The ''English Woman's Journal'' was a periodical dealing primarily with female

employment Employment is a relationship between two parties regulating the provision of paid labour services. Usually based on a contract, one party, the employer, which might be a corporation, a not-for-profit organization, a co-operative, or any othe ...

and equality issues. It was established in 1858 by

Barbara Bodichon Barbara Leigh Smith Bodichon (born Barbara Leigh Smith; 8 April 1827 – 11 June 1891) was an English educationalist and artist, and a leading mid-19th-century feminist and women's rights activist. She published her influential ''Brief Summary ...

, Matilda Mary Hays and

Bessie Rayner Parkes Elizabeth Rayner Belloc (; 16 June 1829 – 23 March 1925) was one of the most prominent English feminists and campaigners for women's rights in Victorian times and also a poet, essayist and journalist. Early life Bessie Rayner Parkes was bo ...

. Published monthly between March 1858 and August 1864, it cost 1 shilling. After 1860 the ''Journal'' was published by

Victoria Press The Victoria Press was a printing press started by Emily Faithfull, along with other feminist activists, in London, on March 26, 1860. The press, named after Queen Victoria, was created as a way to allow more women into the printing field. In 1867 ...

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

, which was run by Emily Faithfull (1835–1895). She employed women workers, contrary to current practice in that period.

Founders and aims

The ''Journal'' was established in 1858 by

, Matilda Mary Hays and

, with others, Bodichon being the major shareholder and Samuel Courtauld also held shares. Parkes was the chief editor with Hays. Emily Davies (1830–1921) was editor of the ''Journal'' in 1863. The ''Journal'' was intended as an organ for discussing female employment and equality issues concerning, in particular, manual or intellectual industrial employment, expansion of employment opportunities, and the reform of laws pertaining to the sexes. The journal also included literary and cultural reviews not directly related to its central interests. It was "an important publication in social and feminist history", and so was chosen as one of six periodicals and newspapers to be digitised by the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition project, funded by the

Arts and Humanities Research Council The Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), formerly Arts and Humanities Research Board (AHRB), is a British research council, established in 1998, supporting research and postgraduate study in the arts and humanities. History The Arts an ...

Like-minded women

The

Langham Place group The ''English Woman's Journal'' was a periodical dealing primarily with female employment and equality issues. It was established in 1858 by Barbara Bodichon, Matilda Mary Hays and Bessie Rayner Parkes. Published monthly between March 1858 a ...

was the circle of like-minded women who gathered at 19 Langham Place, the ''Journal's'' office in Central London; it also included

Helen Blackburn Helen Blackburn (25 May 1842 – 11 January 1903) was a feminist, writer and campaigner for women's rights, especially in the field of employment. Blackburn was an editor of the ''Englishwoman's Review'' magazine. She wrote books about women work ...

(1842–1903),

Jessie Boucherett (Emilia) Jessie Boucherett (November 1825 – 18 October 1905) was an English campaigner for women's rights. Life She was born in November 1825 at North Willingham, near Market Rasen, Lincolnshire. She was the grandchild of Lt. Colonel Ayscoghe B ...

(1825–1905) and Emily Faithfull. Among the group's activities was the establishment of the Society for Promoting the Employment of Women (SPEW). SPEW aimed at preparing young women for wider employment opportunities, providing apprenticeships and technical training. The ''English Woman's Journal'' was succeeded by ''

The Englishwoman's Review ''The Englishwoman's Review'' was a feminism, feminist periodical published in England between 1866 and 1910. Until 1869 called in full ''The Englishwoman's Review: a journal of woman's work'', in 1870 (after a break in publication) it was renam ...

'', which started publication in 1866 and continued till 1910.

References

{{reflist, 2

External links

''English Woman's Journal (1858-1864)''
1858 establishments in England 1864 disestablishments in England Defunct women's magazines published in the United Kingdom Feminism in England Feminist magazines Independent magazines Magazines established in 1858 Magazines disestablished in 1864 Magazines published in London Monthly magazines published in the United Kingdom