Frances Jane Pringle

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.

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. 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. 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. 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.

Together with friends, Albert and Frances formed the Christian Economics Society. On 16 May 1903 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.

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).

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