Person    | Female  Born 31/12/1828  Died 11/8/1921

Mary Elizabeth Sumner

Founded the Mothers’ Union in 1876. Born as Mary Elizabeth Heywood in Lancashire. 1848 she married George Henry Sumner, son of C. R. Sumner, Bishop of Winchester, and a second cousin of William Wilberforce. The birth of her first grand-child inspired her to gather the mothers in the parish to provide mutual support. This Mothers Union rapidly grew and in 1896 when it required a President she was unanimously elected, and held the post into her nineties.

Her three children were Margaret, Louisa Gore-Browne and George who became a successful artist. (Though the photo we found, on Louisa's page, suggests Mary and George had another child, Effie, born 1849, who married a Heywood.)

Wikipedia notes that other sources incorrectly give her date of death as the 9th.

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Mary Elizabeth Sumner

Commemorated ati

Mothers' Union - left

To the glory of God and in grateful remembrance of Mary Elizabeth Sumner who ...

Read More

Other Subjects

Edith S. Kerrison

Edith S. Kerrison

The first woman to serve on the West Ham council and an advocate of welfare for women and children. Was offered the Mayoralty but in view of her advancing years and increasing deafness she declined...

Person, Gender Issues, Politics & Administration, Social Welfare

1 memorial
Chrystal MacMillan

Chrystal MacMillan

Liberal politician, barrister, and NUWSS, and internationalist. Jessie Chrystal Macmillan was a suffragist, peace activist, barrister, feminist and the first female science graduate from the Unive...

Person, Gender Issues, Law, Peace, Politics & Administration, Scotland

1 memorial
Anna Haslam

Anna Haslam

Co-founder of the Irishwomen’s Suffrage and Local Government Association. Born Anna Maria Fisher in County Cork, Ireland, to a large Quaker family already involved in social welfare and reform. Mar...

Person, Gender Issues, Politics & Administration, Ireland

1 memorial
Phillis Wheatley

Phillis Wheatley

American writer who was the first African-American author of a published book of poetry. Her name can also be given as Phillis Wheatley Peters or Phyllis or Wheatly. Born in West Africa, she was s...

Person, Gender Issues, Poetry, Race Issues, Africa, USA

1 memorial
Marie Stopes

Marie Stopes

Born in Edinburgh. Scientist, writer, dramatist and poet. Publicist of the campaign for sexual education. Advocate of family planning and founder of pioneer birth control clinic. Courageous crusade...

Person, Gender Issues, Medicine, Science, Scotland

5 memorials