WOMEN'S JOURNALS OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY

Part 1: The Women's Penny Paper and Women's Herald, 1888-1893

Publisher's Note

“Lively and uncompromising feminism; the most vigorous feminist paper of its time. Contents included interviews with prominent feminists, and regular reports from a variety of organisations, e.g. BWTA, WLF, Primrose League; from May 1890 the Central National Society for Women’s Suffrage was given a column of its own... “Helena B Temple” was the pen-name of Henrietta B Muller (d.1906), sister of Eva McLaren and a prominent feminist. As well as being in at the start of the Women’s Printing Society, she was a pioneer school board member (for Lambeth), and early tax-resister (for the vote, in 1884), and later a Theosophist and associate of Annie Besant”.

David Doughan
Feminist Periodicals, 1855-1984

Miss F Henrietta Muller (see Vol IV No 161 28 November 1891 for an interview with her), Editor of the Women’s Penny Paper, was born in Valparaiso, Chile. At the age of 9 she went to Boston, USA, and then on to London where she was educated. She returned to Valparaiso for a further two year spell when she was 11, but returned again to London to complete her education. After finishing her schooling in London, she proceeded to Girton College, Cambridge, which she enjoyed immensely. In her own words -

“After a great deal of difficulty and opposition from my family I managed to go to Girton where I spent three most happy years... Miss Davies was the Principal of Girton when I was there. I had to work hard and when I came out with Honours I was immensely proud. I took Moral Sciences, which include Political Economy, Philosophy, Psychology etc... After a little while, at the suggestion of Professor Fawcett, I made up my mind to stand for the London School Board.”

The advice of Henry Fawcett (husband of Millicent Garrett Fawcett) proved to be fruitful. Henrietta Muller came top of the poll and worked for the London School Board for 6 years.

Her sister, Eva McLaren was a prominent feminist. They travelled together to Switzerland where they enjoyed the mountaineering. On their return to England they bought a house at Cadogan Place in London and became a suffragist cause célèbre when they refused to pay taxes “as a protest against being denied the right to vote”. They were arrested, prosecuted, and their goods were distrained.

Henrietta Muller decided to launch a women’s newspaper to help the suffrage cause. She reflected on her reasons for doing so some years later:

“One of the things which always humiliated me very much was the way in which women’s interests and opinions were systematically excluded from the World’s Press. I was mortified too, that our cause should be represented by a little monthly leaflet, not worthy of the name of a newspaper called the Women’s Suffrage Journal. I realised of what vital importance it was that women should have a newspaper of their own through which to voice their thoughts, and I formed the daring resolve that if no one else better fitted for the work would come forward, I would try and do it myself...

The Woman’s Herald started just three years ago, under the name of the Women’s Penny Paper. It has had to struggle with endless difficulties of every kind, but the fact that it weathers them all seems to me to be an evidence of its vitality.

Our readers know that the aim of the paper is to further the emancipation of women in every direction and in every land. I hold that this aim was part of the Mission of Christ in spite of what is advanced to the contrary. The editing has been carried out under the name of Helena B Temple and Co. My chief reason for this was in order that my own individuality should not give a colouring to the paper, but that it should be as far as possible, impersonally conducted and therefore open to reflect the opinions of women on any and all subjects.”

The political stance of the paper was both feminist and progressive, without allegiance to any particular party. As she proclaimed in the first issue:

“Our policy is progressive: home politics, that is, industrial, social, and education questions, are of primary importance in our estimation; in treating of these our endeavour will be to speak with honesty and courage, and as befits women of education and refinement. General politics, when truly progressive, can accept neither the Conservative nor Liberal programme as final; they must reject much in both and will accept much in both.

Although we claim for women a full shore of power with all its duties, responsibilities and privileges in public and private life, and although we do so with a full sense of the gravity of our claim, we will not forget the lighter and brighter side of things, the beauty, the brightness and the fun which make the chequered lights on our way”.

Henrietta Muller edited the paper for five years. In April 1892, she handed over control to Mrs Frank Morrison. At first, it was a straightforward continuation, but after Muller went to India, the paper became more and more committed to the Liberal cause and the Women’s Liberal Federation. Two further editorial changes took place in 1893 with the editorship passing first to Christina Bremner, and then to Lady Henry Somerset who championed the cause of Temperance.

Finally, the paper was taken over by the Woman’s Signal which ran from 1894 to 1899 and was edited by Florence Fenwick-Miller from 3 October 1895.

A typical issue of the Women’s Penny Paper contained a variety of articles such as:

• London School of Medicine for Women
• Lady Candidates for the London School Board
• National Women’s Christian Temperance Union
• A Review of Women and Work by Emille Pfeiffer
• Interview with Mrs Priscilla Bright McLaren
• News of Mrs Fawcett, Mrs Hodgson Burnett, Miss Anna Pascell, Mrs Ashton Dilke, Mrs Besant, Annie Hicks

These were all in the first issue. Later issues featured topics such as:

• Civil and Political Liberty
• Leeds Weavers
• Our Australian Sisters
• Journalism as a Profession for Women by Frances Power Cobbe
• Women’s Liberal Federation at Birmingham
• Women Lawyers in France and Belgium
• Lady Dufferin and the Lahore Ladies
• Art and Craft by Mrs Mary Beed
• Women as County Councillors
• Mary Wollstonecraft’s “Rights of Women”
• Subordination of German Women
• Women as Electors
• A Day at Newnham College by Miss Effie Johnson
• Sir Charles Waren’s Resignation
• Norwegian Women by Dorothea Sebboe
• I Thought I Stood by Olive Schreiner
• Women as Poor Law Guardians; and
• Women Voters in America

There were also interesting literary features, including an early feminist reaction to The Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen:

“Every woman, especially the married women, ought to have seen the play called “The Dolls House” at the Novelty Theatre. If prevented from doing so let her read, and what is more, mark, learn, and unwordly digest the idea that is revealed by one of the greatest poets of modern times... the Development of Woman...

“The Doll’s House” is the type of dwelling from which we must free married womanhood... Let us shake ourselves free from the shackles of pettiness and feebleness, let us become strong to bear one another’s burdens....” 29 June 1889

The final section of the paper that demands attention is the regular interview feature, taking up as much as two complete pages of the newspaper. The full range of interviewees is given later in the guide. They include Annie Abbott (“the little magnet”), Barbara Bodichon, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Mrs Humphrey Ward.

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