Amazing Women: Inspirational Stories

219 Pages·2010·2.28 MB·English

by  Charles Margerison

AMAZING
WOMEN
Volume 1
DR CHARLES MARGERISON
The Amazing People Club®
Amazing Women
Published by Viewpoint Resources Ltd
Trading as Amazing People Club©
Viewpoint Resources Ltd
10 Grange Road, West Kirby, Wirral, Merseyside, England C48 4HA
Tel: [phone]
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Web: www.amazingpeopleclub.com
Represented by Amazing People Club LLC in North America
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted
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written permission of the copyright holder.
This publication is provided subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent,
sold, hired out or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior consent, in writing, in any form of binding
other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition, including this condition, being
imposed on the subsequent publisher.
Disclaimer
BioView® and the Amazing People Club® are registered trademarks.
The published materials, under these marks, represent the views of the author.
A BioView® story is a scripted virtual interview based on research about a person’s life and times. As in any
story, the words indicate only an interpretation of what the individuals mentioned in the BioViews® could
have said. While the interpretations are based on available research, they do not purport to represent the
actual views of the people mentioned. The interpretations are made in good faith, recognizing that other
interpretations could be made. The inverted commas used in the BioViews® give an indication of possible
dialogue in the context of the story. The author and publisher disclaim any responsibility from action that
readers take on the BioViews® for educational or other purposes. Any use of the BioView® materials is the
responsibility of the reader and should be supported by their independent research.
We recognise there are different conventions about the spelling of words in what we shall call British English
and American English. We have chosen to adopt the British version, except for titles that focus on American
individuals, where American English has been adopted.
ISBN: 978-1-921629-94-5
Design by Varjak Design www.varjak.com.au
®
Contents
Author’s Note
Introduction 1
Nancy Astor – Politician – USA and UK 2
Elizabeth Blackwell – Doctor – UK and USA 6
Edith Cavell – Nurse – UK 12
Coco Chanel – Fashion Entrepreneur – France 18
Caroline Chisholm – Colonial Social Worker – UK and Australia 24
Marie Curie – Scientist – Poland and France 30
Emilie du Chatelet – Writer – France 36
Sally Hemings – Slave – USA and France 42
Susannah Holmes – Convict and Colonist – UK and Australia 60
Madame Lavoisier – Editor – France 68
Augusta Ada Lovelace – Software Developer – UK 74
Elizabeth Macarthur – Colonial Farmer – UK and Australia 78
Golda Meir – Politician – Belarus, USA and Israel 84
Maria Montessori – Educator – Italy and India 90
Mother Teresa – Nun and Social Worker – Albania and India 96
Florence Nightingale – Nurse – UK 100
Emmeline Pankhurst – Women’s Rights Activist – UK 106
Eva Peron – Entertainer and Politician – Argentina 112
Edith Piaf – Musician – France 120
Maria Poliakova – Spy – Russia 130
Irena Sendler – Nurse – Poland 136
Kato Shizue – Health Organizer – Japan 146
Sojourner Truth – Slave and Civil Rights Leader – USA 152
Harriet Tubman – Civil Rights Leader – USA 158
Careers of Amazing Women 166
Summary 204
Index 210
Amazing People Team 212
Amazing Women
Author’s Note
Dr Charles Margerison is a Chartered Psychologist,
a member of the Royal Institution and the Royal
Literature Society. He is Chairman of Viewpoint
Resources Ltd, a publishing organisation. Previously,
he was Professor of Management at the University
of Cranfield, UK and also at the University of
Queensland, Australia.
The author of more than ten books on management
issues, he has written an innovative continuing
professional development system, called The
Communication and Problem Solving Resource. He is the co-founder of
Team Management Systems and the Chairman of Bell Hughes Music Group.
He lives in Queensland, Australia.
Dr Margerison is the founder and author of the Amazing People Club Series.
This unique range is based on BioViews®, a new concept that combines a
biography with a virtual interview. The stories are presented as if written by
the amazing people concerned and are an interpretation of their lives, as in
a theatre play. BioViews® offer new and interesting ways of understanding
major contributions to our world. The stories are inspirational and can help
you achieve your ambitions in your own journey through life.
Thanks to Frances Corcoran, Katharine Smith, Kirri Robinson, James
Maxwell, Emily Hamilton, Dennis Bedson, Emma Braithwaite, Alan Earnst,
Monica Lawlor and Rodney Bain for their great work on the production of
this book.
© Dr Charles J Margerison - The Amazing People Club
Amazing Women
Introduction
Today, more and more women become doctors, politicians, entrepreneurs,
scientists, financial advisers, and take on other roles outside the home. This,
of course, has certainly not always been the case.
The women in this book were trailblazers. Their stories are a source of
inspiration and are revealed through our BioView® format. A BioView®
is a unique new story format. Each story is a biography, written as a
virtual interview, to reflect the life story of an amazing person. BioViews®
offer interesting and easy ways to learn from those who have made major
contributions to our world. BioViews® are inspirational stories that can help
you achieve your ambitions on life’s journey. You can discover how these
amazing women lived, loved and worked in their own distinct ways. For
example:
• Elizabeth Blackwell became the first qualified female doctor in the USA,
and the first woman to be registered as a doctor in England.
• Golda Meir was born in the Ukraine, educated in America, and became
the first female Prime Minister of Israel.
• Marie Curie moved from Poland to France where she studied Science and
went on to win two Nobel Prizes.
• Sally Hemings was a slave in America who went to work for her owner
in France, where she developed an amazing relationship with him that
shaped the rest of her life.
• Edith Piaf lost her eyesight when a child, but regained it and started
singing on the streets to commence her outstanding career.
We can learn key lessons from each one of them. In particular, their
achievements were the result of their determination to continue on, regardless
of how difficult the journey. They believed in what they had to offer, and
used their time well.
I trust that you will find the book informative as well as enjoyable.
Dr Charles Margerison
© Dr Charles J Margerison - The Amazing People Club

