Muriel Lester

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Muriel Lester (December 1885–11 February 1968) was born in Leytonstone in East London and grew up at Loughton, where she was a member of the Union Church. She was a social reformer, pacifist and nonconformist. As a Baptist, she was baptized in 1898, at 15.

She was responsible, along with her sister Doris, for Kingsley Hall, named after her brother who died young, aged 26.

In 1934 she became Ambassador-At-Large and afterwards Traveling Secretary for the International Fellowship of Reconciliation.

Muriel accompanied Mahatma Gandhi on his tour of earthquake-shaken regions in Bihar on his anti-untouchability tour during 1934. He stayed at Kingsley Hall, the Lesters' foundation at Bow and Miss Lester's house at Loughton. There is a blue plaque to the Lester sisters on this cottage, no.49 Baldwins Hill, Loughton.

Muriel Lester retired from full-time work in 1958 and in 1963 she became a Freeman of the Borough of Poplar on her eightieth birthday.

[edit] References

Ambassador of Reconciliation. A Muriel Lester Reader, edited by Richard Deats, Santa Cruz (CA), New Society Publishers, 1991.
Jill Wallis, Mother of World Peace. The life of Muriel Lester, Kisarlik Press, 1993. ISBN 1-874312-15-X