Nora Vynne
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Eleanora Mary Susanna Vynne (31 October 1857 – 18 February 1914) was a British novelist and political activist. She was a leading member of the Freedom of Labour Defence who argued for equal rights for women in the workplace.


Life

Vynne was born in
Kennington Kennington is a district in south London, England. It is mainly within the London Borough of Lambeth, running along the boundary with the London Borough of Southwark, a boundary which can be discerned from the early medieval period between th ...
in 1857. She would spend some of her childhood in Rickerby in the Lake District where she was home schooled. Her first job was in the highlands of Scotland where she was a teacher at
Peterhead Peterhead (; , ) is a town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is the council area's largest settlement, with a population of 19,060 at the 2022 Census for Scotland, 2022 Census. It is the largest fishing port in the United Kingdom for total landi ...
in Aberdeenshire. In 1881 her father, Charles Vynne, died and she moved to London. Her mother, Sarah Anne Vynne (born Clarke) was still living. In London she took to writing short pieces for magazines including ''Winter's Weekly''. ''Winter's Weekly'' was edited by John Strange Winter which was the
pen name A pen name or nom-de-plume is a pseudonym (or, in some cases, a variant form of a real name) adopted by an author and printed on the title page or by-line of their works in place of their real name. A pen name may be used to make the author's na ...
of Henrietta Stannard and it was to him (her) that she dedicated her first book, ''The Blind Artist's Pictures and Other Stories'', in 1893. Stannard had included her stories in the first issues of ''Winter's Weekly'' and she had placed Vynne's picture on the cover of one issue. Vynne's short stories were a success and
J. M. Barrie Sir James Matthew Barrie, 1st Baronet, (; 9 May 1860 19 June 1937) was a Scottish novelist and playwright, best remembered as the creator of Peter Pan. He was born and educated in Scotland and then moved to London, where he wrote several succe ...
described them as "the best". She published another collection the following year and in 1895 she published ''A Man and his Womankind'' which was her first novel. In 1896 she was able to use her teaching skills and her reputation as a writer to establish a school of writing which operated by post and via the pages of the magazine ''''Atalanta''.'' Subscribers paid ten shillings a year to submit stories that were read and evaluated by Vynne. At the end of the year the best writer was awarded a £20 scholarship. She was a leading member of the Freedom of Labour Defence who argued for equal rights for women in the workplace. In 1903 her non-fiction collaboration with Helen Blackburn was looking at ''Women under the Factory Act''. They criticised legislators for treating women as if they had not the intelligence of animals as if they always needed to be cared for to protect them. They argued that women should be allowed to take risks with their health in the workplace or they may find themselves always in need to protection as if they were incapable. The book was noted for its accuracy, but the Economic Journal recognised its authors as Freedom of Labour Defence members and suspected that it may be arguing for the "equality of men and women". She created the magazine ''Women and Progress'' out of the remains of
Christiana Herringham Christiana Jane Herringham, Lady Herringham (née Powell; 1852–1929) was a British artist, copyist, and art patron. She is noted for her part in establishing the National Art Collections Fund in 1903 to help preserve Britain's artistic heritag ...
's ''Women's Tribune'' which started and ended publication in 1906. Vynne's new publication had herself and the well connected suffragist
Lady Frances Balfour Lady Frances Balfour (née Campbell; 22 February 1858 – 25 February 1931) was a British aristocrat, author, and suffragist. She was one of the highest-ranking members of the British nobility, British aristocracy to assume a leadership role in ...
as joint editors. The magazine was dedicated to achieving equal citizen rights for men and women. They were happy to see younger women excluded from having the vote as long as it applied equally to young men as well. The magazine appeared to be about to be a success when shortage of funds obliged it to fold in June 1914. Today the magazine serves as a good source of early
suffragette A suffragette was a member of an activist women's organisation in the early 20th century who, under the banner "Votes for Women", fought for the right to vote in public elections in the United Kingdom. The term refers in particular to members ...
history. After she died it became apparent that Vynne had lied a lot about her age.


Works

* ''The Blind Artist's Pictures and Other Stories'', 1893. * ''Honey of Aloes, and Other Stories'', 1894. * ''A Man and his Womankind'', 1895. * ''A Comedy of Honour'', 1895. * ''The Story of a Fool and his Folly,'' 1896. * ''The Priest's Marriage'', 1899. * ''Women under the Factory Act'', written with Helen Blackburn, 1903. * ''The Pieces of Silver'' (1911) * ''So it is with the Damsel'' (1913) * ''The Priest's Marriage'' (1899; 1911)


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vynne, Eleanora 1857 births 1914 deaths People from Kennington 19th-century British novelists British women's rights activists British suffragists 19th-century British women writers 20th-century British novelists 20th-century British women writers British women novelists