Dorothy Helen Cornish (1 October 1870 – 7 October 1945) was an English

Montessori The Montessori method of education is a type of educational method that involves children's natural interests and activities rather than formal teaching methods. A Montessori classroom places an emphasis on hands-on learning and developing ...

educator,

suffragist Suffrage, political franchise, or simply franchise is the right to vote in public, political elections and referendums (although the term is sometimes used for any right to vote). In some languages, and occasionally in English, the right to vo ...

, translator and writer. She was a co-creator and editor of the feminist

gender studies Gender studies is an interdisciplinary academic field devoted to analysing gender identity and gendered representation. Gender studies originated in the field of women's studies, concerning women, feminism, gender, and politics. The field n ...

journal ''

Urania Urania ( ; ; modern Greek shortened name ''Ránia''; meaning "heavenly" or "of heaven") was, in Greek mythology, the muse of astronomy and astrology. Urania is the goddess of astronomy and stars, her attributes being the globe and compass. T ...

''.

Biography

Cornish was born in

Sixhills Sixhills is a village in the West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England, about south-east from Market Rasen. It lies just south of the A631 between Market Rasen and Ludford. It is in the civil parish of North Willingham. The Church of A ...

, Lincolnshire, on 1 October 1870. Her father was Rev. Frank Fortescue Cornish, who was H.M. Inspector of Schools, and her mother was Margaret Gertrude Garnier. Her grandfather was Thomas Garnier the Younger and great grandfather was Thomas Garnier the Elder. She moved with her family to

Manchester Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...

at the age of six for her father's work. Cornish worked as a

educator and acted as an interpreter for

Maria Montessori Maria Tecla Artemisia Montessori ( ; ; 31 August 1870 – 6 May 1952) was an Italians, Italian physician and educator best known for her philosophy of education (the Montessori method) and her writing on scientific pedagogy. At an early a ...

for many of her English courses. Cornish was a member of the

Aëthnic Union The Aëthnic Union was a radical feminist organisation established in London around 1911 by Thomas Baty, also known as Irene Clyde. Dedicated to dismantling traditional gender roles and societal norms, the Union promoted ideals of pacifism, egal ...

, along with

Eva Gore-Booth Eva Selina Laura Gore-Booth (22 May 1870 – 30 June 1926) was an Irish poet, theologian, and dramatist, and a committed suffragist, social worker and labour activist. She was born at Lissadell House, County Sligo, the younger sister of Co ...

Esther Roper Esther Roper (4 August 1868 – 28 April 1938) was a suffragist and social justice campaigner who fought for equal employment and voting rights for working-class women. Early life and education Esther Roper was born near Chorley, Lancashire, o ...

Thomas Baty Thomas Baty (8 February 1869 – 9 February 1954), who also used the name Irene Clyde, was an English gender non-conforming international lawyer, writer, and activist. A prominent legal scholar and authority on international law, Baty served fo ...

and

Jessey Wade Anna Jessey Wade (2 December 1859 – 10 May 1952) was an English suffragette and campaigner for animal welfare. She founded the Cats Protection League, now known as Cats Protection, and was involved with several other animal welfare organisati ...

. In 1916, they co-founded the feminist journal ''

'' and she contributed as editor. Cornish opposed children being indoctrinated into

gender role A gender role, or sex role, is a social norm deemed appropriate or desirable for individuals based on their gender or sex. Gender roles are usually centered on conceptions of masculinity and femininity. The specifics regarding these gendered ...

s. She moved to

Siena Siena ( , ; traditionally spelled Sienna in English; ) is a city in Tuscany, in central Italy, and the capital of the province of Siena. It is the twelfth most populated city in the region by number of inhabitants, with a population of 52,991 ...

around 1895 and spent most of her life in Italy, where she continued her work as co-editor of ''Urania''. In 1914, she signed the

Open Christmas Letter The Open Christmas Letter was a public message for peace addressed "To the Women of Germany and Austria",Oldfield, 2003, p. 46. signed by a group of 101 British suffragists at the end of 1914 as the first Christmas of the First World War appro ...

along with 100 other suffragists, including Gore-Booth and Roper. Cornish was a member of the Brontë Society, and, in 1940, she published a novel about the Brontë sisters, which was well received in ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

''. She also translated two French essays by

Emily Brontë Emily Jane Brontë (, commonly ; 30 July 1818 – 19 December 1848) was an English writer best known for her 1847 novel, ''Wuthering Heights''. She also co-authored a book of poetry with her sisters Charlotte Brontë, Charlotte and Anne Bront� ...

. Cornish died in

Sidmouth Sidmouth () is a town on the English Channel in Devon, South West England, southeast of Exeter. With a population of 13,258 in 2021, it is a tourist resort and a gateway to the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site. A large part of the town has ...

, Devon, on 7 October 1945.

Bibliography

* ''Verses'' (San Bernardino: Pontifical Printing-Office, 1904) * ''Sealed Poetry'' by

Robert Burns Robert Burns (25 January 1759 – 21 July 1796), also known familiarly as Rabbie Burns, was a Scottish poet and lyricist. He is widely regarded as the List of national poets, national poet of Scotland and is celebrated worldwide. He is the be ...

(editor and translator; Firenze: Landi, 1908) *
These Were the Brontes: A Novel
' (New York: Macmillan Co., 1940)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cornish, Dorothy 1870 births 1945 deaths 20th-century English educators 20th-century English translators 20th-century English women educators 20th-century English women writers English emigrants to Italy English feminist writers English suffragists English women activists

Dorothy Dorothy may refer to: *Dorothy (given name), a list of people with that name. Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Dorothy'' (TV series), 1979 American TV series * Dorothy Mills, a 2008 French movie, sometimes titled simply ''Dorot ...

Montessori teachers People from West Lindsey District Women of the Victorian era Writers from Lincolnshire Publication founders