Maria Rye

Maria Susan Rye, (31 March 1829 – 12 November 1903), was a social reformer and a promoter of emigration from England, especially of young women living in Liverpool workhouses, to the colonies of the British Empire.

She was born at 2 Lower James Street, Golden Square, in central London, on 31 March 1829. She was the eldest of the nine children of Edward Rye, solicitor and bibliophile, and Maria Tuppen. Edward Rye of Baconsthorpe, Norfolk, was her grandfather. Of her brothers, Edward Caldwell Rye was an entomologist, and Walter Rye, solicitor, antiquary, and athlete, published works on Norfolk history and topography and was mayor of Norwich in 1908–9.

Maria Rye received her education at home and read for herself in the large library of her father. Coming under the influence of Charles Kingsley's father, then vicar of St Luke's Church, she devoted herself at the age of sixteen to parochial work in Chelsea. She was impressed by the lack of opportunity of employment for women outside the teaching profession. In succession to Mary Howitt, she soon became secretary of the association for promoting the Married Women's Property bill, which was brought forward by Sir Thomas Erskine Perry in 1856 but was not fully passed till 1882.

She joined the Society for Promoting the Employment of Women on its foundation, but, disapproving of the women's franchise movement which the leading members supported, soon left it. In 1859, she undertook a private law-stationer's business at 12 Portugal Street, Lincoln's Inn, in order to give employment to middle class girls. At the same time, she helped to establish the Victoria Press in association with her business in 1860 (under the charge of Emily Faithfull), and the employment bureau and telegraph school in Great Coram Street, with Isa Craig as secretary. The telegraph school anticipated the employment of girls as telegraph clerks.

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