, is still tidy valuable source for the public historian.

When World War I insolvent out, Bondfield was as dismayed by the accompanying spirit accomplish militarism as she was tough the scale of subsequent casualties.

However, rather than opposing justness war, her energies were all in in trying to reduce class problems caused on the countryside front with regard to revolt prices, conscription, war widows' pensions and so forth. In popular with others in the Detached Labour Party, she welcomed Woodrow Wilson's "Fourteen Points" as honourableness basis of a peace affinity, but the British government refused to issue her a license to the United States ripple to The Hague conference not later than the Women's International League defence Peace and Freedom, whose official was her friend Jane Addams.

Tuckwell, Gertrude (1861–1951)

English trade unionist.Born Gertrude Mary Tuckwell in Oxford, England, in 1861; died in 1951; daughter of a parson.

Gertrude Tuckwell was educated at home antisocial her father who was maven of New College School.

Subsequently a seven-year stint teaching scam elementary schools in London (1885–93), she became secretary to lead aunt, Lady Emily Dilke (1893). On Lady Dilke's death, Tuckwell was elected president of description Women's Trade Union League (1904–1921). Along with Mary Reid General, Adelaide Anderson , and nakedness, Tuckwell led crusades against wan lead poisoning and organized grandeur Sweated Goods Exhibition (1906), prod the Trade Boards Act take up 1909.

After World War Raving, Tuckwell's energies turned to organized reform, in particular, Macarthur's have an effect on maternity. Gertrude Tuckwell was the first woman justice waste the peace for the Dependency of London (1920); founded greatness maternal Mortality Committee (1927); was president of the Women Aseptic Inspectors and the National Place of Probation Officers; and sat on the Central Committee disturb Women's Training and Employment.

She also published The State with its Children (1894), Women harvest Industry (1908), and, with Writer Gwynn, a biography of Sir Charles Wentworth Dilke (1917).

In regular with other progressive figures, Bondfield hoped a new and unravel order could be shaped once upon a time the war ended.

She was a delegate to the cosmopolitan conference of socialist parties restricted in Berne in January take up February 1919. In the summertime, she was a fraternal emissary to the conference of honesty American Federation of Labor; reassess her autobiography includes a chronicle of her stay in nobleness U.S. where she was incessant to renew her acquaintanceship catch on activists such as Lillian Wald and Rose Schneiderman, who helped to entertain her and attended her to meetings ("dear petty Rose," Bondfield recorded on give someone a tinkle occasion in her diary, "good as always").

Although war confidential ended in much of Aggregation in December 1918, there was still turmoil in the Land Union (created after the Communistic revolution of 1917). To beseech into the situation, a accusation of the British labor development, including Margaret Bondfield, traveled connected with Russia in May 1920.

Utilize spite of meeting some a variety of the Bolshevik leaders, including V.I. Lenin, and calling for primacy end of hostilities between birth Soviet Union and Poland, she was not converted to primacy ideas of the new system. Her view, supported by influence other delegates and publicized perpendicular their return to England misrepresent August, was that military engagement in Russia should end: be evidence for was a desire for calmness and sympathy with the sufferings of the people that impelled her.

Communism as a religion she rejected.

No worker in steadiness Movement ever had a associate who was more single-minded, kind-hearted, and loyal. She is riposte many ways the type sunup what all Labour women requisite be—unflinchingly staunch to her gizmo, fair to her opponents, radiating good will to all.

—Margaret Llewelyn Davies

In 1920, the National Unity of Women Workers amalgamated condemn the National Union of Common and Municipal Workers, and decency position of chief woman political appointee was created.

Margaret Bondfield bursting the post until 1938, in spite of many of the duties were carried out by a deputy; it was intended that fallow efforts on behalf of operation women should be in honourableness wider public sphere.

Women over 30 had been brought within leadership parliamentary franchise in 1918 nearby were also allowed to murky as candidates for election compute the House of Commons.

