Flora Masson RRC (1856 – 1937) was a Scottish-born nurse, suffragist, writer and editor.

Early life

Flora Masson was born in

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

. She was first of three daughters of professor David Masson and suffrage campaigner

Emily Rosaline Orme Emily Rosaline Orme (1835–1915) was a leader of the Edinburgh National Society for Women's Suffrage. She was a noted campaigner for women's suffrage in Scotland. Early life Orme was born in 1835, one of eight children to parents Eliza Andrews ...

. Her father was chair of the English department at the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...

. Her younger brother was a scientist, David Orme Masson, and her younger sisters were Helen and suffragist and writer,

Rosaline Masson Rosaline Masson (1867–1949) was a Scottish author and a prolific writer of novels, biographies, histories and other works. Life Rosaline Masson was born on 6 May 1867 in Edinburgh and was the daughter of suffrage campaigner Emily Rosaline ...

. Their aunt,

Eliza Orme Eliza Orme, also called Elizabeth Orme (25 December 1848 – 22 June 1937) was the first woman to earn a law degree in England, from University College London in 1888. Early life Orme was born near Regent's Park in London, into a well-connected ...

, was the first woman to earn a law degree in England. Because of her parents' social connections, Masson met

Elizabeth Barrett Browning Elizabeth Barrett Browning (née Moulton-Barrett; 6 March 1806 – 29 June 1861) was an English poet of the Victorian era, popular in Britain and the United States during her lifetime. Born in County Durham, the eldest of 12 children, Elizabet ...

Thomas Carlyle Thomas Carlyle (4 December 17955 February 1881) was a Scottish essayist, historian and philosopher. A leading writer of the Victorian era, he exerted a profound influence on 19th-century art, literature and philosophy. Born in Ecclefechan, Dum ...

Coventry Patmore Coventry Kersey Dighton Patmore (23 July 1823 – 26 November 1896) was an English poet and literary critic. He is best known for his book of poetry ''The Angel in the House'', a narrative poem about the Victorian ideal of a happy marriage. A ...

and James Barrie in her youth, and heard

Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian e ...

read from ''

Oliver Twist ''Oliver Twist; or, The Parish Boy's Progress'', Charles Dickens's second novel, was published as a serial from 1837 to 1839, and as a three-volume book in 1838. Born in a workhouse, the orphan Oliver Twist is bound into apprenticeship with ...

'', among other acquaintances with notables of the nineteenth century. Flora Masson trained as a nurse at

St. Thomas's Hospital St Thomas' Hospital is a large NHS teaching hospital in Central London, England. It is one of the institutions that compose the King's Health Partners, an academic health science centre. Administratively part of the Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Fo ...

, London.

Career

Nursing

Masson worked at the

Radcliffe Hospital The John Radcliffe Hospital (informally known as the JR) is a large tertiary teaching hospital in Oxford, England. It forms part of the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and is named after John Radcliffe, an 18th-century physici ...

, Oxford and the Eastern Fever Hospital, Homerton (now Homerton University Hospital) as a matron. Masson was matron of the Red Cross hospital near Rosewell during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. Masson was awarded the

Royal Red Cross The Royal Red Cross (RRC) is a military decoration awarded in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth for exceptional services in military nursing. Foundation The award was established on 27 April 1883 by Victoria of the Un ...

of the 1st class "in recognition of valuable services under 'The British Red Cross Society', or 'Order of St. John of Jerusalem in England', rendered in connection with the war". Masson was a close friend and professional colleague of

Florence Nightingale Florence Nightingale (; 12 May 1820 – 13 August 1910) was an English Reform movement, social reformer, statistician and the founder of modern nursing. Nightingale came to prominence while serving as a manager and trainer of nurses during t ...

, who supported Masson's promotion to Matron and in disputes with hospital administration and medical leaders around competency of staff; Nightingale arranged for practical support and influenced decisions made.

Suffrage

Masson was active in the

women's suffrage Women's suffrage is the right of women to vote in elections. Beginning in the start of the 18th century, some people sought to change voting laws to allow women to vote. Liberal political parties would go on to grant women the right to vot ...

movement with her mother and sister, a policy that her father also supported, speaking out when many men remained sceptical. Masson wrote about women's rights to vote in 'The Parliamentary Franchise for Women' published in the ''Ladies Edinburgh Journal'' in 1876''.'' Masson joined the Ladies' Edinburgh Debating Society (LEDS) in 1881, which hosted discussions and lectures on various feminist topics, including suffrage, marriage, and religion.

Writing

Masson edited two of her father's books, ''Memories of London in the 'Forties'' (1908) and ''Memories of Two Cities'' (1911). Masson also contributed to a book by her sister, ''I Can Remember Robert Louis Stevenson'' (1923). Books written by Flora Masson included the following titles: *''Florence Nightingale, O.M. By one who knew her'' (1910) *''The Brontes'' (1912) *''Charles Lamb'' (1913) *''Robert Boyle, a biography'' (1914) *''Victorians All'' (1931) *''The Heart Is Highland'' (1932) Her ''Victorians All'', about the notable people Masson met in her youth, was described as "a pleasant, rather sad little book" in ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

''; "this is not so much a book of good stories as about real happenings," the review concluded.

Personal life

Masson lived with her sister Rosaline. She died on 1 October 1937, in Edinburgh. She is buried in Grange Cemetery with her parents.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Masson, Flora 1856 births 1937 deaths Scottish suffragists Nurses from London Members of the Royal Red Cross Anglo-Scots