Frances Mansbridge

Frances Mansbridge, née Frances Jane Pringle, was born around 1876 in Cape Town, South Africa and died 1958 in Ealing, London. She is known, but not yet commemorated, for her role as co-founder the Workers' Educational Association (WEA) with her husband Albert Mansbridge.^[1]

Biography

Frances Jane Pringle was born in Cape Town, South Africa around 1876. Her father John was a student at Trinity College, Dublin and she had a brother J C Pringle. She had become engaged to Albert Mansbridge (1876 - 1952) when they were both Sunday school teachers, sharing the ambition to do good works.^[2] In July 1900, in St Mark's Church in the Parish of Battersea in Wandsworth, London, she and Albert were married by Canon Charles Gore.^[3] The marriage was witnessed by Thomas Mansbridge, Albert's father, and C B Pringle. At that time Frances's address was 10 Brunell's Road and Albert's was 10 Middleton Road. They had a son, Thomas John (known as John), a year later.^[4] In 1901 they were living at 52 Winsham Grove, Battersea, with Albert a commercial clerk and teacher. In 1911 they were living at 85 Hampstead Way, Hendon in a seven roomed house with their son and an 18-year-old general domestic servant, Dorothy Frances Tucker, born in Sheerness.^[5]

Together with friends, Albert and Frances formed the Christian Economics Society. On 16 May 1903^[6] Frances and Albert founded an association to promote the Higher Education of Working Men, which became the Workers' Educational Association (WEA) in 1905, using two shillings and sixpence from the housekeeping money.^[7]

In 1907 the WEA convened a women's group which developed into the Women's Advisory Committee; the members including Frances Mansbridge, Agnes Maude Royden and Margaret MacDonald (social reformer).

In 1945 the couple went into semi-retirement at Paignton, Devon. Frances died in 1958 in Ealing, London, aged 82.^[8]

Travel

In September 1910 the Mansbridge family visited Mediterranean Ports on a seven-week voyage on a small tramp steamer with Albert as Purser, Frances as Stewardess and their son as honorary Assistant Purser.^[9]

Albert and Frances arrived in Australia on 8 July 1913 on a seventeen-week mission aimed at forming branches of the association in New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania, followed by New Zealand during a two-day visit.^[10][11]

Leading up to and during World War I Frances administered the WEA Comradeship Fund which helped people who were experiencing hard times.^[12]

In December 1925 on a lecture tour with Albert to North America and Canada, Frances was persuaded to lecture, mainly to women's groups, and in 1929 Frances delivered speeches when they were in Newfoundland.^[13]

Family

Their son, as John Mansbridge, became an artist and painted portraits of Charles Gore, his father and many others.^[14] He designed posters for the Underground Group and London Transport and he was an official World War II War Artist and worked to develop camouflage. In 1947 he was a founder member of the Blackheath Art Society.^[15] In the 1970s John was the Architecture tutor at the Barnet Branch of the WEA.^[16] He wrote The Graphic History of Architecture^[17] and illustrated The Story of the First Christmas Morning written by Minnie Lake.^[18] He became Head of Fine Art at Goldsmith's College and died in 1981.^[19]

Commendations

Albert recognised that without Tot, his pet name for Frances, he could never have achieved his successes.^[20] Mrs Linda Reeves, Great Niece of Albert, remembers them as Aunt Tot and Uncle Bert when she was taken to visit them at High Wycombe. She states "His wife Frances must have been as dynamic as he. She helped him set up the WEA and also lectured abroad."^[21]

References