Edith Archibald
Edith Jessie Archibald was a notable Canadian social activist, author, and musician, born on April 5, 1854, in St. John's, Newfoundland, into a well-to-do family. She received an elite education in prestigious schools in New York City and London, which paved the way for her influential role in various social causes. After marrying her cousin Charles Archibald, a successful mining engineer, she dedicated her time to philanthropy, becoming actively involved with organizations such as the Halifax Local Council of Women and the Nova Scotia chapter of the Red Cross. Archibald was particularly passionate about women's suffrage, advocating for women's rights through both aggressive and compassionate approaches, leading to her involvement in the passage of the enfranchisement bill for women in Canada in 1918.
In addition to her activism, Archibald was a creative writer, composing music, novels, and plays. Her most recognized literary work is "The Token: A Tale of Cape Breton Island," published in 1930. She also wrote a biography of her father, further showcasing her literary contributions. Edith Archibald lived in various locales, including Port Morien and Halifax, Nova Scotia, where she spent her later years until her passing on May 11, 1936, at the age of eighty-two. Her legacy continues to inspire discussions around social reform and women's rights in Canada.
Edith Archibald
Writer and Activist
- Born: April 5, 1854
- Birthplace: St. John’s, Newfoundland
- Died: May 11, 1936
- Place of death: Halifax, Nova Scotia
Contribution: Edith Archibald was a Canadian author, playwright, and one of the country’s staunchest supporters of women’s suffrage. After a privileged upbringing, Archibald went on to become a nationally recognized champion of social causes, particularly those that addressed the rights of women and children. In addition to her social activism, Archibald was a novelist, songwriter, and playwright who also served as the inaugural president of the Halifax-based Ladies’ Musical Club and, for a time, as president of the prominent Woman’s Christian Temperance Union.
Early Life and Education
Edith Jessie Archibald was born April 5, 1854, in St. John’s, Newfoundland, to Sir Edward Mortimer Archibald, Newfoundland’s attorney general. Her family’s wealth and privilege enabled Archibald to attend elite private schools in New York City and London, England. In 1874, she married Charles Archibald, one of her distant cousins, who worked as a mining engineer in the Gowrie Mine in Cape Breton. The mining enterprise was extremely successful, affording her the opportunity to dedicate her time to many social causes.
Social Activism
Archibald dedicated a great deal of energy to a number of social causes in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, including the Halifax Local Council of Women, the Nova Scotia chapter of the Red Cross, and the Halifax Victorian Order of Nurses. In addition, Archibald offered time and leadership in the effort to build a dedicated hospital for children in Nova Scotia. During her time with the Nova Scotia Red Cross, which spanned the years of World War I, she headed the department that dealt with Canadian prisoners of war who were being held overseas.
Prior to her presidency of the Halifax Victorian Order of Nurses and the Halifax Local Council of Women, Archibald served from 1892 to 1896 as president of the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union—an organization that promoted women’s suffrage, sexual education for women, the establishment of financial allowances for mothers, and the prohibition of alcohol.
Women’s suffrage was one of Archibald’s most ardent causes. Her early attempts employed an aggressive approach, in keeping with the strategies used by the suffrage movement in the late nineteenth century. After this movement was defused, Archibald led the transition to less hostile and more compassionate tactics and eventually served as the leader of a delegation on women’s suffrage, which addressed the Canadian legislature in 1917. Her efforts were instrumental in the passage of the 1918 bill that extended enfranchisement to women across Canada.
Literary Career
In addition to her activism, Archibald was a music composer, novelist, and playwright. In addition to a number of pamphlets and essays, her major surviving work is The Token: A Tale of Cape Breton Island, which was published as a novel in 1930 after first being developed as a stage play in 1926 and 1927. She preceded The Token with a biography of her father, Life and Letters of Sir Edward Mortimer Archibald, which was published in 1924.
Later Life and Death
Archibald spent many years living in Port Morien before moving to Halifax, the capital of Nova Scotia, where she lived until her death. Archibald died May 11, 1936, at the age of eighty-two.
Bibliography
“Archibald, Edith Jessie.” SFU.CA. Simon Fraser University Library, n.d. Web. 9 Aug. 2013.
Bélanger, Claude. “History of Women Suffrage in Canada.” The Quebec History Encyclopedia. Marianopolis College, 2005. Web. 9 Aug. 2013.
“Edith Jessie Archibald, (1854–1936).” Backgrounder. Parks Canada, 2010. Web. 9 Aug. 2013.
Forbes, Ernest P. “Archibald, Edith Jesse.” The Canadian Encyclopedia. Canadian Encyclopedia, 2012. Web. 12 Aug. 2013.
Peach, LeRoy. “The Legacy of Edith Jessie Archibald.” Work Through Time: Cape Breton Stories of Land & Sea. CAP Society of Cape Breton County, 2009. Web. 12 Aug. 2013.