Community Building Women Fill the Needs of Many

Women have always been (and will always be) community builders. It was the women who held the communities together during the colonization of this country. They have also been the ones that find ways to help in wars.

In war, the men know exactly what is expected of them. For women it is not as clear but they seek out where they can be most useful. Many wars, starting with the war for our independence, have found women right on the front lines. Civil War historian Frank Moore said, “The story of the war will never be fully or fairly written if the achievements of women in it are untold.”

Over the years, women’s desire and ability to pull people together for a common cause was the power behind the start of many war relief organizations.

Since the beginning of this country, many thousands of volunteer women’s aid societies have been started to help various populations. Where there is a need, you will find a group of women looking for ways to help.

Did You Ever Invent Anything - Sybilla Masters (1675 – 1720) Did

Did you ever have a good idea about making something but didn’t do anything about it? I did and now someone else is getting rich on my idea because they went forward on their idea. This is a slow way of getting into talking about inventing and inventors. Women have been inventing (or making a better mouse trap if you prefer) for thousands of years. Unfortunately, females could not get a patent. That changed with Sybilla Masters when her husband received a patent from the patent office in London, England on Nov. 25, 1715. Actually, the patent, granted to Thomas Masters, for Sybilla’s invention for a device for cleaning and curing Indian corn, mentions Sybilla. With her device, the corn pulverized by a stamping method rather than by grinding, became more like a rice than a corn meal.

The patent granted by King George I, is as follows: "Letters patent to Thomas Masters, of Pennsylvania, Planter, his Execrs., Amrs. and Assignees, of the sole Vse and Benefit of 'A new Invention found out by Sybilla, his wife, for cleaning and curing the Indian Corn, growing in the several Colonies of America, within England, Wales, and Town of Berwick upon Tweed, and the Colonies of America.'" So Sybilla did receive credit for her invention.

This was the first patent but she didn’t stop there. The next year another patent, under Thomas Masters’ name, was granted for a process of staining and working palmetto leaves to make them into a fabric for decorating bonnets.

Both patents were also registered in Pennsylvania. 

Maud Powell – August 22, 1867 – January 8, 1920

Music enhances our lives. I cannot imagine life without music. I have absolutely no musical talent. Consequently, I greatly admire those that can provide us such pleasure.

As with every field of endeavor women have had to prove themselves more than men. Maud did that from the age of 7, when she began her first violin lessons.

Maud was born in Peru, Illinois, surrounded by a family of exceptional people and she was destined to make them proud.

It was quickly obvious that Maud was a prodigy and by the age of 13 was traveling to Europe to learn from world renown musicians.

To learn more about Maud’s life accomplishments and her tragic death, see http://archives.susanfleet.com/.

Sophonisba (Sophie) Preston Breckinridge – April 1, 1866 – July 30, 1948 Part 2

Some of the other activities that Sophie was passionate about were Hull House, the first major United States settlement house (where she lived), Chicago’s Immigrants Protective League, the League of Women Voters and the Women’s Peace Party.

Probably the most important role she played was as the first women ever to be a delegate to the major international conference, the Pan-American Congress in 1933. The Montevideo Convention on the Rights and Duties of States was a treaty signed at Montevideo, Uruguay, on December 26, 1933, during the Seventh International Conference of American States. 

Sophie authored many books on children, family and public welfare, including “The Stepfather in the Family,” “Truancy and Non-attendance in the Chicago Schools,” “Public Welfare Administration,” “The Illinois Adoption Law and its Administration,” “Women in the Twentieth Century: a study of their political, social and economic activities” and “The Modern Household.” 

Did you ever hear about Sophie in history class?

Sophonisba (Sophie) Preston Breckinridge – April 1, 1866 – July 30, 1948 - Part 1

Author, lawyer, social activist/reformer and educational innovator are just some of the accomplishments we can attribute to Sophie. After graduating from Wellesley College in 1888, Sophie taught high school math in Washington, D.C., before returning home to Kentucky to study law. Sophie was the first Kentucky woman to pass the bar. She was also the first to receive a Ph.D. but the sad truth is she left Kentucky because no one would hire a female attorney.

She became a graduate student at the University of Chicago. Her thesis was on "The Administration of Justice in Kentucky," and her Ph.D. in Political Science came in 1903 with her dissertation, "Legal Tender; A Study in English and American Monetary History." As a professor and assistant dean of women, Sophie helped develop the University of Chicago’s graduate program of social services administration. 

In the next blog will look at some of the other accomplishments attributed to Sophie.

Lydia Barrington Darragh 1728 – 12/28/1789

Some weeks ago I wrote about Mary Molly Brant who spied on the colonists for the British. Lydia is the other side of the coin. She spied for the Colonial Army

Lydia, a Quaker, risked both execution as a traitor and loss of her right to be a Quaker by taking information to the Colonial  Army about an impending attack she overhead in her British occupied home..

The story accepted by some historians is that she wrote down what she heard and then asked permission to go to the mill outside the British lines to get flour. While out, she passed on the information to Elias Boudinot, which he talks about in his diary. Other historians still don’t give her credit for her actions.

After the failed attack made it clear that Washington knew the British were coming, Lydia was questioned by the British but the officers that questioned her believe her when she said she was asleep.

Lydia, born in Dublin, Ireland, married her tutor, William Darragh. They immigrated to Philadelphia, where there was a large Quaker community. In Philadelphia, she acted as a midwife and nurse. As a Quaker, Lydia was committed to pacifism but her eldest son enlisted.

Both Lydia and her son lost their membership in the Quaker society. After her husband died in 1783, Lydia ran a store until her death.

This quote attributed to Lydia: “Though we consider thee as a public enemy, we regard thee as a private friend. While we detest the cause thee fights for, we wish well to thy personal interest and safety,” makes me wonder who she is addressing.

Henrietta de Beaulieu Dering 1670 – 3/9/1729

 Henrietta, the first female recognized as a pastel artist, supported her family by drawing portraits with colored chalk on paper.

Born in France of Huguenot parents who immigrated to London, Henrietta married Robert Dering, fifth son of Sir Edward Dering, Baronet and with him went to Ireland. During her stay in Ireland, Henrietta began to draw pastels depicting some of her powerful relatives.

When Dering died, leaving Henrietta with two daughters, she married clergyman Gideon Johnston. Shortly thereafter, The Church of England sent Johnson with his family, to serve as commissary of the Church of England in North and South Carolina. Their time in the colonies was extremely difficult because his salary rarely came and he was often ill. In 1709, Johnston wrote “Were it not for the assistance my wife gives by drawing pictures (which can last but a little time in a place so ill peopled), I should not be able to live.” Johnston died in 1716.

Not much is known of her later life in the colonies except she must have gone to New York City because four of her portraits of family members from that city are dated 1725. She is buried in Charleston, South Carolina with Johnston.