Gertrude Mary Tuckwell (1861–1951) was an English

trade unionist A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits (s ...

, social worker,

author An author is the writer of a book, article, play, mostly written work. A broader definition of the word "author" states: "''An author is "the person who originated or gave existence to anything" and whose authorship determines responsibility f ...

, and

magistrate The term magistrate is used in a variety of systems of governments and laws to refer to a civilian officer who administers the law. In ancient Rome, a '' magistratus'' was one of the highest ranking government officers, and possessed both judic ...

Early life and education

Gertrude Mary Tuckwell was born in

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

on 25 April 1861, the second daughter of Rosa née Strong (''b''. 1829/30) and

William Tuckwell William Tuckwell (1829–1919), who liked to be known as the "radical parson", was an English Anglican clergyman well known on political platforms for his experiments in allotments, his advocacy of land nationalisation, and his enthusiasm for Chr ...

, master of New College School and chaplain at New College, Oxford and the self-proclaimed "radical parson". Her mother was the eldest daughter of Captain Henry Strong, an Indian army officer, whose younger sister, feminist and trade unionist Emilia Dilke, would have a profound effect on Tuckwell's life. Tuckwell had one brother and two sisters. She was home-schooled in her family's

Christian socialist Christian socialism is a religious and political philosophy that blends Christianity and socialism, endorsing left-wing politics and socialist economics on the basis of the Bible and the teachings of Jesus. Many Christian socialists believe cap ...

tradition and trained to be a teacher in Liverpool from 1881.

Career

Tuckwell was a teacher at Bishop Otter College in Chichester from 1882 to 1884, and then taught at a working-class infant school in Chelsea until forced to stop by ill health in 1890. From 1893, she became secretary to her maternal aunt, writer, suffragette and trade unionist Emilia Dilke (wife of Sir Charles Dilke). She published ''The State and Its Children'' in 1894, opposing child labour. She was involved with the

Women's Trade Union League The Women's Trade Union League (WTUL) (1903–1950) was a U.S. organization of both working class and more well-off women to support the efforts of women to organize labor unions and to eliminate sweatshop conditions. The WTUL played an important ...

from 1891, and succeeded Emilia Dilke as its President in 1905. In 1908 she became president of the National Federation of Women Workers, and campaigned to protect women from industrial injuries such as lead poisoning and

phossy jaw Phossy jaw, formally known as phosphorus necrosis of the jaw, was an occupational disease affecting those who worked with white phosphorus (also known as ''yellow phosphorus'') without proper safeguards. It was most commonly seen in workers in th ...

. In 1908 she was described in '' The Woman Worker'' newspaper as "the power that moves a myriad organisations. Behind a screen of plans to abolish sweating, to organize women, to prohibit poisonous glazes in pottery, to indemnify victimized workers, her alert spirit is tirelessly in motion". She retired in 1918, but continued to campaigning on public health issues. After Charles Dilke died in 1911, she, as his literary executor, co-wrote a two-volume biography with

Stephen Gwynn Stephen Lucius Gwynn (13 February 1864 – 11 June 1950) was an Irish journalist, biographer, author, poet and Protestant Nationalist politician. As a member of the Irish Parliamentary Party he represented Galway city as its Member of Parliame ...

("begun by Stephen Gwynn, M. P., completed and ed. by Gertrude M. Tuckwell"). She was her father's executor when he died in 1919, and he had previously dedicated his 1905 book ''Reminiscences of a Radical Parson'' to her.

Work as a Magistrate

After the

Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act 1919 The Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act 1919 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom. It became law when it received Royal Assent on 23 December 1919.''Oliver & Boyd's new Edinburgh almanac and national repository for the year 1921''. p. 213 ...

became law on 23 December 1919, Tuckwell was one of the first seven women appointed as a Justice of the Peace, and she was the first woman

in London. Alongside the other six women appointed in 1919, Tuckwell was tasked with drawing up a list of women suitable for appointment as JPs from across the United Kingdom. A list of 172 new women magistrates for England was published in July 1920, with most of those connected with the labour movement suggested by Tuckwell. She was a founder member of the

Magistrates' Association The Magistrates' Association is the membership organisation for magistrates in England and Wales. By virtue of its education and training functions it is a charitable organisation and is funded by its members to promote the magistracy. History ...

in 1920, and was a member of its council from 1921 to 1940. She was the chair of the National Association of Probation Officers from 1933 to 1941. In 1930 she was inducted into the Order of the Companions of Honour. Tuckwell spent the last twenty years of her life at Little Woodlands, Wormley, Surrey. She died on 5 August 1951 at the

Royal Surrey County Hospital The Royal Surrey County Hospital (RSCH) is a 520-bed District General Hospital, located on the fringe of Guildford, run by the Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust. History The hospital has its origins in a facility at Farnham Road which opened ...

in Guildford. Her papers are lodged in the TUC Library Collections at the

University of North London The University of North London (UNL) was a university in London, England, formed from the Polytechnic of North London (PNL) in 1992 when that institution was granted university status. PNL, in turn, had been formed by the amalgamation of the No ...

. These consist of approximately 700 folders of reports, pamphlets, leaflets and press cuttings accumulated by Tuckwell, regarding women's political and economic struggles from 1890 to 1920.

Bibliography

*''The State and Its Children'' (1894) *''The Life of the Rt. Hon. Sir Charles W. Dilke, Bart., M. P.'' begun by Stephen Gwynn; completed and edited by Gertrude M. Tuckwell (Volume I) London: John Murray, 1917 *''The Life of the Rt. Hon. Sir Charles W. Dilke, Bart., M. P.'' begun by Stephen Gwynn; completed and edited by Gertrude M. Tuckwell (Volume II) London: John Murray, 1917

References

External links