Martha Louise Black | |
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Member of the Canadian Parliament for Yukon |
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In office 1935–1940 |
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Preceded by | George Black |
Succeeded by | George Black |
Personal details | |
Born |
Martha Louise Munger February 24, 1866 Chicago, Illinois, United States |
Died | October 31, 1957 Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada |
(aged 91)
Nationality | Canadian |
Political party | Independent Conservative |
Spouse(s) |
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Children | 3, Warren, Donald and Lyman Purdy |
Alma mater | Saint Mary's College |
Martha Louise Munger Black OBE (February 24, 1866 – October 31, 1957) was a Canadian politician. Black was the second woman elected to the Canadian House of Commons.
Martha was born in Chicago, Illinois, the daughter of George and Susan Munger, a wealthy family. She was educated at Saint Mary's College, which was run by the Sisters of the Holy Cross. Of the five children her mother had over four years, Martha was the only one to survive. She had two younger siblings, George Jr. and Belle. Her father operated a laundry that was destroyed in the Great Chicago Fire.
Martha married Will Purdy in 1887 and the couple raised two sons together, Warren and Donald. Martha and Will made plans to join the Klondike Gold Rush in 1899, but Will backed out, departing instead for Hawaii. Martha did not join Will in Hawaii, choosing to travel to the Klondike with her brother in 1898.
In 1898 she crossed the Chilkoot Pass into Canada, heading for the gold rush in the Klondike. She gave birth to her and Will's third son, Lyman, in January 1899 in Dawson City.
Martha returned home to Chicago, and returned again to the Klondike in 1900. She earned a living by staking gold mining claims and running a sawmill and a gold ore-crushing plant. In 1904, she married George Black, who later became Commissioner of the Yukon from 1912–1916.
In the 1935 federal election, she was elected for the riding of Yukon as an Independent Conservative taking the place of her ill husband. She was the second woman ever to be elected to the House of Commons of Canada.