Amazing Women
Nancy Astor
1879–1964
Until 1919, all Members of the British Parliament were men
That is when I disturbed their peace
Two things in particular disturbed them
Firstly, I was the first woman to take a seat in Parliament
Of equal concern was that I was American
To many Members of Parliament, this added insult to injury
How dare a woman from one of the old colonies return to taunt them?
If a woman had to be allowed in, why not an English woman?
This was the atmosphere surrounding my win at Plymouth Sutton
For years and years, Parliament had debated giving women the vote
There was more talk than action until the suffragettes took to the streets
Only in 1918 did women over 30 years of age get the vote
Ironically, the first woman elected to Parliament was not a suffragette
Nor was I the first to be elected
Countess de Markievicz, the Irish patriot, had that honour
It was an honour that she did not accept
She was a member of Sinn Fein, the Irish liberation movement
Although elected, she refused on principle to take her seat in Parliament
It would have been difficult anyway, as she was in prison
She was captured during the Easter Rising of 1916 in Dublin
Therefore, the first woman elected to Parliament was a convict
I was born in Virginia, the first British Colony in America
One of five sisters, known as the Gibson Girls
My parents called me Nancy Witcher Langhorne
We were raised in the privileged surroundings of a rich family
Therefore, I had an American accent and colonial heritage
Many members of the House reflected on the irony
I was too busy to worry about the past
It had not been pleasant to me
My first marriage was to Robert Shaw in 1897
It was not a good choice, though it did result in the birth of my first son
We divorced in 1903 and I left the USA
Mainly due to my husband’s drinking problem
Arriving in England, I settled into a new single lifestyle
© Dr Charles J Margerison - The Amazing People Club

Amazing Women
Nancy Astor
© Dr Charles J Margerison - The Amazing People Club

Amazing Women
In 1906, I met and married Waldorf Astor
Born in the USA, on the same day as me
He was attractive and came from a rich family
Also, he was a Member of Parliament for Plymouth Sutton
In 1919, he succeeded to the peerage and joined the House of Lords
To do this, he had to renounce his elected position
We agreed that I should stand for election to take his place
The good people of Plymouth Sutton agreed and elected me
The majority felt I would do the job well, American or not
So, that is what I did from 1919 to 1945
It was a tremendous responsibility and challenge
Cliveden House
The rights of women and children were my key concerns
Debate was in Parliament, decisions were usually made elsewhere
Often, the real politics took place in the clubs around London
Most of the clubs were not open to women
Fortunately, I was able to establish my own select club
My father-in-law gave my husband and I a fantastic wedding gift
It was called Cliveden, a beautiful mansion in Buckinghamshire
We invited influential guests, as well as friends
Winston Churchill, James Balfour and Rudyard Kipling were just three
Naturally, we mixed business with pleasure and discussed politics
It was also the centre of our family life
In addition, we had a substantial home in St James’s Square, London
© Dr Charles J Margerison - The Amazing People Club

Amazing Women
Ironically, it became one of the major London clubs
For us, it was a home and political centre of influence
We had six children and they grew up understanding the key issues
In all, with family, politics and social meetings, it was a busy life
Also, travel to and from the constituency and Cliveden took time
Throughout, my husband supported my aspirations
Only when the last of my children was born did I enter Parliament
Aged 40, I had a wide understanding of people’s needs and the issues
For years, I had visited Plymouth to help my husband in his work
Many people knew me
Some were nonetheless shocked by my decision
Standing for the Conservative Party against two male candidates
Fortunately, I had a gift for public speaking
Lloyd George told me, ‘Your voice is your fortune’
A compliment indeed from such a fine orator
My sayings became known as ‘Astorisms’
I said what I felt, without fear or favour
Sometimes it was a serious point and sometimes a funny point
I pressed for better primary education and a curb on drinking
Action at the local level was especially required
Maternity centres and crèches were therefore established
Improved housing was another focus point
There was so much to do, particularly after 1929
The years of the depression hit my constituents hard
Likewise, so did the years of the World Wars
During that time, we established a hospital at Cliveden
It helped many soldiers to recover and recuperate
Throughout, I was guided by my strong beliefs
Having seen the evil that alcohol could bring, I said so
Having seen the problems with Communism, I spoke against it
My religious views were also well-known
With Philip Kerr, I supported the Christian Science religion
Previously, I had been a Catholic
In speaking my mind, I annoyed various groups
That is the nature of politics and religion
It was also the essence of free speech
As the first lady to take a seat in Parliament, I welcomed that freedom
May other women do likewise.
© Dr Charles J Margerison - The Amazing People Club