Ellen Joyce

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Ellen Joyce
Hon Ellen Joyce in 1884.jpg
at Bell Farm in Saskatchewan in 1884[1]
Born
Ellen Rice

12 January 1832
Died21 May 1924 (1924-05-22) (aged 92)
Winchester
NationalityUnited Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
Known forsupporting the emigration of British women
Spouse(s)James Gerald Joyce
ChildrenArthur Gerald Joyce
Parent(s)Francis William Rice, 5th Baron Dynevor and Harriett Ives Barker

Hon. Ellen Joyce CBE born Ellen Rice (12 January 1832 – 21 May 1924) was a British organiser of women's emigration from the UK. She started and ran the British Women's Emigration Association

Life[]

She was the eldest child of Francis William Rice, 5th Baron Dynevor and Harriett Ives Barker. Her younger brother was Arthur Rice, 6th Baron Dynevor. Although when she was born her father was known as Francis William Rice as he was the vicar of Fairford.[2]

Ellen Rice became Ellen Joyce when she married the rector of Stratfield Saye on 20 September 1855.[2] He was to remain rector there all his life, but his interests were in archaeology and he led excavations at Calleva Atrebatum where he discovered the Silchester Eagle in 1866.[3] He and Ellen had one son Arthur Gerald Joyce in 1856.[2]

In 1883 the Girls' Friendly Society appointed Joyce as their "emigration correspondent". Joyce had been one of the GFS's seventy-five founding associates and she wanted to support emigration, but she was aware of the risks that girls would be exposed to. Parties of women travelling with the GFS were given "anchor crosses" to place on their luggage.

In 1884 she founded the United Englishwomen's Emigration Association. Later that year Joyce and her son Arthur accompanied 80 GFS emigrants across the Atlantic. She travelled across Canada using the Canadian Pacific Railroad that was then incomplete but getting to the western shore.[1] When she returned she reported her success to the GFS, but her new organisation was taking off. The following year it had its own finances[2] and by 1888 it had to change its name to the "United British Women's Emigration Association" as Scottish emigrants of the "Scotch Girl's Friendly Association" and the "Scottish YWCA" also wanted to travel under her organisation's banner.[4]

Joyce was able to decide who was the right type of emigrants as she saw that the emigration could create a better British Empire. She would speak at Church congresses noting the Christianising and moral improvement made possible by the new women emigrants sent by her organisation. This mission lead to organisation to send less women as they tried to identify the very best emigrants who could assist in improving the country they were emigrating to.[2] At first the emigrants were bound for Canada,New Zealand and Australia but as the century ended there was growing interest in South Africa.[4] Joyce interviewed Baden-Powell for BWEA journal, The Imperial Colonist about the need for women in South Africa in 1902 and with her regret[2] the committee that the organisation formed to oversee the interest became independent as the "South African Colonisation Society" in 1903.[4] Louisa Knightley was president of the South African Colonisation Society and she was the editor the "British Women's Emigration Association's" Imperial Colonist journal from 1901 to 1913.[5]

Joyce lead the United British Women's Emigration Association, but her role in the GFS continued.[2]

In the 1920 New Year Honours, Joyce became a CBE in recognition of her work as Vice-President of the British Women's Emigration Association. A fellow awardee was Grace Lefroy who was the honorary secretary of the same association.[6]

She died in Winchester in 1924.[2]

References[]

  1. ^ a b "Register entry 134 - Mrs. Ellen Joyce". bellbarn.ca. Retrieved 2020-10-27.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h "Joyce [née Rice], Ellen (1832–1924), organizer of women's emigration". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. 2004. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/74348. Retrieved 2020-10-27. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  3. ^ "Silchester Gallery". Reading Museum. 2017-04-03. Retrieved 2020-10-27.
  4. ^ a b c "Records of the British Women's Emigration Association - Archives Hub". archiveshub.jisc.ac.uk. Retrieved 2020-10-27.
  5. ^ "Knightley, Louisa Mary, Lady Knightley". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/38806. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  6. ^ "No. 31712". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 December 1919. p. 6.
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