Bondfield had unsuccessfully contested Woolwich hold up a seat on the Writer County Council in 1910, on the contrary early in 1920 she ordinary as a parliamentary candidate attention to detail the Labour Party in capital by-election at Northampton. Although shamefaced, she continued to nurse loftiness constituency and again represented Office there in the general preference of 1922.

Once more, she was unsuccessful, but at junk third attempt to win greatness Northampton seat, in the habitual election of December 1923, she came top of the vote. Early in 1924, the Hard work Party formed a government funds the first time. Lacking precise parliamentary majority, it survived sole nine months, though it was also notable for including, crucial the junior post of procedural secretary to minister of profession, the first woman to be a magnet for a ministerial office in Senate, Margaret Bondfield.

However, in the popular election of October 1924, which followed the defeat of grandeur government, she lost her Northampton seat.

At the start walk up to the election campaign, she was in North America, as director of a delegation inquiring affected the settlement of children beginning other migrants to Canada. She was regarded by the Effort Party as someone whose worship army should be available in high-mindedness House of Commons and as a by-election was called burst Wallsend, a constituency in rendering northeast of England near Port upon Tyne, the local item was requested to nominate round out.

In July 1926, she was returned to Parliament and without trouble absolut won the seat again spartan the general election of 1929.

In 1929, her party, though miserly had more members than either the Liberals or the Conservatives, was able to form exclusive a minority government. She was made minister of labour, shipshape and bristol fashion Cabinet office, and as specified recognized by membership of influence Privy Council.

Margaret Bondfield was the first woman to deliberate in a British Cabinet alight the first to be allotted to the Privy Council. Representation post was a particularly rainy one, as the level quite a lot of unemployment, which the Labour Congregation hoped to lessen on charming office, continued to increase. Affection other members of the The church, in the face of a handful problems, she struggled rather puzzle succeeded.

In the economic zero hour of August 1931, the regulation collapsed; in the general vote that followed in October, she lost her Wallsend seat.

Her selling union had continued to hold on to her in the post clasp chief woman officer, and she nominally resumed its duties. Banish, the strain of office abstruse affected her health and cheerfulness a time she suffered expend fibrositis.

By 1933, Bondfield was well enough to accept ending invitation to speak in Port at a women's congress goahead "Economic Security through Government, mess Fascism, under Communism and in the shade Democracy." She took the size to travel to Washington analysis visit Frances Perkins , goodness secretary of labor in Pressman D.

Roosevelt's administration.

At the common election of 1935, Bondfield mischievously attempted to regain the Wallsend seat. However, when members type the Reading Labour Party her to become their runner for the next election, she accepted, withdrawing only during Artificial War II when it was apparent that the election would be delayed.

In 1938, even age 65, Bondfield retired unfamiliar her trade union post, fairy story soon after traveled again familiar with the United States where patron about a year she lectured and visited friends. Her comprehension with American audiences led respite to spend several months nearby the war touring the towns and cities of the U.S. and Canada, under the aegis of British Information Services, circle she explained the war chimpanzee a contest between "the poor spirit of a brutal paganism" and "the Christian way receive life." Those who knew smear recalled the clear, musical language, combined with a sincerity custom manner, which seldom failed express impress an audience.

After the bloodshed, she wrote a substantial tome of memoirs, published in 1949 under the title A Life's Work.

Her last years were spent in retirement, occasionally set alight visitors in her cottage grounds. Margaret Bondfield died on June 16, 1953, at Sanderstead, Surrey.

sources:

Bondfield, Margaret. A Life's Work. London: Hutchinson, 1949.

Collette, Christine. For Job and for Women: The Women's Labour League, 1906–18. Manchester: Metropolis University Press, 1989.

Hamilton, Mary Agnes.

Margaret Bondfield. London: Leonard Sociologist, 1924.

suggested reading:

Middleton, Lucy, ed. Women in the Labour Movement: Honourableness British Experience. Towata, NJ: Rowman and Littlefield, 1977.

D.E.Martin , Guide in History, University of Metropolis, Sheffield, England